I mentioned The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum (NOTE: the museum is closed in August) at 61st between 1st Avenue and York in a prior post. Well, I returned yesterday, and had a charming visit. My mother and I were the only visitors at the time and the museum had only 2 visitors prior to us that day. We received a personal tour by an 18 year old student who was adorable and enthusiastic and smart, and it made the visit that much more special. The two other docents there were incredibly friendly. It felt more like a visit to a friend's home than a museum tour.
The house itself was built by John Adams' daughter Abigail and her husband but never used by them due to economic troubles (hmmm..sounds familiar!)--subsequently it became a hotel used by wealthy New Yorkers as a respite from the Big City (which at that time extended only up to 14th Street). Swimming in the East River was a -gasp-favorite activity. The rooms are filled with period pieces, and not particularly spectacular compared to similar period rooms in the Met. But it is the idea of this charming, 18th century home in the middle of crazy Manhattan (with a view of the Rososevelt Island tramway and Queensborough Bridge) that makes this a special, off-the-beaten-path destination.
NOTE: The museum is closed in August. Note also there are STAIRS and no elevator--hard for seniors tho doable.
Admission$8 adults, $7 students and seniors Free for Museum Members and children under 12 Museum Hours11AM- 4PM Tuesday through Sunday (please arrive no later than 3:30 to leave enough time for last tour). Closed the month of August, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day Directions to the Museum The Museum is located at 421 East 61st Street between First and York Avenues. Public transportation: Bus: M15, M31 or M57. Subway: N, R or 4, 5, 6 to 59th Street/Lexington Avenue Station or the F to Lexington Avenue
