Editing Gloria Dei Church (section)

== Visiting Gloria Dei ==

Gloria Dei welcomes visitors interested in the church's history and architecture. The church is located at 916 South Swanson Street in Queen Village, accessible by public transportation and with limited street parking nearby. The sanctuary is typically open for self-guided tours during daylight hours when services are not in progress, and the grounds and cemetery are accessible throughout the day. The parish offers guided tours by appointment for groups interested in more detailed historical information. Special events, including Swedish heritage celebrations, occur periodically and draw visitors interested in the church's colonial origins.<ref name="gloriadei"/>

The church is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, the National Register of Historic Places, and as a National Historic Landmark. These designations recognize Gloria Dei's exceptional significance in American history and ensure protection for the historic structure. For visitors seeking to understand the pre-Penn European history of Philadelphia, Gloria Dei offers the most substantial and accessible physical connection to the Swedish colonial period. The church stands as proof that the history of European settlement in the Philadelphia region extends back to the 1630s, decades before William Penn's arrival, and that the descendants of those earliest settlers have maintained a continuous presence here ever since.<ref name="nrhp"/>