BRYN ATHYN PA – Displays of nativity scenes – depictions of the birth of the Christ child in a manger – have been a Christmas tradition for centuries. At the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, a Montgomery County borough about 50 minutes east of Pottstown, nativities are thought of as more than a “meaningful expression of religious faith.”
They also are objects of art.
Again this year the museum is presenting “World Nativities,” a display of more than 63 hand-made, three-dimensional nativity scenes from across the U.S. and the globe. Its exhibit includes nativities from 29 countries, among them Italy, Madagascar, Spain, Egypt, Peru, Guatemala, South Africa, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, Switzerland, and Argentina.
They have been created by individuals, families, crafts-persons, artists, and believers of different faiths.
- One, from Peru, consists entirely of carved and painted gourds.
- Another, made in a neighborhood of Mexico City, is crafted from papier-mache.
- Delicate figures from a fourth-generation family company in Naples, Italy, are fashioned from terracotta, wire, and silk.
- From Haiti, portions of a recycled oil drum are cut into shapes and brightly painted to form nativity figurines.
The U.S. is represented as well. The exhibit includes prominent nativity designers like Joyce Byers, of the well-known Byers’ Choice Company in Chalfont PA (Bucks County); and A.J. DiAntonio of Malvern PA (Chester County).
Located in a Historic District
The non-profit museum, located in the Bryn Athyn Historic District, is part of The New Church, also known as the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
The church was founded during the late 1700s, based on theological writings authored between 1688 and 1772. The museum, which now occupies the former home of prominent church families, was initially part of a school, the New Church Academy.
The museum states its mission is to “interpret art and artifacts as expressions of religious belief and practice.” To that end, the scope of its collections is broad. They reportedly include items of ancient Egyptian, ancient Greek and Roman, medieval Christian, Islamic, Asian, and Indigenous American origins.
The aim, the museum says, is to “encourage curiosity, facilitate exploration, and inspire reflection on spiritual beliefs and practices through material objects.” From a viewers’ perspective, each nativity is fun to examine, rich with artistic detail, and intriguing to compare to its neighbors.
Travels With The Post visited the museum Saturday (Jan. 3, 2026), for the second time in two years. During both trips, museum staff members were courteous and professional. They happily answered questions, and pointed out exhibit details that visitors sometime miss.
Exhibits Continue Through Jan. 25
The museum setting glitters as much as the nativities themselves. The building includes brightly colored glass window scenes set into every wall. Its built-in furnishings are examples of old-world craftsmanship in wood, stone, and tile. The structure is massive, towering, and awe-inspiring.
In that way it also is similar to the nearby and famous Bryn Athyn Cathedral, another New Church building, visited by thousands of people annually.
There’s still plenty of time for the public to see Glencairn, and the World Nativities show.
Self-guided tours are available daily Tuesdays through Sundays from Jan. 6-25 (except for a closure on Jan. 16) between 1 and 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online, or in the museum at 1001 Cathedral Rd. They cost $5 per person of any age, and cover the current exhibition as well as entrance to the museum’s first and upper floor galleries.
There are activities for kids and families to enjoy, too. They can draw and color scenes of their own, go on a scavenger hunt to seek out selected nativities based on their descriptions, and even create a nativity of their own.
All photos by Travels With The Post
Our “Post Road Trip” and “Post Photo Gallery” reporting offers in-depth descriptive and visual looks – using photos, videos, and multimedia items – of places visited, events attended, and things seen within and beyond Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Also, see and follow the Travels With The Post page on Facebook.
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