While in Albany I wanted to visit the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site because it loosely has ties to Alexander Hamilton. I, like many others, became obsessed with Hamilton the Musical when it came out in July 2020 on Disney+, so the opportunity to visit one of the sites connected to his history was exciting. I wasn’t the only Hamilton fan on my tour either.
I found the whole museum and tour really interesting and I’m so glad I made the time to book a tour at there. Tickets for tours are $5 (at the time of writing) and my tour guide was Jessie. She did a great job of making the story come to life, while also generously giving time for questions from tour participants.
You should arrive a bit early to your tour – you can check out the visitor center exhibits before or after. I got there right on time and chose to look at the exhibits after the tour and while I think it would’ve been helpful to have learned a bit more about Phillip and Catherine Schuyler, their families and the enslaved men and women on site before the tour, you can definitely do the tour first and still keep up.
The introduction to the tour starts at the diorama of what the grounds of the Schuyler Mansion would’ve looked like when the Schuylers lived there.
After getting a brief introduction to the grounds and the people involved in the stories that you’ll hear, you head over to the Schuyler Mansion itself. In the picture below, the building on the left is the visitor center which was added after the Schuylers no longer lived there. The house has been a museum since 1917.
When you step inside you’re struck by the incredible attention to detail that the museum has, as well as the grandeur of the Georgian architectural design chosen by Phillip Schuyler. As a huge fan of all things Georgian, I wholeheartedly approve of the design.
The wallpaper in the photo below is in the entrance hall as well as up the staircase and into the ballroom above. It’s called “Ruins of Rome” and it would’ve been imported by Schuyler from England. This was put up during the restoration and they have documentation that shows that he had this expensive wallpaper up in the home.
Another feature of the wallpaper is that much of it is “fuzzy” or raised. You’re not allowed to touch the actual wallpaper, but they have a sample for you to look at closely and touch. It comes in different rich colors that are seen throughout the house.
The highlight for any Hamilton fan will likely be this room – the Best Parlor – which is where Alexander and Eliza (shown in the painting below) got married.
The chairs and sofa are mostly originals that have been reupholstered with silks that would’ve been in keeping with Phillip Schuyler’s aesthetic.
The “fuzzy” yellow wallpaper in the front rooms.
Phillip Schuyler’s library, and likely office, would’ve held at least 300 books during his time. A few of his own books are still here on display.
The dining room, and other rooms, have been decorated to reflect moments in time. This is set up as if the “guys” are coming around for dinner. The rum punch bowl in the center is a Schuyler family original piece. That’s one of the other exciting parts; not only is it well restored, but the museum also has quite a few actual pieces from the Schuylers rather than just reproduction or period pieces.
You head up the staircase to the second floor where there was a ballroom used during the nicer months and four bedrooms, although only three are open for the tour.
This is one of the coolest things I saw at the Schuyler Mansion. The museum did this incredibly clever thing – they took a painting that was created around the time of the Schuylers living in Albany which is a view from the mansion’s vista overlooking the city. They’ve blown it up and placed it over the windows on the second floor so you can get a taste of what the view was like for the Schuylers in the late 1700s.
You’ll need to go to the Schuyler Mansion to see the bedrooms where the Schuyler sisters grew up and where George Washington visited and stayed in Phillip and Catherine’s bedroom (displacing them – and one of the few to be of high enough status to do it).
After the tour I went back to the visitor center and these were just a few of the interesting artifacts on display like a slipper of Catherine Van Rensselaer from her wedding day and a pendant that held some of George Washington’s hair.
The final thing that you should stop and experience is this video display. You can choose different people – enslaved, tenant farmers, family members and visitors – to tell you about different aspects of life at the Schuyler Mansion. This is Prince who was the enslaved man in charge of household affairs and other enslaved workers on site.
If you find yourself anywhere near Albany, even if you’re not a huge Hamilton fan, the Schuyler Mansion State Historical Site is a can’t-miss thing to do and if you can get on a tour with Jessie, all the better!
[…] One afternoon while I was working, Shae headed into downtown Albany to visit the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site. The mansion was owned by Philip Schuyler, a prominent politician who nowadays is possibly more well known as being the father of the Schuyler sisters in Hamilton, including Elizabeth Schuyler who went on to marry Alexander Hamilton. You can read more about Shae’s visit to the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site here. […]