The John Updike Childhood Home is a museum owned by The John Updike Society, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation organized for educational purposes with members in 18 countries and 37 states. The house is located at 117 Philadelphia Avenue in Shillington, Pa., where author John Updike lived from “age zero” to 13, after which John and his parents moved to a farmhouse in Plowville that had been in his mother’s family.
Updike treasured the house on Philadelphia Avenue because it was where his “artistic eggs were hatched.” He visited Shillington often during his writing career, and went through the house as an adult at least twice. The house museum features 10 areas of exhibits that tell the story of Updike and his time in Berks County.
Purchase of The John Updike Childhood Home was made possible by a generous donation from the Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, and the restoration to period (1932-45) was supported by the Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, the PECO Foundation, the John and Gaye Patton Foundation, and individual donors.
Our mission: The John Updike Society is dedicated to awakening and sustaining reader interest in the literature and legacy of John Updike, promoting literature written by Updike, fostering and encouraging critical responses to Updike’s literary works, and, through The John Updike Childhood Home, preserving the history and telling the story of John Updike’s relationship with Shillington, Pa. and the influence that Berks County had on his literary works.
Learn more about The John Updike Society. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in Updike, and benefits include free admission to the museum and any issues of The John Updike Review that are published during the calendar year.
Pictured is the front of the house. The two-story portion is original, while the single-story addition was added post-Updike in 1950 by Dr. John S. Hunter, who built the annex for his practice. To help cover annual operational costs and provide an on-site presence, the society remodeled the annex so that the three former examination rooms are now office space rented to David W. Ruoff Financial Services, which is not affiliated with the society. The former doctor’s waiting room has been repurposed as the society’s education room, and what used to be the doctor’s office/study is now the museum gift shop.
Like other author houses in heavily residential areas, The John Updike Childhood Home has limited hours of operation. The museum is open on Saturdays from 12-2 p.m., except for major holidays. Admission is $10/person for age 16 and older. Group rate is $7/person (10 or more) Group tours need to be arranged in advance and are dependent upon docent availablility. Click here for more information on group visits and special rates for schools.
The John Updike Childhood Home is a member of the Berks Heritage Council, Shillington Business Association, Lehigh Valley Passport to History, and Pennsylvania’s Americana Region, as well as an Affiliate of the American Writers Museum in Chicago.
The John Updike Childhood Home 