Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site

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Address
32 Catherine Street
Albany, NY 12202
Latitude 42.641727
Longitude -73.759743


Schuyler Mansion was home to Philip J. Schuyler, the Revolutionary War Major General, US Senator, agrarian, and businessman. He and his wife, Catharine Van Rensselaer, descended from affluent and powerful Dutch families. Together they raised eight children in this home. The home was built in a Georgian style, reflecting Schuyler's English tastes, on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. Originally situated on an 80-acre tract of land, the grounds once included an orchard, formal gardens, and a working farm. Throughout the Schuyler family occupancy from 1763-1804, the mansion was the site of military strategizing, political hobnobbing, elegant social affairs, and an active family life. It was also home to more than fifty enslaved laborers, servants, and artisans over that span. 

From mid-May through October, visitors can enjoy guided tours of the mansion, as well as an orientation exhibition in the Visitor Center focusing on the 18th century history of the site and its inhabitants. Temporary exhibitions and public programs are scheduled year-round. More information about these programs is available under our Upcoming Event tab. Tours for school and adult groups, as well as outreach programs, are also available. All tours, public and private, are by reservation. Please call (518) 434-0834 to make a reservation. 


Explore the blog for Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site

Hours of Operation

  • Hours of Operation

    May 15 – October 31, 2024

    From mid-May through the end of October, the grounds, Visitor Center, and Mansion are available for visitation Wednesday through Sunday between 10:30am and 5:00pm. 

    The mansion interior is available by guided tour Wednesday through Sunday. Tours are by reservation only and are offered at 11:00am - 5:00pm.

    **Please note, scheduled school programs and special events may alter this schedule. Please call the site at (518) 434-0834 to confirm the schedule and make a reservation.**

Fees & Rates

  • Tours
  • ALL TOURS AVAILABLE BY ADVANCE RESERVATION ONLY. Reservations are made by calling the site at (518) 434-0834 or (518) 434-0835 and speaking with site staff.

    General Tours

    $5.00 Adults

    $4.00 Senior / Student

    Children Free (12 and under)

    Interpretive Focus Tours

    $7.00 Adults

    $6.00 Senior/Student

    Children Free (12 and Under)

  • Groups
  • School Groups (K - 12): $1.00 per child (Group leader and required chaperones comp) OR $ 20.00 minimum fee per group

    Other Groups: $4.00 per person (Group leader and bus driver comp) OR $20.00 minimum fee per group

    Please call the site at (518) 434-0834 to schedule.

  • Outreach
  • School groups (K - 12): $30.00 per class OR $1.00 per child (Teachers / Aides comp). For schools, one classroom equals one presentation.

    Other Groups: $30.00 per presentation. Outreach programs limited to 30-minute drive from Schuyler Mansion.

    Please call the site at (518) 434-0834 to schedule.

Schuyler Mansion offers educational program for adults, schools and youth groups both at the museum and as an outreach to your location.

ADULT PROGRAMS

Group tours and outreach visits for adults are available year round, by appointment.

Contact: Shawna Reilly, Interpretive Programs Assistant, shawna.reilly@parks.ny.gov, 518-434-0834.

Adult Group Tours

Guided tours of the historic house explore Revolutionary War era history through the perspectives of the diverse people who interacted with the Schuyler family of Albany.

Cost: $4 per person; $20 minimum. Complimentary admission for the group leader and bus driver.

Capacity: Guided tours of the mansion are available by advance registration year-round to groups of 10 to 30 people.

Larger groups will be offered an in-depth introduction and an Open House (self-guided) format. Staff can also coordinate for groups to alternate between other museums, such as Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer.

Adult Outreach Presentations

Schuyler Mansion interpretive staff it available to speak at a meeting of your civic organization, historical society, or other group.

Cost: $30 per presentation

Current presentation options include:

  • Intro to Schuyler Mansion
  • The Restoration of Schuyler Mansion
  • Women of Schuyler Mansion
  • Hear Them Now: Slavery at Schuyler Mansion

With adequate notice, we may also be able to design a presentation tailored to your special interest.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Schuyler Mansion's educational program incorporates the New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework and the NYS K-12 Field Guide. Activities support the teaching of Enduring Issues

Contact: Shawna Reilly, Interpretive Program Assistant, shawna.reilly@parks.ny.gov,, 518-434-0834.

Field Trips

Visit Schuyler Mansion with your class for a place-based learning experience.

Cost: $1 per student; minimum $20. Complimentary admission for the group leader and bus driver. Ask us about the most current options for field trip funding!

Chaperones: Two chaperones required for every 10 students; $4 for each additional chaperone (excluding 1:1 aides).

Capacity: Up to 30 students per visit; For larger groups, see multi-site options below.

Current field trip offerings:

  • General Tour of Schuyler Mansion

Grades K – 12                                                                           Duration: 1-1 ¼ hr.

General school tours explore the lives and lifestyle of the Schuyler family, their associates, and the people they enslaved. Tours use a variety of methods and are complimented by a hands-on activity tailored to your curriculum needs. Possible areas of focus include women's history, slavery, and the Revolutionary War.

Tours scheduled jointly with Crailo State Historic Site (in Rensselaer) will provide a well-rounded educational program comparing 17th century Dutch colonial and 18th century English colonial / early American life.

  • Mining the Untold Stories: Black & Female Voices at Schuyler Mansion

Grades 4 – 12, Focus on 4, 7, & 11 SS Framework           Duration: 1-1 ¼ hr.

Tour and activities focus on the lives of people enslaved at Schuyler Mansion before, during, and after the American Revolution. Through hands-on and discussion-based activities, students explore agency, family, and everyday life.

This program can be booked on its own, or as part of a multi-site field trip to up to 3 historic house museums in Albany. For more information about "Mining the Untold Stories," as well as to access primary sources, activities, and background information to support classroom instruction, visit: https://considerthesourceny.org/featured-collections/mining-untold-stories.

School Outreach Programs

Schuyler Mansion educators will facilitate a field trip experience in your classroom or library.

Cost: $1 per student; minimum $30 per classroom/per presentation. Bookings limited to 45-minute drive from Schuyler Mansion.

Chaperones: At least one chaperone is required to remain in the classroom at all times during outreach programs.

  • Mining the Untold Stories: Black & Female Voices at Schuyler Mansion

Grades 4 – 12, Focus on 4, 7, & 11 SS Framework            Duration: 45 min- 1 hr.

This program focuses on the lives of enslaved people before, during, and after the American Revolution. Through hands-on and discussion-based activities, students explore agency, family, and everyday life. For more information about "Mining the Untold Stories" at Schuyler Mansion and partner sites, as well as to access primary sources, activities, and background information to support classroom instruction, go to https://considerthesourceny.org/featured-collections/mining-untold-stories.

  • Soldiers, Servants, & Schuylers: A Map of Albany's People

Grades 7– 12, Focus on 7 & 11 SS Framework                 Duration: 1 hr.

Using primary source documents, students work in small groups to examine the lives of real people who lived in 18th century Albany before, during, and after the American Revolution.  Designed to encourage historical thinking and strengthen media literacy, students analyze transcribed documents to understand the different perspectives of Albany's ruling, working, and enslaved people. Appropriate for students of varying reading and writing abilities, this program culminates with a hands-on recreated model of Albany's cityscape.

  • Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: Exploring Multiple Perspectives with Letters

Grades 4 – 8, Focus on 4 & 7 SS Framework                        Duration: 1 hr.

In this hands-on game, teams of students examine letters, write and seal their own, and use maps to "travel" over land or water to deliver their letters, encountering challenges along the way. Prompts encourage students to compare and contrast the different social statuses and perspectives of the Schuylers and other Colonial New Yorkers. Special focus is given to local geography and the concept that history happened in the Capital Region areas where students live.  

YOUTH PROGRAMS 

Schuyler Mansion staff will work with your club, camp, or other youth group to create a program to suite your needs. Cost varies depending on program material needs.

Contact: Shawna Reilly, Interpretive Programs Assistant, shawna.reilly@parks.ny.gov, 518-434-0834.

  • General Tour of Schuyler Mansion

 All Ages                                                                         Duration: 1-1 ¼ hr.

Cost: $1 per student; minimum $20. Complimentary admission for the group leader and bus driver. Ask us about the most current options for field trip funding!

Chaperones: Two chaperones required for every 10 students; $4 for each additional chaperone (excluding 1:1 aides). 

General tours explore the lives and lifestyle of the Schuyler family, their associates, and the people they enslaved. Tours use a variety of methods and are complimented by a hands-on activity tailored to your curriculum needs. Possible areas of focus include women's history, slavery, and the Revolutionary War.

  • Girl Scouts Playing the Past Badge

Level: Juniors                                          Duration: 2 ½ hr.

Cost: $7 per participant, complimentary admission for chaperones

Chaperones: Two chaperones required for every 10 participants

Earn the Playing the Past badge at Schuyler Mansion! Girl Scouts select and research a girl from the past to learn about 18th century life. They'll tour the historic mansion, explore 18th century fashion with paper dolls, play with old fashioned toys, and embroider a sampler souvenir. The visit culminates with girls writing about their experiences from the perspective of their historical person in a hand-stitched diary. Program requires one 15-minute pre-visit activity. All materials provided by Schuyler Mansion.              

Tours

May 15 – October 31, 2024

The mansion interior is available by guided tour Wednesday through Sunday. Tours are by reservation, and are offered at 11:00am - 5:00pm.

**Please note, scheduled school programs and special events may alter this schedule. Please call the site at (518) 434-0834 to confirm the schedule and make a reservation.**

GENERAL PUBLIC

Guided tour centers upon Philip Schuyler, his family, and the enslaved men and women who labored at his Albany estate. Politics, society, the American Revolution, slavery, and active family life are all part of the Schuyler Mansion story to explore throughout the tour. Tours last approximately 1 hour.

General Tour Admission: $5.00 Adults / $4.00 Seniors & Students / Children Free (12 and under)

SPECIAL INTERPRETIVE FOCUS TOURS

These specially scheduled tours last approximately one-and-a-half hours, and delve more deeply into specialized topics at the. Examples of covered topics include Schuyler-son-in-law Alexander Hamilton's relationship with the family; the Women of Schuyler Mansion; and ongoing research into the lives and stories of the men, women, and children of African descent enslaved by the Schuyler family. Please speak with site staff for more details.

Interpretive Focus Tour Admission: $7.00 Adults / $6.00 Seniors & Students / Children Free (12 and under)

SCHOOL GROUPS (K - 12th Grade)

Guided tours highlight the lives and lifestyle of Philip and Catharine (Van Rensselaer) Schuyler, one of 18th century Albany's wealthiest and most influential families. Social status, education, entertainment, slavery, and the American Revolution are all part of the Schuyler Mansion story. Chaperones: 2 chaperones per 10 children required

Admission: $1.00 per child
No fee: Teacher / Group Leader / Required chaperones
$4.00: Extra adults (beyond required chaperone #)
Minimum fee per group: $20.00

GROUPS (Any group other than K-12)
Youth Groups, College, Seniors, Other Organizations, etc.

Please call the site for information.

Admission: $4.00 per person (complimentary admission for tour leader and bus driver). Minimum fee per group: $20.00

 

Amenities Information