Dolley Todd House at Independence National Historical Park

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The Dolly Todd House is closed as of March 2025, and it has been closed since at least July 2022. Don’t plan on it opening anytime soon. The following information pertains to when the house is open.

SITE OVERVIEW

The Dolley Todd House, part of Independence National Historical Park, is the home of the lady who would eventually become known as Dolley Madison, wife of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison. Dolley lived in the house on Walnut Street from 1791 to 1793 when she was married to lawyer John Todd. During the Yellow Fever epidemic that swept through Philadelphia in 1793, John, his parents, and the Todd’s newly born son all died. Only Dolley and an older son survived.

The large building on the corner of 4th and Walnut streets contains three separate living units. The Todds lived in the end unit on 4th Street. The house itself was built in 1755.

LOCATION

The Dolley Todd House is located at 341 Walnut Street (northwest corner of 4^th and Walnut streets). The entrance is at the rear of the house through a white fence on 4th Street.

OPERATING HOURS

• July 1 through Labor Day by tour only
• Get tickets at Independence Visitor Center
• Closed all other days of the year

Times can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Visiting the Dolly Todd House web page for Independence National Historical Park.

TICKETS AND FEES

Entrance into the Dolley Todd House is by Ranger-guided tour only, and a free ticket is required to attend. These are given out on the day of the tour on a first come, first served basis starting at 8:30 AM at Independence Visitor Center. Each tour is limited to ten people, so arrive early. While nowhere near as popular as Independence Hall, the very limited number of spaces can result in all tours “selling out” each day.

Unfortunately, tour times are not posted on the National Park Service’s web page, so the only way to find out when tours are being held is to show up in the morning. You can’t get tickets in advance anyway, so even if you know the schedule, you still have to arrive first thing to have a chance of getting the time slot you want. Just be sure to have a flexible schedule for the day. When I attended, there were four tours a day. I remember that two of the times were 11 AM and 12:30 PM, but I can’t remember the other times, though they were later in the day.

In addition to the Dolley Todd House, the tour includes a stop at the Bishop White House. The two houses are on opposite ends of the block on Walnut Street. When you get your ticket you will be instructed as to which house to meet at.

The Dolley Todd House is not accessible to those who cannot climb stairs. Keep in mind that only the first of three floors at the Bishop White House is accessible to those with mobility problems, so there’s not much point in taking the tour if you cannot walk.

WHAT TO DO

When the Todds lived in their Walnut Street house they were a typical middle class family, and the current furnishings reflect this lifestyle. Nothing is original, but the house is decorated as it might have been in the late 1700s with antiques from the time period. One of the goals of the Todd and Bishop White house tour is to show the contrast between a middle class home and the much more luxurious home of Bishop White, a member of upper class Philadelphia society.

The following are photos of the rooms you will see on the tour.