Quintessential NYC House museum. I really enjoy this type of history, There is tons of construction around this area so it's not exactly easy to visit, but I found it to be one of those NYC gems that you don't ever think about visiting, even if you have lived there for years. I had heard about it, but never visited during my tenure living in the city. But years later, coming back as a visitor, I decided it's about time I pay this place a visit! The place is hot. I was there on the 100something degree day of the summer and the air was not circulating. I had to sit for awhile to catch my breath and cool down after climbing the steep stairs to the servant quarters, which are at the very top of the historic home. They seem to be very particular about things; the young girl working told me I needed to leave my small bag with her. No problem, I just need to get my wallet and stuff like that out. As I was trying to do so, she told me several times that I needed to leave it. I understood, but it was taking me a second to get organized. I also wanted my water and my neck fan. She also was a little guarded with the self-guided nature of the tour and told me not to enter any areas that were not accessible. I would never in a million years think of doing so; I am a pretty respectful visitor to any historic place I go, so I just smiled and shrugged it off. Aside from that weird interaction, it was a nice place to visit and learn some of the rich history of the city. I would just go on a day that's not quite so hot. read more

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It's beautiful but in case you don't know it's one of the most haunted places in New York. I experienced a ghost encounter in the bedroom where I felt intense pressure in the bedroom making me leave the room immediately. Once I left the feeling stopped. It felt like someone wanted me to leave that room. It's gorgeous and well preserved but consider yourself warned. read more

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Let me begin by saying if you haven't been to the Merchant's House Museum, and you are a lover of period homes, you are missing out. Here's why. The Merchant's House was purchased by Seabury Tredwell in 1935 for his wife and seven children. An eighth child, Gertrude, was born in 1840 and lived there until her death in 1933. After that it became a museum in 1936. What I find fabulous is that 90% of what is displayed, was owned by the Tredwell family. There are beautiful furnishings, draperies, mirrors, and architectural details. I take historical home tours everywhere we travel, and I've never seen so many true artifacts of a home on display. The docents are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. If you love history, architecture, period furniture, or have an interest in pre-gilded age NYC history you'll love this tour! HIGHLY recommended activity in NYC! read more

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Fun and informative tour, taking you through the building from bottom to top. So cool to see the original furniture and the way a kitchen worked in the 1800s. Contains a concealed passageway for the Underground Railroad! An awesome historical house that should definitely be preserved. read more

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What a great tour! Interesting history behind this house. Very much worth the $20 & 1-hour! read more

Absolutely recommend this for anyone who loves historical homes, ones preserved this well in NYC are rare and need our support. Truly felt transported back in time and the book they give you for the self guided tour was full of interesting info that specified how the family utilized the different objects in the room-- I learned so much. They also do guided tours, and have some upcoming ghost tours for Halloween season. Also had the pleasure of chatting with John who maintains the beautiful garden and went out of his way to give more historical insight & local recommendations! Went on a Thurs about 2:30 when only a few other people were there so it was quiet and I took my time exploring the 5 floors, but if you're less of a lollygagger than myself it would likely only take about an hour to get thru the house. So definitely worth squeezing in even if your NYC trip is busy, or if you're a local like myself looking for something interesting (and inexpensive!) to escape from the chaos. Was only $5 with student discount! Will definitely be back with friends :) read more

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Stunning and so well preserved. Staff was so knowledgeable and friendly. Absolutely must see. Will be back every trip to NYC to support them! read more

This I would like to call a hidden Gem in NYC. It's a 19th century house that is still fully in place and looks completely original so I can't imagine how it was all preserved so well. As I walked through I could easily imagine how they lived back then with some things looking quite typical of our modern world yet it is all back in the 1800s which makes it all the more interesting. It really showed me that we aren't all that different except technology over the last hundred years has extremely modernized us with our homes. How will homes be a other hundred years from now? Definitely take a tour of this home as it won't taken an entire day, even a couple of hours would be great! read more

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A charming little gem of a museum. Both the house and contents are amazingly preserved, so you feel like you have stepped into the past for a bit while here. As a small museum, it will not take all day like the Met, but definitely a cool place to check out and worth a visit! read more

This is such an interesting museum! We had heard about it as the building is under duress with the building of a high rise next door and we wanted to make sure we saw it now in case some of the plaster inside is damaged due to the construction. The house is one of the only preserved homes from the 19th century and it's fascinating to see how people lived at that time. You're given a binder of information at the beginning of the tour and we enjoyed that there was a self-guided options (docents are available for questions and they were very helpful). The home is beautiful and they've done a great job in preserving it. It was a lovely museum to tour and we hope that the building can be preserved and not damaged due to nearby construction! read more

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This is a fantastic and unique house museum with such a fascinating history. I highly recommend a guided tour (our tour guide Roland was a superstar - so knowledgeable, interesting, engaging!) I'm rooting for them to overcome their current challenges with the possible development next door. read more

What a fun museum downtown! The house is preserved to show the upper class NYC dweller in the 1800s. We did the self guided tour - each person was given a binder with information about each of the rooms in the four floor house. The tour was informative and very fun! The house is very well preserved and was like a transportation back in time. We had a fun time here, took about an hour to get through the tour. The docents and everyone there was also super friendly! Recommend this as an off the beaten path nyc spot! read more

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Docents, displays and quality of collection amazing to experience first hand, an immersive opportunity!!

What an absolutely amazing hidden gem in the heart of downtown Manhattan! Highly recommend taking the guided tour. Our guide Dennis was extremely knowledgeable and told us so many interesting facts about the family, the culture of the time, and the furniture. Such a beautiful house preserved in its original state- a rare opportunity to go back in time and see the house exactly as it was when the Tredwell's lived there. read more

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This is a beautiful small and local historical museum that people sleep on constantly! I highly recommend going in first thing to do the tour - but you can definitely go in on a self guided tour - you can spend as long as you want looking at everything but I'd say generally you can probably take a look through everything within 1.5 hours. Which is such an easy commitment to make as opposed to the much bigger museums in the city. They do a bunch of events during holidays - particularly around Halloween and Christmas so check those out. And also - they're right in the Union Sq/Washington Park/Village area so after doing a quick run through the museum there are a bunch of things to do around the neighborhood. Highly recommend it! read more

Merchant's House Museum - Chandelier details - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

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Time your visit to take the guided house tour. Time your visit to take the guided house tour. Time your visit to take the guided house tour. The docent who led our tour provided a wealth of very interesting information not only on the house and its furnishings, but on the history of lower Manhattan, the life of residents of the period, the life of servants, social customs, even fascinating details on seemingly simple topics s/a lighting, heating, and who actually used what today is a very nice garden in the back. In more modern times you learn how NYC laws can be used by developers to put the future viability of the house at grave risk. Owned by a single family, it is "the only family home in New York City to survive intact from the 19th century with original furniture, decorative arts, and personal possessions." Well worth visiting, it provides a welcome respite from the frantic energy of NYC. read more

I've walked past this building my whole life and I can't believe it has taken me so long to visit The Merchants's House Museum. If you are interested in New York City history at all this museum is worth your time. We did the guided tour and I would recommend this option for your visit, you'll learn so much more than walking through the house on your own. Sadly I do not remember our guide's name but he was fantastic and knew everything about the house, the family, and the general history of the city. read more

So we stumbled upon this place completely by accident, just checking around the area on Google maps. Seeing "museum" always piques my interest and I'm so glad we decided to stop in. This is the only 19th century NYC house preserved as it was when it was still occupied. HOW COOL IS THAT?! We were told that about 90% of the furnishings belonged to the original family. The house is still in incredible condition and it truly is like walking through a time portal. We heard that since it's supposedly haunted, there are special tours in October...if we ever find ourselves back in October I think we'll need to make a trip back. Absolutely worth the time to visit. read more

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What a gem of a place! The staff were great and provided us with a ton of information about the house's fascinating history. read more

Merchant's House Museum - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

The guided tour was very informative, but the tour guide spoke too fast and very softly. Very difficult for foreign visitors

Came here after wanting to try a different type of museum in NYC. This was literally like taking a step back in time. Although it is not fully restored to original condition, it is a great representation of what it might have looked and felt like in the late 1800's. The self-guided red binders with descriptions of each room were nice but it would have been great if there was a guide. The woman in the gift shop was happy to answer any questions though. I would like to go back around St. Pattys day they said the upstairs servants quarters are open. The garden area looked cute but since it was winter not too much greenery. Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend to New Yorkers who like NY history! read more

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I agree with the reviewers who said this place is a hidden gem. I'd never heard of it, until a friend told me she wanted to go there because they're currently having a photo exhibit called New York's Civil War Soldiers (through August 1). We went there this afternoon - and although it's a rather small building, it's a real treasure. The photo exhibit alone made our visit worthwhile; it was very emotional reading about each of the (injured) soldiers and about the surgeon who operated on them. Visitors are given a loose-leaf notebook of very interesting & informative information about each room and about the family who lived there for many years, and we read it avidly. We also spent some time sitting in the garden, which is a very peaceful place and larger than we'd expected. The museum is open on Thursday-Monday from 12-5 p.m. and guided tours are given on Fridays at 2:00 p.m. We had to leave before the guided tour, but I'm sure it would have been interesting. The young woman working there was very pleasant and welcoming. Admission is $10 ($5 for seniors). The house definitely needs some work (part of the lower floor was in a state of semi-disrepair) and I'm guessing they have serious fundraising needs at this point. (Update on 5/3/11): I just received the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation's "Daily Plant" e-mail and today's is a big write-up about - amazingly - The Merchant's House Museum. I'm including it below, and you'll notice that it details the extensive work to be done on the house by both Parks & Recreation and the Historic House Trust of NYC: Restoring The Merchant's House Museum The Merchant's House Museum, constructed in 1832, is both a New York City and a National Historic Landmark, and a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City. This row house is among the finest surviving examples of late-Federal and Greek Revival architecture. It remains virtually unchanged from the time when it was the home of the affluent 19th century merchant family of Seabury (1780-1865) and Eliza (1797-1882) Tredwell and their eight children. The Merchant's House is the only family home in New York City to survive intact, inside and out, from the 1830s. The Tredwell family moved into this house in 1835. Over the years, as the City continued to grow, the Tredwell's neighbors gradually abandoned the popular Bond Street area, building even more elegant homes uptown. For reasons unknown, the Tredwells remained where they were. The youngest Tredwell child, Gertrude (1840-1933), never married; when she died in the upstairs bedroom in 1933 at the age of 93, the family had occupied this house for almost 100 years. Beginning in April and lasting until the end of year, the Merchant's House will undergo a selective exterior and interior restoration under the supervision of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Historic House Trust. Jan Hird Pokorny Associates is the restoration architect, and Apple Restoration and Waterproofing is the contractor. The project will start by erecting scaffolding on the rear façade in preparation for the restoration of sections of the stucco, all the rear windows, missing shutters and the incorrect pitch and drainage of the rear gutter. The thermal and moisture failure of the rear windows causes significant temperature and humidity fluctuations during both the summer and winter months which potentially damage both the house's historic interior and collections. The poor drainage of the rear gutter and rear area masonry at the base of rear facade have caused water to backup and pool leading to moisture infiltration at the top and base of the house's rear wall. Additional exterior work includes restoration of the stone masonry at the underside of the main stoop. Work on the house's interior will include restoration and reconstruction of damaged interior plaster at the first floor stair hall, second floor stair hall, study, and bedroom. Utility upgrades will include replacing the existing cellar electrical circuit panel, replacing the third floor electrical circuit pane and installing new steam flow control valves on the existing radiators. The repairs will be implemented carefully to retain the aesthetic qualities and historic materials of the house and will allow us to seal the envelope of the building to prevent water infiltration. read more

A fantastic gem in the heart of New York City. Immersive history at its finest on East 4th street. Go inside the life and home of wealthy merchant Seabury Treadwell and family. The kitchen and parlor rooms are particular highlights, as well as the comparative brightness of today's lights and technology. Bravo to our volunteer docent we had accompany and explain everything on our tour Saturday, April 10. An experiential afternoon that is truly transportive in every sense of the word. One tip: add more items to the gift shop. Magnets with interior photos, pencils (a high margin item), and perhaps some more literature about New York City history, although the printed list for takeaway is wonderfully comprehensive. A+. Dont forget to make a donation to support them too. read more

We went to the candlelight Halloween tour for the house that's coined "the most haunted house in Manhattan." Skip the cheesy haunted houses and head to this home with history. It's as kitschy, mystifying and interesting as you hope, not necessarily scary, but that's probably for the best. The guides get right down to business, sharing audio footage of recordings of voices heard speaking in the house when prompted with questions. The answers are actually full of personality and of the era, which makes the audio the most convincing part that ghosts reside there. There's one scary gag they do that made everyone nearly piss their pants, and it was a great way to shake up the tour. The employees/guides are all volunteers which is incredible and shows the dedication people have to keeping the museum alive. This is definitely their most profitable season. 5 Stars!!!!!!! read more

I've passed this place a million times on my way to the gym next door and finally gave in to curiosity to check it out. I don't think I really expected it to be worth the $15 visit based on how it looks at first glance, but I wound up spending almost an hour touring the rooms. I missed the guided tour (at 2pm) and was given the most thorough binder ever that lets you take a self-guided tour of each floor and learn about the family who owned the house. Overall this was a really unique way to see the history of NYC, and the woman on staff who helped me was extremely friendly and helpful. Definitely worth the visit, and I'd like to go back and see the garden in warmer weather! read more

Merchant's House Museum - Museums Near Me - New York, New York

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Merchant's House Museum, one of NYC's most "haunted" spots, is a hidden gem in NoHo if you're a socio-cultural-history geek (like me, sometimes). It belonged to the Tredwells, a wealthy merchant class family, and is one of the few interior landmarks with original furniture and possessions left from the 19th century. I wish we could learn more about the individual family members who lived here (Seabury and Eliza Tredwell had 7 children) but our tour guide was still very informative about the family as a whole in addition to providing interesting insights into their lifestyle and time period. We were able to peek into one of the two servants' rooms on the highest floor of the house in addition to stepping into the bedrooms of Mr. and Mrs. Tredwell (separate rooms, which was apparently common back then) on the 2nd floor. The parlor rooms, where Mrs. Tredwell would host guests 15 minutes at a time, beautifully exhibit Greek revival architectural elements. In total, the house has 5 [creaky] floors, including the basement, and was previously part of a row of townhouses before the others were demolished. I found the kitchen and the roles of the servants to be the most interesting aspect of the tour. (Our tour guide didn't go into details when I asked her why this house is supposedly haunted since they have a separate Ghost Tour for that throughout the year.) They are opened Thursday to Monday 12pm-5pm with 45 min tours at 2pm. I believe they also have neighborhood walking tours during certain Sundays and have extended hours on Thursdays. Admissions is $13 (or $8 if you're a student). Photography is allowed, which is nice! read more

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This house is one of the place in NYC that we sure many have already walked through it thousand times,yet will definitely not knowing what it is. It's actually a museum since 1936! But if you happen to turn your head to this house, please come inside and ring the bell..This place will transport you back to 1835. Thanks to the stubbornness of Tredwell family that did't want to adjust their home to the pace of time, now we could experience how mid 19th upper middle class family used to live in NYC. Most of the house accessories and furnitures are still kept in original condition, the chairs, the gaselier, the mahogany cabinets,chamber pot and etc. The house has 6 floors, but unfortunately they currently only showing 3 floors. Come on guys,we are begging you, show us more! (The museum right now is still under construction in the back facade and servant quarter) It feels like intruding one's personal house when stepping into this house, and maybe , maybe Lady Gertrude herself is not too keen people come and see her place.. read more

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Man this house was so cool and I feel like no one has ever heard of it. I was in the area already so I was looking for something to do, but this is the kind of place worth a trip on its own! I've been to many historic sites, and one unique thing about this place is that it has a lot of its original furnishings. Obviously since most people update furniture and kitchens and bathrooms to modern technology, historic sites have to recreate those things, but luckily these people bought into a lifestyle and stuck it out. Another unique thing is displaying the servant's quarters. Again, I've been to a lot of houses and those are decided to be spaces not worth recreating or preserving and are usually turned into offices or something that staff only can access. It's not as fancy of course as the rest of the house but it's still an important part of understanding the 19th century culture instead of acting like the poor people didn't exist. My tour guide was very thorough and friendly. The tour group was small so it was easy to ask questions or ask for more information when you are with a couple of others instead of a big crowd. If you like historic sites, this is worth the venture and is pretty cheap for a good tour as well. read more

What a delightful find! It's like stepping back in time. The wealth of information provided in the self guided tour allows one to visualize what it would be like to live in this era. From common customs at the time to the background of servants and their plight to daily chores and couture- you will leave happy and more knowledgable than when you walked in. read more

This museum is a gem! They give you a literal binder (large print) of reading material to help paint the picture of the daily activities that went on in the impeccably preserved home. If you enjoy the period rooms at the MET you will enjoy yourself here. Admission is $15 and the museum takes about an hour and a half to get through if you're really taking your time. One warning is that it does get very hot in the summer on the high floors, but they do give you a fan which helps! read more

The oldest remaining private home standing in New York. Now a gem of a museum under siege in spite of being a "triple" landmark: local, state, national. The proposed highrise next door will endanger the structure (excavation, I take it, will create such a boom that the crown moldings and other old parts of foundation will be threatened). I was here for the Dickens show and we got a private tour. Highly recommend. read more

Lucky find during a stroll through the city. The staff is very friendly and the house is full of interesting information about the owners, the times they lived in and the society back then. I recommend to visit it during good weather because there's also a small garden in the back. read more

Merchant House Museum is an enchanting experience of Manhattan home very much a part of today's world and deep roots to the past. read more

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My visit to the Merchant's House Museum happened to occur in October, right before Halloween. The house was decorated for the holiday and their candlelight ghost tours. The house was really dark, with windows shuttered and black clothes draped over mirrors. Upon entry, I felt a tingle on the back of my neck and found out later on the tour that this house is haunted. Nice. For a house this old I would expect it. I signed up for their tour and was provided a warning about the house decor and their re-creation of the owner on his deathbed. They request that large bags be placed in their office as it's a tight squeeze in certain parts of the home. The tour starts in the garden and is led by very informed volunteer docents. From the garden proceed to walk through the house, from the bottom floor to the top. This house has only had one family live in it and has been preserved to show life in the early 1930's, when it was turned into the museum. The furnishings, architecture, house features and clothing are almost all original to the house. The docent informed us that the changes occurred mostly in the kitchen. There is so much to learn about the history of the family and the house, as well as what life was like for the servants. If you enjoyed the LES Tenement Museum or the Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace this museum you'll really enjoy the tour here. I highly recommend the tour (check times on their website), which lasted almost 2 hours. The offer plenty of events during the holidays, in addition to the ghost tours. This is truly a gem in NYC. read more

Not bad at all as these things go, though a bit steep at $10. I guess it's hard to keep these places going without such levels of support. An interesting, albeit brief, look into middle class American life in the 19th century. Unless you're a buff of the period or furniture/design, you might be a little bored, but it's worthwhile. The Ghost Tour I took had me thinking there'd be more creaking, whispering, and poltergeisterism. No such luck, but I can see this place being fun for a murder mystery night. The coolest things are the period furniture and the Irish servants' quarters, upstairs. It really calls to light the plight of Potato Famine-fleeing Irish immigrants in the 1800s. They should open up more of the top floor, but, as the curator told us, "that's how we lure you back." read more

Well worth the trip. Took the guided tour and it was fantastic. The tour was filled with fascinating facts about the house, the family and the city at that time. Thoroughly entertaining. The garden is also well worth look at, Would highly recommend. read more

Never judge a house by its facade. There is soo much rich history about New York in the 1850s and how the merchant class lived. We decided to do the guided tour which was approx 1.5 hours and loved the personal touch and being able to ask questions. Our tour guide, Danny, walked us through each of the rooms and described how the family lived, how the servants lived, and the details of the house. Wonderful experience. No food or drinks. There is a place to store your bags. read more

This museum is a little-known site -- and sight -- to see downtown. My gf and I checked it out a month or so ago, and I'm glad we did -- it's a great example of what a single-family home was like in the early- and mid-19th century. When we arrived, a guided tour was underway, and we were able to join midway. The docent was kind enough to loop back to the beginning so we could benefit from the whole walk through. They're doing some work on one of the chandeliers, but everything else is original furnishings, and very few improvements have been made. The museum is notable for two reasons. One, when it first became a museum, it was an informal museum run by a family member who wasn't trained in museum design or preservation. So some alterations were made that aren't truly in line with what a professional would have done. Two, the gardener, our first impression of the place, is a wonderful man. He's friendly, well informed about the property, and given the amount of time he's been working there, truly and deeply cares about the place. I'd go back just to talk to him and hang out in the garden. Go. Go! read more

What a find! I didn't know this was in NY, and I've been here dozens of times. It's filled with history from the early to mid 19th century. It's worth it to take a guided tour, Michelle was our guide and she had so much information. I wish there was another place like this in the city, I want more! read more

On Saturday I finally visited the Merchant House Museum, and I am only sorry I did not visit sooner, having lived in NY 15 years. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable from the first moment I rang the bell to the end when I shut the door behind me, taking note of the black wreath that I somehow missed going in. What truly impressed me was the written guide to the house. It was well balanced and informative. What particularly struck me were the descriptions of how the family adopted, adjusted and sometimes haltingly embraced newer technologies. We always see the past as a snapshot in time, but in fact there is a collage making up that moment, of overlapping technology, ideas, and how people adjust to those changes. I have never seen that more clearly demonstrated than during my tour of the house. I was also impressed with how well the tour and the narrative painted the daily lives of the family and also the servants in the house. Rather then a museum, this was really a trip back in time. It is as if we were invited into the home with the family and servants having just left perhaps to their place in NJ. I also appreciated the treatment of slavery in the upstairs case. It was a honest assessment of an area that New York is only starting to come to terms with. In summation, I think the visit did a remarkable job at meshing all the industrial, social, technological, and economic forces that were in play and affected this family. So often we isolate one or more of these factors and examine, it distorting the other factors that were also important during an era. read more