A new smartphone app for self-guided audio tours can now be used at Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church’s graveyard, 412 Pine Street, in Philadelphia’s Society Hill section.
Called Old Pine Tours, the app costs $4.99 per tour and is available for Apple and Android smartphones. It works now for one general tour and will eventually include five tours. They are: a General Tour, Veterans’ Tour, Sea Captains’ Tour, Faith and the American Revolution Tour, plus a Youth Tour geared to students in grades 5-12.
The new audio tours, lasting about 35 minutes each, take place at one of the most colorful churchyards in the area, where flags flutter over graves of more than 200 veterans of the Revolutionary War. Old Pine Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) organization that assists Old Pine Church, developed the tours, with help from STQRY, a story telling platform. This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia and by contributions from generous donors.
Quiet on the set
Up to 4,000 bodies are buried in less than one acre at Old Pine’s historic churchyard. Walt Disney Pictures filmed scenes from its movie “National Treasure” here in 2004. And Netflix is scheduled to film part of an Adam Sandler movie at the churchyard this October.
Old Pine Conservancy will continue to offer in-person guided tours on many weekends. The new audio tours – with maps and photos – allow people to take tours on their schedules, says Daniel Campbell, the church historian.
Churchyard Visiting Hours
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, starting Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Campbell, who has a doctorate in history from Temple University and taught American history at both Rutgers University and Richard Stockton University, led development of the audio tour. Kevin Williams, a graduate educational history major at Temple University, did much of the research under Campbell’s direction.