(formerly the Abigail Adams Smith House Museum)

421 East 61st Street (between 1st and York avenues)

59th Street station (4, 5, or 6 train)

Lexington Avenue-East 59th Street station (N, R, or W train), East 59th Street station (4, 5, or 6 train), or Lexington Avenue-East 63rd Street station (F train)

212-838-6878

www.mvhm.org

Surrounded by the high-rise apartment buildings that comprise much of the Upper East Side, this quaint house and garden was made into a museum for visitors coming to the 1939 World's Fair in Queens. Once part of a much larger property owned by Abigail Adams (daughter of President John Adams) and her husband, Colonel William Smith, the museum you see today was originally a carriage house built in 1799. The neighboring mansion became a hotel in the early nineteenth century. However, when the hotel burned down, this carriage house then became a (much smaller) hotel. It later served as a private residence before becoming a museum.

The stone structure has been refurbished over the years and houses eight rooms of furnishings from the federal period. In one, the Gentlemen's Tavern Room, take a seat and read the latest newspaper (from 1828). Afterward, stroll through the gardens around the small museum. The Colonial Dames of America are responsible for the restoration and upkeep of this city landmark.

Friendly and informed tour guides will fill you in on the background and history of this delightful little museum. Frequent events center around the historic period. Families with young children can get a family pack of interactive activities. A gift shop sells books, handmade products, and reproductions of period items (like toys).

The museum may not merit a separate trip, but if you are shopping at Bloomingdale's or simply visiting the Upper East Side, it's a nice little place to drop by for an hour or so. Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden is a bit of a secret, so it doesn't get too crowded.

Parking, Hours, and Fees

Don't even think about parking around here unless you want to find a meter on First Avenue and feed it every hour until 4 P.M. (when you have to move your car or lose it to a tow truck).

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. In June and July it is open Tuesdays from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. for Summer Garden Evenings. The museum is closed in August and on major holidays. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, and free for children under twelve.