Calendar of Events

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

Most of our virtual programs are offered free of charge.
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FEBRUARY

Friday, February 7, 6:30 p.m.
In the Spirit of Science: New Year, New Investigations
Virtual Program
Dan, Lee, and Matilda will present and discuss new paranormal detection equipment to be installed at the Merchant’s House, that will continue our investigation of after hours activity while the House is empty (or is it?). Then, the gang discusses the new podcast The Telepathy Tapes, which focuses on non-speaking children who communicate telepathically with their parents, teachers, and each other. Free (suggested donation $10); register for In the Spirit of Science.

In the Spirit of Science is a monthly video podcast on topics related to ongoing paranormal research at the Merchant’s House. Using the scientific method, with unbiased observation and systematic experimentation, this research is building a better understanding of the strange and fascinating phenomena experienced by staff, volunteers, and visitors at “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” (The New York Times).

The research project and monthly virtual programs are led by neuroscientist Dr. Lee, thanatologist and MHM volunteer Matilda Garrido, and Dan Sturges, founder of Sturges Paranormal, who appears on the Travel Channel’s weekly series, Paranormal Caught on Camera.

 

Wednesday, February 12, 6 p.m.
Ask A … Hospice Social Worker
Virtual Program
Join thanatologist Matilda Garrido and former hospice social worker (now in private practice) Carolyn Garnter, LCSW,FT, to discuss the spiritual and emotional care offered to those in hospice. Matilda and Carolyn will discuss the benefits of hospice and how this model of whole patient care changes the experience of the patient and family in the last days and weeks. Matilda and Carolyn will also discuss some of the common end of life experiences, including dreams and visions, shared by those approaching end of life. A Q&A will follow the program. Free (suggested donation $10); register for “Ask A Hospice Social Worker.”

From Mark Twain’s ghost haunting the “House of Death” on West 10th Street to the multiple cemeteries underneath Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village has a long association with death and the afterlife. In keeping with its neighborhood’s theme, the Merchant’s House Museum seeks to lift the veil around death and dying as we move into the 21st century.

In our second year of the popular “Ask A…” series, thanatologist Matilda Garrido interviews those working in the fields of end of life and beyond. Join us for historical perspective, emerging ideas, and open discussion around topics usually hidden.

Carolyn Gartner, LCSW, FT is the founder of The Center For Integrated Grief, a group therapy practice. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a Fellow in Thanatology (the study of dying, death and bereavement). Prior to this she worked in hospice for 9 years. Her book, Death, Brooklyn, and the Gritty Side of Grace, is about her experiences. She hosts a podcast on YouTube with the same name. She has been interviewed by HuPost, Parade Magazine and American Tributaries Podcast.

 

Saturday, February 22, 3 p.m.
A Tredwell Tour with Museum Historian Ann Haddad
Join Museum Historian Ann Haddad, who has been researching the Tredwell family for over 10 years, as she shares stories (both fact and family lore) of the occupants of East Fourth Street, as well as their ancestors and descendants, from the outspoken Loyalist who butted heads with Alexander Hamilton, to the renowned Bishop of New York who became embroiled in a shocking scandal, to the young man whose pleas for a daughter’s hand fell on deaf ears. Ann Haddad opens the Tredwell closet to reveal all the skeletons! $20, MHM Members Free; purchase tickets for A Tredwell Tour.

 

MARCH

Saturday, March 1, 3 p.m.
“Where Shadows Linger:” An Afternoon Ghost Tour
On this afternoon tour, we’ll explore some of the spookiest true tales of ghostly sightings at the Merchant’s House, as well as highlights from our ongoing research into strange and supernatural occurrences at the house. We’ll also test out some newly-built handheld paranormal sensors, and discover why The New York Times calls us “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House.” 60 minutes, strictly limited capacity. $20; $10 MHM Members and children ages 8-12. (Children under 8 are not permitted.) SOLD OUT!

 

Wednesday, March 12, 6 p.m.
Ask A … Cemetarian
Virtual Program
Co-sponsored by Village Preservation
Join thanatologist Matilda Garrido and Gabrielle Gotto, Director of Public Programs at Green-Wood Cemetery, for a deep dive into the day to day life of a cemeterian. Gabrielle will share how working around the dead shapes her philosophies and life practices, as well as how she aims to bring the beauty of Green-Wood to the public. She may even reveal some secrets! Free (suggested donation $10); register for Ask A Cemetarian.

About the “Ask A …” Series. From Mark Twain’s ghost haunting the “House of Death” on West 10th Street to the multiple cemeteries underneath Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village has a long association with death and the afterlife. In keeping with its neighborhood’s theme, the Merchant’s House Museum seeks to lift the veil around death and dying as we move into the 21st century. In the “Ask A…” series, thanatologist Matilda Garrido interviews those working in the fields of end of life and beyond. Join us for historical perspective, emerging ideas, and open discussion around topics usually hidden.

Gabrielle R. Gatto is the Manager of Public Programs at The Green-Wood Cemetery. She holds a certificate in Thanatology, is a graduate of the Going with Grace End of Life Training program, and supports the community in end-of-life guidance as a death doula; she believes she’s found her life’s work in death. She’s proud to be an alumna of Loyola University New Orleans, an Italian-American daughter to a plumber and a living saint, and someone who values seeing things from new perspectives.

 

Saturday, March 15, 3 p.m.
“Where Shadows Linger:” An Afternoon Ghost Tour
On this afternoon tour, we’ll explore some of the spookiest true tales of ghostly sightings at the Merchant’s House, as well as highlights from our ongoing research into strange and supernatural occurrences at the house. We’ll also test out some newly-built handheld paranormal sensors, and discover why The New York Times calls us “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House.” 60 minutes, strictly limited capacity. $20; $10 MHM Members and children ages 8-12. (Children under 8 are not permitted.) Purchase tickets for Afternoon Ghost Tour.

 

Sunday, March 16, 1 & 3 p.m.
A Tribute to the Tredwells’ Irish Servants: In-Person House Tour
The 1855 New York State Census gives us the names of the Irish women who worked in the Tredwell home: Mary James, Mary Smith, and Bridget Murphy, who was just 19 years old. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, join us for a “back-stairs” tour of the Merchant’s House to experience what daily life was really like for Bridget, and for the thousands of women like her who worked in domestic service in 19th century New York City. We’ll visit four floors of period rooms, from the ground floor kitchen to the 4th floor servants’ quarters, “arguably the oldest intact site of Irish habitation in New York City” (Time Out New York). $20, MHM & VP Members Free; register for Irish House Tour.

 

Sunday, March 23, 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 outside the Merchant’s House.

 

Saturday, March 29, 1:30 p.m.
Walking Tour: Reinventing the Bond Street Neighborhood, 1865-1900
Created and led by museum docent Michelle Barshay

Join us for a captivating journey to discover the pivotal changes that shaped the “Bond Street area,” once a residential neighborhood for wealthy merchant families like the Tredwells. On this 90-minute tour, we’ll witness the dramatic changes that unfolded as commercial interests began to encroach, compelling these families to move uptown and triggering a metamorphosis of the entire neighborhood. Homes evolved into boarding houses, business establishments, or were demolished. By 1900, the once-fashionable neighborhood was primarily a commercial area, known for printing and manufacturing. Our walking tour will lead you to the majestic landmarks – from the imposing De Vinne Press to the Schermerhorn factory, Robbins & Appleton, and the historic Fire Engine #33. $20, FREE for Members. Reservations strongly recommended. Purchase walking tour tickets.

Walking tours are 90 minutes and meet outside the Merchant’s House.

Current Exhibitions

Exhibitions are included with regular museum admission.

Ongoing
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.


Ongoing
“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