All Program Dates
Optional Weekend Fieldtrips:
Sunday, May 17, 2026 | Behind-the-Scenes Tour at Stoneleigh: From Private Country Estate to Public Garden & Historic Home
Saturday, May 23, 2026 | Daylong Workshop at Nemours Estate & the Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library: Material Culture Meets Material Texts
Saturday, May 30, 2026 | Daylong Workshop in the Brandywine River Valley: Hagley & Longwood. Gender & Family Relationships
Regular Course Meetings:
March 24, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
March 31, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
April 7, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
April 14, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
April 28, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
May 5, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
May 12, 2026 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Special opportunity for Curator’s Toolkit alumni: register for Stoneleigh, Winterthur/Nemours Estate, or Longwood/Hagley field trips for $50 per person by emailing rsvp@rosenbach.org, or calling 215-732-1600
More information about fieldtrips will be provided.
Registration
Tuition/Admission for this course $400. Members receive exclusive discounts on our programs and courses. Not a member? Learn more.
Please check your spam folder for your email confirmation. If you have questions, please call (215) 732-1600 or email rsvp@rosenbach.org.
This program is for those 18 and older.
Registration opens for Delancey Society members on Friday, November 14, for Rosenbach members on Friday, November 21, and for the general public on Wednesday, November 26.
The Curator’s Toolkit is a valuable opportunity for those considering a career in libraries, museums, and public history. The Rosenbach is pleased to offer a special discount of $75 off tuition for currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, as well as those who have graduated from an academic program within the last three years.* Please email rsvp@rosenbach.org or call 215-732-1600 to register.
*Please note that this course is not available for academic credit.
Description
Do you love discovering fascinating stories from history? Have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with museum and library collection objects, including rare books, manuscripts, paintings, and decorative arts? If so, then let the Rosenbach become your laboratory for study.
The Curator’s Toolkit will equip you with knowledge and skills for handling, studying, preserving, and learning from fine art, antiques, rare books, and manuscripts at the Rosenbach and beyond, granting you behind-the-scenes access to world-renowned museum and library collections. You will study the exhibition design process, research manuscripts in the Rosenbach collection, and write an exhibition object label for a digital humanities project in honor of the upcoming United States semi-quincentennial.
This year’s offering of The Curator’s Toolkit includes a focus on how historic homes and estates—as well as their collections of books and art—transform into public museums, libraries, and gardens. The course features three optional weekend field trips to some of the region’s most beloved cultural sites—Winterthur, Longwood, Hagley, and Stoneleigh—to take behind-the-scenes tours and talk with staff about collection care, management, and interpretation.** Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience at each of these iconic sites.
This course is intended as a foundational introduction to museums, libraries, and the study of historic artifacts. No background knowledge is assumed or required. All who are curious about the world of books, manuscripts, libraries, and museums are welcome!
*Important note: Course syllabus and schedule development are in early stages. Dates, times, and venues for field trips are tentative and subject to change.
**Transportation to field trips is not provided by the Rosenbach. Students must arrange their own transportation. Students are not required to attend all class sessions/field trips in order to take the course.
Stoneleigh, site of one of The Curator’s Toolkit field trips planned for spring 2026