Grace Kelly's Philadelphia house to open to public next year

There could soon be a new museum in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood.

Chances are it'll attract people from all over the world, as Prince Albert of Monaco has announced his mother, Grace Kelly's house will open to the public.

The Prince tells People Magazine the house he bought last year for $750,000 dollars, will soon be home to offices for the Princess Grace Foundation, and an extension of Monaco's Princess Grace Irish Library.

There could soon be a new museum in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood.

Chances are it'll attract people from all over the world, as Prince Albert of Monaco has announced his mother, Grace Kelly's house will open to the public.

The Prince tells People Magazine the house he bought last year for $750,000 dollars, will soon be home to offices for the Princess Grace Foundation, and an extension of Monaco's Princess Grace Irish Library.

Prince Albert purchased the six-bedroom, 2.5-story Colonial home back in October.

The home was built in 1935 by Kelly's father, John B. Kelly. He was a three-time Olympic gold medal-winning rower in the 1920s and later a prominent businessman active in Philadelphia politics. A sign posted outside designates the structure as a Pennsylvania historical landmark.

The estate sits on a 0.69-acre parcel that features gardens and a private backyard. Inside, the home boasts a formal paneled dining room, finished basement and a barroom.

Grace Kelly left Philadelphia at age 20 for Hollywood, but remained adored by Philadelphians through the years. The city mourned after Princess Grace died in 1982 from injuries she suffered in an automobile crash in France that involved her teenage daughter. She was 52.

Once asked about memories growing up in Philadelphia, Kelly recalled walking along the Wissahickon Creek in Fairmount Park, saying it was her "greatest treat."

Prince Albert said he has early memories of visits to the home, such as staring out an upstairs window or rolling around on the living room carpet.

The property last made headlines in 2014 when its 81-year-old former owner pleaded no contest to animal cruelty charges for keeping cats and dogs in unsanitary conditions. Officials with the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seized 15 cats from the home and found the remains of several others. The owner had lived in the large brick house since 1973.