Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum

What Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum does

Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Manhattan's oldest surviving residence, built in 1765 for British Colonel Roger Morris and located at 65 Jumel Terrace within Roger Morris Park in Upper Manhattan's Sugar Hill/Washington Heights neighborhood. The museum was founded in 1904 when the last private owners, Ferdinand and Lillie Earle, converted the home into a public institution. The site holds stacked landmark designations—National Register of Historic Places (1966), NYC Individual Landmark (1967), and Interior Landmark (1975)—and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is operated under a license agreement with the City of New York, which owns the building and park through NYC Parks & Recreation, with the Historic House Trust of NYC managing capital projects. The site served as General George Washington's Revolutionary War headquarters and is interpreted through nine period rooms, two gallery spaces, and a 75+ item fine and decorative arts collection.

The organization generates revenue through a diversified mix of earned and contributed income: admission tickets for self-guided and guided tours ($10-$25), tiered memberships from $25 (Student) to $5,000 (Mansion Patron), individual donations, event rentals for weddings and film shoots, school outreach at $195 per class, and corporate sponsorships tied to signature fundraisers including Tavern Night (~400 attendees) and the George Washington Dinner. Distribution spans the physical park and Mansion, direct in-classroom outreach to NYC K-12 schools, the Bloomberg Connects mobile app, a website virtual tour, monthly Zoom-based Virtual Parlor Chats, and Eventbrite ticketing. The museum operates with roughly 13 staff—led by Executive Director Catherine Hughes, PhD—and a 14-member Board of Trustees. Public funding flows from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NY State Council on the Arts, NEH, Humanities NY, UMEZ, ConEdison, the New York Community Trust, and the Ponce de Leon Foundation.

The current strategic agenda centers on a $10 million two-phase exterior restoration and accessibility project, with groundbreaking on March 9, 2026 and expected full reopening in fall 2026, which will deliver ADA-compliant first-floor access alongside roof and landscape upgrades. Parallel digital and programming expansion includes the Bloomberg Connects digital guide, the June 2025 milestone exhibition 'What the House Saw,' self-guided neighborhood walking tours, and a paranormal investigations program. Interior tours are temporarily suspended on weekdays during the roof replacement, though weekend walking tours and select community programming continue, and Roger Morris Park remains open daily from 10am to 5pm.

Name

Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum

Legal name

Morris-Jumel Mansion, Inc.

Website

https://morrisjumel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit historic house museum operating Manhattan's oldest surviving residence (built 1765), offering tours, K-12 school programs, event rentals, and digital engagement to visitors, schools, and donors in New York City.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic House Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

Keywords

• Historic house museum
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Museum educational programs
• Guided historical tours
• Event venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Revenue from self-guided interior tours ($10), guided walking tours ($25), guided exterior tours ($16), and group tours ($9-$12.50 per person)
2. Membership Program: Annual membership tiers from $25 (student) to $5,000 (Mansion Patron) providing free admission, gift shop discounts, and exclusive event access
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from public supporters, with suggested amounts from $10-$500 and custom donation options
4. Event Rentals: Rental revenue from hosting weddings, film shoots, private dinners, community events, and performances at the Mansion and grounds
5. School Programs: Outreach programs delivered in classrooms at $195 per class; field trip pricing unavailable during closure
6. Event Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for signature events like Tavern Night and George Washington Dinner, with visibility benefits

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum operates as a historic house museum offering guided and self-guided tours of Manhattan's oldest surviving residence (built 1765), K-12 educational outreach programs, family programming, rotating exhibitions, virtual parlor chats, and signature fundraising events. The museum also generates revenue through facility rentals for weddings, film shoots, and private events, plus a tiered membership program and donation-driven funding.

Product overview

Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum operates as a historic house museum offering a portfolio of visitor experiences and educational programs centered on Manhattan's oldest surviving residence (built 1765). The core offerings include guided and self-guided tours of the mansion and grounds, school outreach programs, family activities, virtual parlor chats, and rotating exhibitions. Digital offerings include a Bloomberg Connects app with audio tours and collection highlights, virtual tours, and at-home learning resources. The museum also hosts annual special events (George Washington Dinner, Tavern Night, Jazz at the Mansion), offers facility rentals, and maintains a tiered membership program. The museum is undergoing a $10M exterior restoration and accessibility project, with the mansion temporarily closed for tours until fall 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Walking Tours A 90-minute, one-mile mobile experience from the Morris-Jumel Mansion to Trinity Cemetery, illuminating Revolutionary War history, the Gilded and Industrial Ages, the Harlem Renaissance, and more. Saturdays at 10:30am and 1:30pm. $25 General Admission; $20/person for groups of 6+. Reservations required. Currently available during temporary closure period.
• Self-Guided Interior Tours Limited-capacity self-paced interior tours of the Mansion period rooms allowing visitors to explore the historic 1765 house at their own pace. $10 Adults; Children under 12 free. Thursdays 1-4pm, Fridays-Sundays 11am-4pm. Temporarily suspended due to roof replacement (reopening fall 2026).
• School Outreach Programs In-classroom educational programs for K-12 students including Life in the Past (grades K-3), Hands-On History (grades K-12), and Debates and Strategy Games (grades 4-12). $195 per class for up to 30 students. Programs are aligned to NYC curriculum standards and delivered directly in NYC classrooms by the museum's education team.
• Virtual Parlor Chats Free monthly online expert discussions on Zoom exploring the history of the Mansion, neighborhood, New York City, and the nation. Held every third Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern. Accessible to a global audience remotely.
• Family & Community Days Monthly family programming held on the second Saturday of each month from 1-3 PM featuring hands-on activities such as crafts, workshops, and cultural celebrations. Free, family-friendly activities at the Mansion.
• Bloomberg Connects Digital Guide Free mobile app providing audio tours, collection highlights (75+ works of fine and decorative arts), and VIP behind-the-scenes content for self-guided visits to Morris-Jumel Mansion. Available globally via App Store and Google Play.
• Virtual Tour An online behind-the-scenes virtual tour of the 1765 building allowing remote visitors to explore the historic mansion virtually during the temporary closure period and beyond.
• Paranormal Historical Investigations Programs exploring the paranormal history of the mansion, which has attracted investigators such as Hans Holzer and Zak Bagans. Offered as ticketed special programming for visitors interested in the site's reported paranormal activity.
• Exhibitions

Quantifiable outcome

• 260 years of continuous historical preservation and interpretation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Historic House Trust of NYCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages capital projects at 23 historic sites across NYC. Oversees $10 million restoration and accessibility project at Morris-Jumel Mansion through sole-source agreement with City of New York.
• NYC Department of Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwns and maintains Roger Morris Park and building exterior. Partners with Historic House Trust for capital improvements. License agreement with Morris-Jumel Mansion, Inc. for interior operations.
• City Parks FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit supporting parks programming and community engagement across New York City parks, including Morris-Jumel Mansion events.
• The Edge HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner hotel offering 15% discount to Morris-Jumel Mansion visitors using WAHI promo code, showcasing uptown neighborhood to visitors.
• Sienia ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction contractor awarded contract by Historic House Trust for Phase 1 exterior restoration. Proven track record of historically sensitive construction projects.
• Page Ayres Cowley Architecture, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLead architecture firm for restoration and accessibility project, designing master plans for exterior restoration and barrier-free access.
• American Alliance of MuseumscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional museum association that granted accreditation to Morris-Jumel Mansion, signifying compliance with highest industry standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Historic House Trust of NYC: Umbrella nonprofit managing 23 NYC historic house museums including Morris-Jumel. Not a competitor but the institutional coordinating body and capital project partner—directly relevant given the sole-source relationship for the $10M restoration.

Direct peers

• Alice Austen House: Staten Island historic house museum (c.1690) operated as a nonprofit with photography exhibitions, school programs, and event rentals. Comparable peer given NYC-based historic house museum model and community programming.
• Wyckoff House Museum: Brooklyn's oldest structure (c.1652), operated as a historic house museum under NYC oversight with school programs, public tours, and community events. Comparable peer given nonprofit museum operations, educational programming, and historic preservation focus.
• Dyckman Farmhouse Museum: Manhattan's only remaining Dutch colonial-era farmhouse (c.1785), operated as a nonprofit historic house museum with school programs, family events, and community programming. Direct Manhattan-based peer with similar nonprofit governance and educational focus.
• Merchant's House Museum: Manhattan's only intact 19th-century family home (built 1832), operated as a historic house museum with interior and exterior tours, school programs, and event rentals. Closest direct peer given similar NYC historic home museum model and comparable revenue mix.
• Van Cortlandt House Museum: Bronx-based 1748 Georgian stone manor operated by the National Society of Colonial Dames as a historic house museum with school programs, tours, and event rentals. Comparable peer under the Historic House Trust of NYC umbrella with similar operational structure.
• Lower East Side Tenement Museum: NYC historic site museum focused on immigrant and working-class history with narrative-driven tours, school programs, and digital engagement. Comparable peer given NYC historic site museum model with strong educational and storytelling focus.
• Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum: Historic 1836 Greek Revival mansion in the Bronx operated as a house museum under NYC Parks license, offering tours, school programs, and event rentals. Direct peer given similar license-based NYC historic house museum model.
• Old Stone House & Washington Park: Brooklyn historic site (Vechte-Cortelyou House replica) operated as a small historic house museum with school programs, public tours, and community events in a NYC park setting. Comparable peer with similar scale and NYC park-based operations.

Broad incumbents

• Mount Vernon (George Washington's Mount Vernon): George Washington's estate operated as a major historic house museum with national brand recognition, education programs, and event rentals. Broad incumbent peer given the direct Washington connection Morris-Jumel leverages in programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCROE5-6ezV28OzfcK8iFEPQ?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/morrisjumelmansion
• Instagraminstagram.com/morrisjumel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morris-jumel-mansion-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum