Historic New England's Otis House

Enjoy a book sale with your FREE museum visit!

On Saturday, June 6, browse our gift shop for discounted books during Historic New England’s Open House at Otis House.

Pick up something on local history, architecture, or another unique find. Explore the historic setting and take home a new read. Free postcard set with every purchase.

Other nearby Open House locations and hours:

Browne House, in Watertown (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Codman Estate in Lincoln (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
Cooper-Frost-Austin House in Cambridge (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
Eustis Estate in Milton (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Gropius House in Lincoln (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Lyman Estate in Waltham (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) and Greenhouses (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) with Hosta and Perennial Sale
Pierce House in Dorchester (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Quincy House in Quincy (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

A few Otis House belongings are now on view at the Estate Estate! See if you can spot which ones. 👀

We are looking forward to celebrating our annual open house on Saturday, June 6, when all 38 Historic New England sites are free to visit.

Between now and June, we’re sharing our Meet Your Site Managers series so you can get to know the people who care for these places every day.

You may already know Barbara Callahan, who helps oversee Otis House. She’s especially excited to launch a new walking tour here in Boston this season—we hope you’ll join us.

Get to know Barbara → https://www.historicnewengland.org/meet-your-site-manager-barbara-callahan/

Meet Your Site Manager: Barbara Callahan | Historic New England As we prepare to welcome visitors to for the open season, we invite you to get to know the people who make our tours and events so special.

Open House | Historic New England On Saturday, June 6, 2026, our historic sites across the region are open and FREE to the public. Join us for a fun day of fantastic storytelling! Love architecture, history, fantastic stories, great landscapes, fine art, folk art, or interior design? Then join Historic New England on June 6, 2026, f...

The last surviving mansion in the West End's Bowdoin Square. A Federal period home to an illustrious political family. And much more.

Come have a peek!

We're open!
--Friday to Sunday with tours on the hour 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tour the 1796 home of the Otis family, the Motts and their medical practice, and the Williams sisters plus their boarders.

Join us for specialty tours highlighting select objects, the boardinghouse period, and the medical history of the neighborhood throughout the season. Visit our website for tickets and more details. www.historicnewengland.org/property/otis-house

We reopen for the season on Friday, April 3!

Join us for tours on the hour Friday through Monday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Last tour at 4 p.m. See you soon!

George Lyman is another spouse of the Otis family. He wed Elizabeth Gray Otis, Sally and Harry's oldest child, in 1810.

The Otises and Lymans were friends for years, so this wedding was likely no surprise. In the cooler months they were neighbors in Bowdoin Square then again in Beacon Hill. They visited for dinner and tea, attended meetings, sent letters, and occupied the position of two of the city's wealthiest families.

Learn more about George and his connections to horticulture, New England Textile mills, and his family. The Lyman Estate , where George resided in his later years, is open to visitors year round.

Bust of George Williams Lyman by Richard S. Greenough, 1886.

Harrison and Sally eventually had 11 children. The individual pictured here is one of the spouses who married into the family.

Eliza married their oldest, Harrison Gray Otis Jr. After he passed in 1827 and a stint in Europe, she lead a number of philanthropic endeavors and was deeply engaged in Boston society. She also wrote a novel on high society and articles for the Boston Transcript.

Eliza Henderson Boardman Otis by Chester Harding, 1831

Do you have a passion for public history? We're hiring tour guides for the 2026 season!

historicnewengland.bamboohr.com/careers/96