1997's Historic Houses in Flower and Twilight Along the Schuylkill will provide visitors with fascinating glimpses of beautiful subjects ranging from grand architecture and fine antiques to gorgeous flowers and elegant textiles. Historic Houses in Flower, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 18, through Sunday, April 20, will present seven of the historic houses (Lemon Hill, Mt. Pleasant, Laurel Hill, Woodford, Strawberry Mansion, Sweetbriar and Cedar Grove) decorated by some of the Philadelphia region's most accomplished floral designers. Cedar Grove Mansion also features a recently installed costume and textiles display.

Tickets for Historic Houses in Flower are $12.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 12, and can be purchased on the day of the tour at the Park Houses, the Horticltural Center, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Call (215) 684-7922 for information. Free parking is available at all of the Park Houses.

Trolley transportation for Historic Houses in Flower can be arranged by calling the Philadelphia Trolley Works at (215) 925-TOUR. Trolleys will depart from the Visitors Center (16th Street and JFK Boulevard) and the West Entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art every 15 minutes between 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., and will stop at each Park House. Tickets for trolley tours are $20.00 for adults, and $10.00 for children.

Twilight Along the Schuylkill, a special preview event for Historic Houses in Flower, will be held on Thursday, April 17, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., and will feature a special lecture followed by a Trolley Tour of three historic Fairmount Park houses. Kristina Haugland, Assistant Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, will explore the relationship of gardens, nature, fashion and the body in the lecture "Flowers in Fashion." Tickets for Twilight Along the Schuylkill are $35 per person and include refreshments. Call (215) 684-7926 for information.

Historic Houses in Flower and Twilight Along the Schuylkill are both organized by the Park House Guides of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, who each year seek to combine the elegance of 18th-century furniture with the beauty and color of Spring floral arrangements. Florists participating in Spring 1997's programs are:

• All Occassions, Philadelphia
• Always in Bloom, Southampton
• Amber Rose Florists & Gifts, Philadelphia
• Michael Wickliffe for Beautiful Moments, Philadelphia
• Joe Blatt, Elkins Park
• Blossoms of Cherry Hill
• Bonnie's Wondergardens, Lansdowne
• Michael Bruce Florist, Westmont
• Classic Flowers, Haddonfield
• Coup Florist, Philadelphia
• Evantine Design, Philadelphia
• Everlasting of Haddonfield
• A Floral Affair, West Chester
• Floribunda, Doylestown
• Flower Market, Ardmore
• Flowers by Kendal, West Chester
• The Gilded Lily, Philadelphia
• Haddon Floral Company, Haddonfield
• Kenny's Flower Shoppe, Media
• Charles F. Kremp III Florists, Willow Grove
• David Lautt Florist, Philadelphia
• Leroy's Flowers and Gifts, Hatboro
• Needleman Florists and Decorators, Philadelphia
• Perkins Flowers, Jenkintown
• Petal Pushers, Elkins Park
• Petals Plus, Elkins Park
• Rothe Florists, Philadelphia
• Robertson of Chestnut Hill
• B.J. Cutler Saler, Merion Gardens
• Sweetbrier, Haddonfield
• Tinari Greenhouses, Huntingdon Valley
• Water Lily East, Jenkintown
• Nancy Waller, Cinnaminson
• Wirth Florists, Merchantville

Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in the United States, and the Fairmount Park Houses are considered to be the most significant group of 18th and early 19th-century examples of domestic architecture in the United States. Illustrating over a century and a half of style, fashion and domestic life, the historic houses of Fairmount Park are preserved and maintained by a number of private and civic organizations (including the Philadelphia Museum of Art) and provide the visitor with a unique glimpse into Philadelphia's rich cultural history.