The "Old" Main Line

Anthony Wayne Theatre was built in the 1920s. Though the marquee has changed, the essence of the Moroccan style facade remains beautiful.
Ardrossan Mansion as it remains today
Chanticleer Mansion and Gardens
The Main Line is an unofficial historical and socio-cultural region of suburban Philadelphia, along the former Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which runs northwest from downtown Philadelphia parallel to Lancaster Avenue (US Route 30). Radnor Township is at the northern most tip of Delaware County, extending from Strafford to the West to Bryn Mawr on the east.

Radnor was founded between 1663 and 1665 by a group of Quakers from Radnorshire Wales, seeking religious freedom. Today it is among the wealthiest communities in the United States with Villanova ranking 39th in “The Elite 100 Highest Income Neighborhoods in America.” The 1936 film “The Philadelphia Story” was based on the early life of Hope Montgomery Scott, and though much of the Montgomery property has been sold to developers, the Mansion and much of the open land remains unspoiled, testament to the grandeur of past times.

Wayne, the central village of the community, has a vibrant downtown, and is bordered by neighborhoods with wide lawns and well preserved late 19th century and early 20th century homes, many by noted architects.

Chanticleer, former home of Adolph G. Rosengarten, Sr., head of a pharmaceutical company that is now part of Merck, built his dream home and gardens on 35 acres and created a foundation to ensure that his property would be turned over to the community and made a public garden. According to Jacki Lyden of NPR, it is “quite simply, one of the most delightful gardens in the world.”

CHANTICLEER HOURS

Wednesday - Sunday - 10am - 5pm

Friday Evening - Open until 8pm.
Due to limited parking, we cannot accommodate groups on Friday evenings.

Early Openings in 2016

The garden will open at 8:00 am on June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, and October 1 during the 2016 season.

Our parking lot holds only 120 cars and can fill on weekends and Friday evenings. Please car pool and understand once we reach capacity, we will ask you to return another time.

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Radnor is also home to several private schools and colleges, including Agnes Irwin School for Girls,
Villanova, Cabrini and Eastern Universities, and Valley Forge Military Academy, the setting for the 1981 movie, Taps starring George C. Scott, timothy Hutton, Sean Penn and Tom Cruise.

Wayne Train Station
As it is located along the railroad line from Philadelphia to Lancaster, there are several train stations in Radnor which are mostly well preserved and/or restored. These include Villanova, Radnor, Wayne and Strafford (just over the border).The Finley House built in 1789 is located in North Wayne is the home to The Radnor Historical Society, which has a magnificent collection of photos, maps and memorabilia from the earliest days of the community.

For information, call 610.688.2668, or visit radnorhistory.org