Gracie Mansion
Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the mayor of the City of New York. Built in 1799, it is located in Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and Eighty-eighth Street in Manhattan.
A different building on roughly the same site was commandeered by George Washington during the American Revolutionary War, as it strategically overlooked Hell Gate. That building was called Belview Mansion and was the country residence of Jacob Walton, a New York merchant. The British destroyed this house during that war.
Archibald Gracie then built another building, what is now known as Gracie Mansion, on the site in 1799, and used it as a country home until 1823, when he had to sell it to pay debts.
Others lived in the house until 1896, when the city seized it and made its grounds part of Carl Schurz Park. It served various functions as part of that park (at various times it housed public restrooms, an ice-cream stand, and classrooms) until 1924. From 1924 until 1936 it housed the Museum of the City of New York, and from 1936 until 1942 it was shown as a historical house.
In 1942, Robert Moses successfully convinced Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia to appropriate the house as a mayoral residence. Its main floor is open to the public on a limited basis and serves as a small museum.
General Tours are offered on most Wednesdays at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM and 2 PM. General admission is $7 for adults, $4 for seniors, and students are admitted free of charge. Tours last approximately forty-five minutes.
Tea Tours are available for groups of 25-50 people on Tuesdays and Thursdays at $25 per person. A delicious selection of homemade tea sandwiches, teacakes and scones are served.
School Tours are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday mornings and are free of charge.