Oscar Wilde in Philadelphia, Presented by the Rosenbach

Celebrity, wit, literary and political icon—Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) has always been central to Philadelphia’s cultural scene. This walking tour takes you to 10 stops Wilde made in 1882 and highlights how Philadelphians welcomed him.

Oscar Wilde was an Irish-born poet, novelist, playwright, and "influencer." Today, he is frequently quoted and he has become a contemporary LGBTQ icon. Wilde was invited to tour the United States in 1882 to speak about the Aesthetic Movement and its “art for art’s sake” philosophy, During the tour, he stopped in Philadelphia in January and again in May. He gave lectures, visited cultural sites and spent time being celebrated in the homes of the area's literati, including Walt Whitman. This walking tour allows you to walk in Wilde’s footsteps, tracing his path to the sites of his lectures, parties, and social calls.

While he was popular and prolific, it was the legal system that forbade Wilde’s personal involvements that would prove his undoing. A series of prosecutions related to his sexual behavior landed him in prison. After his realease, in failing health, Wilde moved to France where he died at age 46. Wilde is known for a range of work including Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, among many others. His early death likely deprived the world of many more.