Calendar of Events

All Virtual Events are recorded and posted to the Museum’s YouTube page.

September

Saturday, September 6, 1:30 p.m.
Walking Tour: The Tredwells’ World of 19th Century NoHo

With the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal, the city’s economy boomed and wealthy merchant families escaped the increasing noise, congestion, and commercialization of the seaport area to move “uptown,” to what is now modern day NoHo, then an exclusive residential enclave. Join us as we explore the Tredwells’ elite neighborhood and discover what life was like for the wealthy merchant class in the mid-19th century. $20, FREE for Members. Reservations strongly recommended. Purchase walking tour tickets.

Walking tours are 90 minutes and meet in Manuel Plaza (next door to the Museum), at 35 East 4th Street.

Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m.
Members Only Garden Tour

In this special event just for Merchant’s House and Village Preservation Members, join MHM Head Gardener John Rommel in the Merchant’s House garden for camaraderie and light refreshments. FREE; Members Only. Register for Members Only Garden Tour. Not a Member? Join today!

Saturday, September 13, 3 p.m.
Guided House Tour: Healthcare in Tredwell Times

Curious about healthcare in the 19th century and the illnesses that affected New Yorkers during that era? On this afternoon tour, we’ll explore the diseases and treatments common in 19th century New York. Drawing from firsthand accounts and historical sources, we’ll learn about major outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria, typhoid fever, and the recorded causes of death within the Tredwell family, along with the types of medical care they might have received. This tour will also highlight how the Civil War spurred significant medical advancements and changed the way physicians and nurses were trained. 60-75 minutes. $20, MHM Members $10; register for Healthcare in Tredwell Times Tour.

Sunday, September 21, 1:30 p.m.
Walking Tour: The Tredwells’ World of 19th Century NoHo

With the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal, the city’s economy boomed and wealthy merchant families escaped the increasing noise, congestion, and commercialization of the seaport area to move “uptown,” to what is now modern day NoHo, then an exclusive residential enclave. Join us as we explore the Tredwells’ elite neighborhood and discover what life was like for the wealthy merchant class in the mid-19th century. $20, FREE for Members. Reservations strongly recommended. Purchase walking tour tickets.

Walking tours are 90 minutes and meet in Manuel Plaza (next door to the Museum), at 35 East 4th Street.

Tuesday, September 23, 6 p.m.
The Birth of New York City, with James Nevius
Co-sponsored by Village Preservation, the Salmagundi Club, and the Coffee House Club

If you’ve ever taken a look at the official Seal of the City of New York, you’ve seen the year “1625” written across the bottom. But why was that year picked as the genesis of New York? Marking the 400th Anniversary of New York’s birth, James Nevius — whose family arrived in Manhattan when it was still New Amsterdam — will explore the foundations of the city, from Henry Hudson’s ill-fated voyage up the river that now bears its name through the eventual Dutch surrender to English forces in 1664. Along the way, we’ll talk about the importance of 1625 in the city’s mythology and explore what it was like to live on the Dutch frontier in the 17th century. Free; registration required. Register for “The Birth of New York City.”
Location: The Skylight Gallery at the Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue

Saturday, September 27, 1:30 p.m.
Walking Tour: Three Powerful Families, One Fashionable Neighborhood
Created and led by museum docent Michelle Barshay

Before the Gilded Age glittered into being, Bond Street and nearby Lafayette Place were home to the Astor, Schermerhorn, and Ward families—dynasties connected through marriage and society whose influence helped shape New York’s early elite. On this walking tour, we’ll uncover their family ties, celebrated marriages, and the rise to fame of some of their most notable members. While the houses are no longer standing, you’ll step back in time to walk in their footsteps and experience the world of New York’s early elite. $20, MHM & VP Members FREE. Purchase Walking Tour Tickets.

Walking tours meet in Manuel Plaza (next door to the Museum), at 35 East 4th Street.

 

October

Friday, October 3, 6:30 p.m.
In the Spirit of Science: So Many Ghost Hunting TV Shows! How to Choose?
Virtual Program

Nothing screams Halloween like a ghost hunting show. But these days it’s almost impossible to keep track. Ghost hunters use a terrifying array of props and equipment to identify supernatural phenomena – or try to. (Google ‘ghost hunting equipment’ if you don’t believe us.) But which ones actually work? Which ones don’t? Join Dan, Dr. Lee, and Matilda for a lively discussion of the shows we love to watch (and want to believe).

Free (recommended donation $10); register for In the Spirit of Science. This is a virtual program. You will receive a confirmation email from Zoom upon registration and a reminder email one hour before the program.

 

Friday, October 10, 50-minute tours at 6:30, 7 & 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 17; Saturday, October 18; Friday, October 24; Saturday, October 25; Thursday, October 30, 50-minute tours every half hour, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Candlelight Ghost Tours of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House”

Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the dead of night. Venture into “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” by flickering candlelight to hear chilling – and true – tales of decades of otherworldly activity in the house, the results of years of paranormal investigations – and the latest stunning scientific findings.

The Tredwell family lived at 29 East 4th Street for nearly 100 years, and at least eight people died in the house. Reports of strange and inexplicable occurrences have been widespread since Gertrude, the last surviving Tredwell, died in 1933. Is it Gertrude who is watching over her family home? Join us and decide for yourself. $45; $35 MHM Members. Purchase Ghost Tour Tickets.


Friday, October 17; Saturday, October 18; Friday, October 24; Saturday, October 25; Thursday, October 30, 9:30 p.m.
Super Spooky Candlelight Ghost Tours with Paranormal Investigator Dan Sturges

In 2020, the museum closed due to COVID-19, leaving the house empty of staff and visitors. Dan Sturges, who has undertaken paranormal investigations at the Merchant’s House for 15 years, teamed up with neuroscientist Dr. Lee to conduct scientific research using specialized equipment custom-built for the house. Mounting fact-based evidence points to the very likely reality of paranormal activity at the Merchant’s House.

Join paranormal investigator Dan Sturges on a 90-minute In-Person Super Spooky Candlelight Ghost Tour for an in-depth look at the latest research and findings. Dan is the founder of Sturges Paranormal and appears on the Travel Channel’s weekly series, Paranormal Caught on Camera. He has performed investigations at the Merchant’s House – and documented his spine-chilling findings – since 2007. $70; $60 MHM Members. Purchase Super Spooky Ghost Tour Tickets.

GHOST TOUR POLICIES

  • Please arrive on time! Doors open 10 minutes before each tour.
  • No late entry once the tour begins. Latecomers will only be moved to a different time slot if there is room. No refunds for latecomers.
  • Large bags and coats must be checked in the coat room. They may not be carried on the tour. Bags include large handbags, briefcases, suitcases, backpacks, and shopping bags.
  • Participants must be able to climb four flights of stairs and stand for 60-90 minutes.
  • Children under 12 not permitted.
  • Cancellation Policy: We have a 48-hour cancellation policy. Tickets are fully refundable or transferrable up to 48 hours before the tour. After that time, no refunds or exchanges, no exceptions. Non-refundable tickets may be donated back to the museum. Donations are tax-deductible.

November

November 25 to December 27
A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House

This holiday season, Summoners Ensemble Theatre and the Merchant’s House Museum celebrate 13 years of A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House. In December 1867, Charles Dickens arrived in New York City for a month of sold-out performances of his beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. As the New York Herald exclaimed, “The Christmas Carol becomes doubly enchanting when one hears it performed by Dickens.” Join Mr. Dickens, portrayed by John Kevin Jones and Vince Gotton (at alternating performances), as he tells his timeless Christmas tale in the elegant intact Greek Revival double parlor of the landmark 1832 Merchant’s House Museum.

Surrounded by 19th century holiday decorations, flickering candles, and richly appointed period furnishings, audiences will be transported back 150 years in this captivating 70 minute performance created from Dickens’ own script.

Tickets $50-$130. Purchase tickets to A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House.

 

Current Exhibitions

Exhibitions are included with regular museum admission.

On display through September 21
Manhattan’s First Landmark
This year, New Yorkers celebrate the 60th anniversary of the City’s groundbreaking Landmarks Law signed on April 19, 1965. The Merchant’s House, because of its remarkable state of preservation and importance in the history of New York City, played a significant role in the landmarking movement from its very beginning. Only 20 buildings were designated at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s initial meeting in September 1965; the Merchant’s House was the first in the borough of Manhattan. Original documents, photographs, correspondence, and press clippings tell the story of how preserving the Merchant’s House was recognized as critical, from its inception as a museum in the 1930s, through the start of the landmarking movement in the 1950s, to the passage of the Landmarks Law in April 1965 and the designation of the House at the first meeting of the Commission in September.


On display through September 21
“Finest Surviving:” Ornamental Plasterwork at the Merchant’s House Museum
The 1832 Merchant’s House is one of only 120 buildings in New York City distinguished as an exterior – and interior – landmark. Its intact original ornamental plaster work is considered the “finest surviving” from the period. Learn how the plaster walls, ceilings, and ornamentation in the Merchant’s House were created in the 19th century. On display, original 1832 plaster fragments, as well as molds and plaster casts created by sculptor and ornamental plasterer David Flaharty, who used the same methods as the early 19th century artisans during a house-wide restoration in the 1970s.

 

VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS | ONLINE OFFERINGS