Morris-Jumel Mansion
Morris-Jumel Mansion
4
About
Manhattan's oldest house, somewhat of an aberration in the modern neighborhood of Washington Heights, served as a command post for George Washington.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Washington Heights
How to get there
- 163rd St – Amsterdam Ave • 3 min walk
- 155th St • 7 min walk
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2,477 within 3 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
109 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
47
Average
19
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Michael B
1 contribution
Apr 2022
The rooms were sparsely decorated with fewer pieces actually from this house than I had hoped.
The exterior is shabby with peeling paint and the park is run down.
The entry process is difficult and cumbersome and the staff and management are unwelcoming and unfriendly. The front door has a barrage of signage (“No restrooms inside”) in addition to threats and warnings but I could find no information on how actually to get it. I didn’t know to ring the bell, use the knocker, bang, or keep turning the knob, so I tried all three. I felt uncomfortable and unwelcome as nothing seemed to work. After a while the door finally opened so I can’t give any advice as to which method is correct. An elaborate entry procedure followed and the judgmental and humorless demeanor of the “welcoming” staff left me feeling shaken. It took almost as long to get into the house as it did to tour its few rooms.
It also bothered me that exhibits seem out of touch with today’s social climate. Platitudes (such as BLM) covering the otherwise empty upstairs hallway walls (surprisingly few paintings) ring empty as if they are being used to cover what may be an actual lack of diversity among the management staff. It is as if a poorly diverse management is misusing the important BLM movement as a fashionable trinket to cover its own shortcomings, like icing on stale cake.
It is a pity that the Morris Jumel Mansion is such a disappointment. Generations of supporters have poured a fortune of time, good will and donations into this project only to have been squandered by today’s archaic management.
On the good side, the standoffishness of management leads to very few visitors so I easily got an available slot on the day of the visit. While a small handful of visitors entered exactly at 2pm., I was the only visitor by 2:30 so I felt alone in this lonely house. Otherwise, it is a long trip up to 160th Street and it is not really worth it.
The exterior is shabby with peeling paint and the park is run down.
The entry process is difficult and cumbersome and the staff and management are unwelcoming and unfriendly. The front door has a barrage of signage (“No restrooms inside”) in addition to threats and warnings but I could find no information on how actually to get it. I didn’t know to ring the bell, use the knocker, bang, or keep turning the knob, so I tried all three. I felt uncomfortable and unwelcome as nothing seemed to work. After a while the door finally opened so I can’t give any advice as to which method is correct. An elaborate entry procedure followed and the judgmental and humorless demeanor of the “welcoming” staff left me feeling shaken. It took almost as long to get into the house as it did to tour its few rooms.
It also bothered me that exhibits seem out of touch with today’s social climate. Platitudes (such as BLM) covering the otherwise empty upstairs hallway walls (surprisingly few paintings) ring empty as if they are being used to cover what may be an actual lack of diversity among the management staff. It is as if a poorly diverse management is misusing the important BLM movement as a fashionable trinket to cover its own shortcomings, like icing on stale cake.
It is a pity that the Morris Jumel Mansion is such a disappointment. Generations of supporters have poured a fortune of time, good will and donations into this project only to have been squandered by today’s archaic management.
On the good side, the standoffishness of management leads to very few visitors so I easily got an available slot on the day of the visit. While a small handful of visitors entered exactly at 2pm., I was the only visitor by 2:30 so I felt alone in this lonely house. Otherwise, it is a long trip up to 160th Street and it is not really worth it.
Written April 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherry F
New York City, NY112 contributions
May 2021
Very important piece of history but they could do more to enrich the experience. We were there yesterday and in two of the rooms the pieces of furniture were not correctly identified on the chart at the door. The person staffing the gift shop explained that they were in the process of making changes but that's not much of an excuse. There are only a couple of rooms available to visit and each room only had 7 or 8 pieces of furniture. It wouldn't take much effort to type up a temporary room guide.
Written May 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddie S
Bronx, NY1,211 contributions
Jan 2020 • Business
We visited the museum on a school trip as part of a NYC and the five boroughs history lesson for school. It was nice to walk in the steps of some of the country’s famous forefathers. The tour was full of information for both the children and the adults. The information had you thinking of life back in pre and early America. Although some rooms were undergoing renovations and were empty, there was an awesome exhibit about the former home of the NY GIants (baseball team), the Polo Grounds. The exhibit included the Giants as well as some other NY Teams that played there. What a nice day out.
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emm730
Fort Lauderdale, FL44 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
The Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York is like a time machine that takes you back to the 18th century. It's this old, elegant house where George Washington once hung out during the Revolutionary War. You get to stroll through these fancy rooms with creaky wooden floors and imagine what life was like back when wigs were cool. The garden outside is a peaceful escape from the city buzz. If you're into history or just want a break from modern chaos, it's a cool spot to check out.
Written November 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy423
East Brunswick, NJ46 contributions
May 2022 • Family
This beautiful historic mansion, which is the oldest surviving house in Manhattan, has a fascinating history which was brought to life by our excellent tour guide Karen. She shared wonderful anecdotes about the women and men who lived in this mansion as we toured The grounds and the interior which includes beautiful Empire period furnishings many of which are original to the families who occupied the home. Among the famous or infamous people associated with the house is Aaron Burr but you have to go on Karen’s tour to hear About the even more interesting women who lived there!
Written May 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelli
Keller, TX811 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
We scheduled a private tour for our family via email, as the regularly scheduled times were outside of our availability. They have a great app as well as flip cards to help you tour through the home and get a good sense of both the history of the house and the stories of the people who lived there. There is a scavenger hunt activity available for kids and my son thought it was super cool looking for the hidden object. We really enjoyed our visit and learned a lot!
Written April 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ktbeenthere2015
New York City, NY258 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Very interesting 1765 historical home with tidbits on George Washington and Aaron Burr as well as a 19th century female entrepreneur, Eliza Jumel. Lovely interior with astounding wallpaper. Take note of the “Aaron Burr desk.” Several of the temporary exhibitions are unique and inspiring (Revised Histories). Docents are friendly and informative. Beautiful grounds to wander and maybe have a picnic lunch? Near to Sylvan Terrace which is worth seeing too. Given what NYC offers, it is not for a first time NYC visitor perhaps, but the house should be on every historian’s “to do” list. They also have a paranormal tour that sounds intriguing.
Written March 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael K
Melbourne, Australia721 contributions
Jan 2013 • Solo
I am not sure many tourists visit this mansion as it is certainly out of the way. If you make the effort, you will be rewarded with a very historic site. I made the visit (by subway) as part of a wider trip to the northern end of Manhattan Island (Grant’s Tomb, Riverside Chapel, The Cloisters). The Mansion is nestled away in the middle of suburbia and only a short walk from the nearest subway station. The entrance fee is small ($5 USD) and the mansion feels as though Washington was there just the other day. Don’t be put off by the suburban surrounds. In winter things looked pretty drab from the outside but it’s the inside that counts.
Written February 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave S
Hebron, lsrael169 contributions
Aug 2013 • Solo
The Morris-Jumel Mansion (1765) is the oldest surviving residential house in Manhattan. The setting is beautiful, located in a lovely garden with a good view. This was once the home of Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson's vice president, who killed Alexander Hamilton, his nemesis, in a duel in New Jersey in 1804. One of the big mistakes in his life was that he married the notorious widow Eliza Jumel; there are exhibits on the two. Many of the original furnishings are there; the staff members are friendly.
The house is located in Hamilton Heights, Upper Manhattan. The neighborhood, like any in Manhattan, is worth a stroll, preferably with the architectural guidebook AIA GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY in hand. There are many Brooklynesque brownstones around here; especially eye-catching is the one block of Sylvan Terrace (a street), with gorgeous, symmetrically built, wooden row houses (1883).
The house is located in Hamilton Heights, Upper Manhattan. The neighborhood, like any in Manhattan, is worth a stroll, preferably with the architectural guidebook AIA GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY in hand. There are many Brooklynesque brownstones around here; especially eye-catching is the one block of Sylvan Terrace (a street), with gorgeous, symmetrically built, wooden row houses (1883).
Written January 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob Harris
Kirkwood, MO1,381 contributions
Mar 2013 • Couples
We took the subway on a cold Saturday morning in March. Both my wife and I had this on our must list on things to see in NYC. I am so glad we opted to go on Saturday at noon. That is when a docent gives a guided tour. Our docent was great. She was able to describe what was happening in this house and the country in the 1700s and 1800s through the various owners. She took us back to when General George Washington stayed here using the mansion as his headquarters during part of the Revolutionary War. He returned as President and stayed here with his VP John Adams and other cabinet members including Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. The docent was knowledgeable about history and architecture and made the tour interesting talking about the families that lived here and the times they lived in. We really enjoyed our time here.
Written April 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emmeff55
New York City, NY
How do I get there on mass transit?
ESIDARAP
Minneapolis, MN48 contributions
If you have a NYC metro map, you can find your " home" then your destination and check the subway system and/or the bus. This map proved to be invaluable to me during my nine weeks in NYC; I took it with me whenever I left my "home," and when I got turned around, I could consult it and find my way.
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Claim your listingMorris-Jumel Mansion - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Morris-Jumel Mansion
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Morris-Jumel Mansion:
- Harlem Sunday Morning Gospel Tour (From $80.00)
- Harlem and Gospel Tour with Transportation on Sundays (From $79.00)
- Washington Heights - Sugar Hill North Harlem Walking Tour (From $30.00)
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- Hamilton's Harlem Tour (From $90.43)
- Hotels near Morris-Jumel Mansion:
- (0.03 mi) Michael
- (0.05 mi) Jumel Terrace Bed and Breakfast
- (0.04 mi) Museum Bed and Breakfast
- (0.39 mi) Edge Hotel
- (0.71 mi) 710 Guest Suites
- Restaurants near Morris-Jumel Mansion:
- (0.15 mi) Blue Mountain Heights Cafe & Bar
- (0.16 mi) Cruz Bakery
- (0.19 mi) Deli Grocery
- (0.22 mi) Salento Colombian Coffee & Kitchen
- (0.26 mi) Flaco's Pizza
Morris-Jumel Mansion Information
Excellent Reviews | 42 |
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Very Good Reviews | 46 |
Morris-Jumel Mansion Photos | 178 |