The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden

 Discover one of the oldest buildings in Manhattan and one of New York City’s hidden treasures, The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Constructed in 1799 as a carriage house and converted into a day hotel in 1826, the Museum transports the visitor back to the Mount Vernon Hotel, a country escape for New Yorkers living in the crowded city at the southern tip of Manhattan. Back then, the commercial shipping and business districts of New York City lay below City Hall, while private residences extended as far north as modern day Chelsea, and it was common for upper and middle class residents and visitors to take day trips to the then- rural setting that is now midtown Manhattan.

This unique museum brings a bygone era of old New York alive and has a fine collection of American furniture and decorative arts, costumes, quilts and textiles, and works on paper including early American and New York City historical archives and documents, such as old newspapers, log books and bar ledgers. 

The Colonial Dames of America own and operate the museum, having purchased it in 1924 to use as their headquarters. Intimate guided tours of the Museum's nine period rooms, representing the circa 1830 Mount Vernon Hotel, run throughout the day and last about 45 minutes. The guides are very passionate and knowledgeable about the history of the hotel and the old New York City so make sure to ask lots of questions while on the tour.

Since you are in this part of the town, board the nearby Roosevelt Island tram for a scenic glide over the East River. Once you get to Roosevelt Island walk south along the promenade, past the ruins of the Renwick Smallpox Hospital, and Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. 

Address: 421 E 61st St. (between 1st Avenue & York Avenue). 

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-4pm. Admission is $8 for adults and includes a guided tour.