Betsy Ross House Brings Chills With a Screening of ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and the Bloodletting & Burials Tour
Betsy Ross House Brings Chills With a Screening of ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and the Bloodletting & Burials Tour”
Two of the Betsy Ross House’s most popular fall events begin this week in Old City. On Friday, October 2, the historic site will host its annual outdoor screening of George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead,” followed on Saturday, October 3, by the start of its Bloodletting & Burials tours, an immersive look at Philadelphia’s darker history.
Night of the Living Dead Under the Stars & Stripes
The Betsy Ross House’s First Friday Movie Night Under the Stars & Stripes returns Friday, October 2, with a screening of the original 1968 horror film “Night of the Living Dead” in the historic courtyard. Tours begin at 5:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 7 p.m.
Guests can arrive early for a special candlelit tour of the Betsy Ross House before settling in for the film. Attendees are welcome to bring their own drinks and movie snacks. Tickets are $10, and advance purchase is recommended.
Bloodletting & Burials
The reimagined Bloodletting & Burials tour begins Saturday, October 3, and runs Saturdays throughout October, with tours departing at 5:30 and 6:45 p.m. The 90-minute experience is priced at $40, which includes one cocktail.
The tour begins inside the Betsy Ross House, where guests encounter Betsy herself sewing a coffin lining, before continuing through the historic streets of Old City. Stops include Betsy Ross’s grave and Christ Church, with stories of disease, death and burial in 18th-century Philadelphia. The evening concludes at The Garden at City Tavern, where guests can enjoy a seasonally inspired cocktail while taking in the Historic District after dark.
Meet the Women of the 18th Century
For visitors seeking a less spooky option, Meet the Women of the 18th Century continues Saturdays through October 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program is free and features costumed interpreters portraying women who lived and worked in 18th-century Philadelphia, including a laundress, chocolate maker, midwife, free Black cake maker, socialite and Betsy Ross herself in her shop.
The Betsy Ross House is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering visitors the chance to explore the home and workshop of America’s most famous flag maker. It is the only historic site in Philadelphia where visitors can meet a person from the past every day.
