The Bellevue Historian in Residence Program

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, The Bellevue invites you to discover over a century of history with The Bellevue Historian in Residence Program, a bookable walking tour that explores the iconic spaces and rich heritage of The Bellevue Hotel, one of Philadelphia’s most celebrated landmarks.

Led by archival historian and writer David Kurlander, this immersive experience takes guests through historic areas like the Conservatory, the grand ballrooms, and original lobby, revealing The Bellevue’s influential role in shaping both Philadelphia’s cultural fabric and the nation’s. The program is complimentary and open to hotel guests and the public with advance notice.

As part of the experience, guests will take home a reproduction of the original 1987 Rubin & Co. map of the hotel, created following its mid-1980s renovation.

Belleve-Exterior-1960s

HOW IT WORKS

The Bellevue will offer a complimentary historian tour available for hotel guests and the public, launching ahead of Presidents’ Day. The historian tour will run as follows:

  • Duration: 75-90 minute tour
  • Availability: Select Thursdays at 10am and 2pm throughout 2026

Additional: Guests receive a custom-printed map and can choose from themed tours (architecture, sports, culinary or general history), offering something for everyone looking to connect more deeply with Philadelphia’s storied past.

Lobby-Entrance---1950s---Library-of-Congress
HISTORIAN
David Kurlander
David Kurlander is a historian currently working on a book about the history of The Bellevue. Before his move to Philadelphia last year, he spent five years at CAFE, part of Vox Media, where he was a producer on the Stay Tuned with Preet interview podcast for former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and the Now & Then podcast with historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman. Kurlander was the lead editorial producer for Now & Then, which explored diverse historical elements of the contemporary American political scene, with topics as diverse as lesser-known Constitutional amendments, pets, board games, and space travel.  Kurlander studied History & Literature at Harvard, where he focused primarily on 1970s corporate and cultural history. His thesis, Capture the Rapture: A Cultural History of Malt Liquor, 1950-1980, won the Edwin Chandler Cumming Prize for Thesis of Highest Distinction in History and Literature and inspired him to pursue a broader career in telling 20th century American stories.  Kurlander lives with his wife Zara in Society Hill, where he collects his weekly findings about Philadelphia's rich history in the Substack newsletter Archiveadelphia.

Bellevue Historical Tour Sign Up

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