My mom and I toured Beauport when we visited Gloucester for a day a week or so ago and it was one of the many highlights of our Cape Ann trip. The house was built in 1908 as the summer home of interior decorate and antique collector Henry Davis Sleeper. Sleeper designed this unique house, where he lived until his death, when it was bough by Charles and Helena Woolworth McCann. They preserved most of Sleeper's designs and decor (making only a few modifications) until their heirs donated the house to Historic New England in 1947. The house is full of incredible decor: a kitchen that utilized 17th century paneling from his mother's ancestral home, a central hall with an incredible amber glass cabinet, a dining room with incredible views of the Harbor, an Octagon Room, and so much more. We reserved our tour ahead of time, and three others joined our tour. Our guide was wonderful, and we learned so much about this unique house, Henry Davis Sleeper, and the McCanns. Our time in Gloucester was wonderful, but Beauport was one of the highlights of our time there. It's a really incredible house, and I'm so glad we had time in our itinerary for a tour! read more

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My girlfriend and I toured Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, on Friday, August 8th. The house was beautiful and we enjoyed the wonderful interior designs, but unfortunately our tour was tainted by our rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional tour guide. Shortly upon beginning the tour, our guide, Alberta Hill, made an extremely rude and uncalled-for comment, slut-shaming and embarrassing my girlfriend in front of the entire tour group for her clothing. Her outfit was not that revealing- it was a hot day and she had on shorts and a tank top- but even if it were, it would not grant a tour guide the right to treat a guest in this manner. It's sad that what was otherwise such a fun experience was impacted by an insensitive guide who made my girlfriend feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. It's disappointing that Historic New England would employ someone with such an old-fashioned mentality, someone who would go out of her way to police another woman's body and enforce traditional gender norms. This is especially troubling to see at the Beauport Sleeper-McCann House, a space that was once a sanctuary for the queer Henry Davis Sleeper and a pinnacle of early individual expression. I would expect those employed by the Beauport house to reject moral conservatism and embrace personal freedoms and expression, but sadly Alberta did not. read more

I loved this museum tour! Incredibly informative and every room was beautiful. The original owner was considered one of the first interior designers and when he would acquire a fabulous collection of furniture, art work, etc. he would add on to the house in order to showcase it. The grounds and wildflowers are lovely and the view is exquisite. I highly recommend a visit to the Sleeper - McCann House if you are in the Gloucester area. read more

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Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, was the summer home of Henry Davis Sleeper, considered one of the first American professional interior designers. Tours are on the hour, and our tour guide was Stephen. He was extremely informative, and there was a great pace set to check out the architecture, the art pieces, the decor, and the theme of each of the rooms. I personally enjoyed the wallpapers and the Japanese and the Korean potteries, in which was mostly a collection from Sleeper's mother. Shoe covers are required, so when you step inside the building, you will need to slip these on before you continue. The grounds are well-kept, and there is a great view in which you go around the back of the house to take a picture of the beautiful views! A great photo op! You purchase your tickets in the entryway, where it also doubles as a gift shop. The restrooms are right around the corner on a path from the gift shop/entryway. Great spot to check out when you're in town for a little bit of history and for those who enjoy art/design. Small lot for your vehicle available. +summer home of America's first interior designer +request for Stephen, the tour guide! +great views around the back of the house read more

OMG. If you like art, architecture and history and are in the Gloucester area, GO to Beauport! I live about an hour away and visited it yesterday for at least the fifth time. I've been to many historic house museums all over the world and majored in art history, and this is one of my all-time favorite places. Mr. Sleeper was incredibly talented and every inch of the place is beautifully and thoughtfully decorated. Most rooms have lovely views of Gloucester harbor and lots of natural light pouring in. (So yes, you could visit on a rainy day, but you'd miss out on the views and the house might seem a little dark and gloomy.) The guides are always consistently good and the gardens, though small, are charming. You DO need to book online ahead of time; don't even think about just showing up, especially on weekends. And I believe Beauport is only open from roughly Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Enjoy! read more

One of coolest houses in New England! Henry Sleeper's Beauport is a one of a kind place. Quirky and quintessentially New England, it is chock a block with themed rooms filled with displays of dime store glass mixed with high end antiques. Mount Vernon, it is not but it is an interesting slice of Americana! As a historic house fiend (I've worked in several and visited many), this is one of my favorites. Built in the Gilded Age enclave of Eastern Point, it offers beautiful views of Gloucester Harbor. The house is presented as the artful expression of a gay man (and his community) in the early 20th Century. Rather than a presenting a staid furniture tour, the docents share the uniqueness of Sleeper, his life, his friends, and his aesthetic in each space. Any man that hung out with Isabelle Stewart Gardner must cool! Beware, though, it is closed on Sundays. read more

Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House - Museums Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

This place was really neat and I basically ended up there randomly when I was poking around in the area. I managed to show up just as a tour was starting, but I did get to see the pretty garden on my way to the meeting point. The tour guide was very fun and I liked that she seemed to really care about the house and it's history. I thought it was really interesting to hear about the house since I didn't know who Sleeper was - but really really interesting. The stories about him and his parties were funny and I can imagine it would have been a house to have an amazing time in . I won't give away all of the tour 'secrets', only will say that this is definitely work a visit if you're in the area. Also, do not forget to walk around the front of the house to see the lovely view and landscaping. I personally thought the fall colors were beautiful - but remember that it does close seasonally! read more

Disappointing! Never made it in. Hours & date info Incorrect info on Signage, website & answering machine. Wasted time & gas on this one.

This place is a hidden gem and should be visited at least 3 times so you can get the full experience. The museum/historic mansion is jam packed with hidden rooms, treasures from Sleepers trips and is an excellent example of early design used to the fullest. I'd suggest going on a cooler day because it gets a little stuffy inside the house and calling ahead if you have more than 5-6 people with you. Tours are on the hour and space is limited. The gift shop is great, sourcing local vendors and objects hand picked from the Historic New England team so you can bring home a little bit of Sleeper with you and remember it forever. I can't wait to go back and visit again! read more

Historic New England! Loved visiting this mansion. The rooms are stunning as well as the view of Boston. Sleeper knew Isabella Stewart Gardner which was cool too. read more

This place is really cool. The grounds are stunning and the tour was interesting. It was about an hour long and we saw a good amount of rooms. The tour guide did a great job. I think I like it here better than Hammond Castle. Cannot wait to come back. read more

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This was a really cool tour that covered some interesting history and had some great scenery and views overlooking the water. Parking is plentiful, but the road leading up to the house may be a little confusing since it says it is private. Once we arrived, we walked around until our tour began. It lasted about an hour and was very enjoyable. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the history and importance of the house and all of it's belongings. We saw a daytime tour, but it would definitely be interesting to come back and see the "nooks and crannies" tour mentioned. I would definitely recommend a visit as the uniqueness of the house and gorgeous views make the trip very worth it. read more

snippy dude at the desk tells me that i had to book online. ok fine, but u don't have to snap at me. you lost $$$ that day.

My husband loved it, I found it to be rather dark inside and unappealing. Interesting history, good rainy day outing.

I had a great time. It was a great experience for fun day Sunday! The kids loved it, and our tour guide was very informative and interesting. Definitely interested in returning. It was a wonderful day! There is also a gorgeous view of the Boston skyline and a lovely courtyard. read more

This place is to gay interior decorators what Lourdes is to the handicapped. I made the pilgrimage yesterday on one of those extraordinary mid-September days, and it was a bit out of the way, but well worth the effort. I have to say - I am not an interior decorator, and I don't know the difference between majolica and toll ware. Even so - a visit to Beauport is really wonderful - it's a sprawling, peculiar, rambling old 1900 summer house with a hundred nooks and crannies in 40+ rooms that will leave you pleased that you came. The staff at the gate were warm and friendly. The guide was first rate. Nice amenities. And a recommendation for you: look to the south-west just beyond the entrance to Gloucester Harbor, and you will see the skyscrapers of Boston twenty five miles away. Just magic. read more

Loved our tour! We arrived about 20 minutes early for our tour and were told we could walk around the grounds while we waited. It was beautiful! The house is right on the ocean. Grounds are not large so you can wander around and see the whole property pretty quickly. There are a few seats for you to relax. The tour guide was entertaining and we really enjoyed his sense of humor. It would be fun to go back and do the longer "nooks & crannies" tour. I heard they serve cocktails... read more

i am looking forward to their opening in the spring so i may visit again. this place is spectacular. the docents are most knowledgeable and the history of it all is wonderful. read more

The house is somewhat hidden on an obscure side street but well worth the visit. The whole whole staff, from the visitor center/gift area to the tour guide were so pleasant. The guide was very informative and while only giving us the bare essential of facts the tour took almost an hour covering the 30 rooms . The place is only open in the warmer months and parking is located directly across the street. Look on their website and fb page for special tours. read more