Merchant's House Museum
The Merchant's House, one of the best museums in NYC, offers a close-up view of domestic life during the time when New York changed from a mercantile seaport into a thriving metropolis and the hub of American commerce, complete with the family's original furnishings, household items, personal belongings, and even their clothing.
Visitors have a rare chance to experience the daily lives of the affluent families who lived in this neighborhood, as well as those of their Irish servants, immigrants who fled famine and hardship in Ireland and without whom their employers' comfortable lives would not have been possible.
The finest cabinetmakers in New York made the Tredwell family's furniture, which is on display in period rooms along with high-style ornaments, china and glassware, practical household items, as well as clothing, books, and other personal belongings. The servants' quarters on the fourth floor are thought to be the city's first intact Irish settlement.
With more than 30 dresses dating from the 1820s to the 1880s that are known to have belonged to the Tredwell women, the museum's collection of 19th century clothing and textiles is one of the most significant in New York City. The Museum hosts guided tours, lectures, readings, concerts, exhibitions, performances, and other events all year long. Adults and schoolchildren can take advantage of the educational programs it offers on 19th-century life and culture.
- Website: https://merchantshouse.org/
- Location: 29 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003
