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Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 4pm Sunday 11am - 4pm

Historic New England's Otis House

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Historic New England's Otis House

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Otis House is open for the season with guided tours available Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit HistoricNewEngland.org for more information.

Otis House is the last surviving mansion in Bowdoin Square in Boston's West End neighborhood. Charles Bulfinch designed the house for Harrison Gray Otis, a lawyer who was instrumental in developing nearby Beacon Hill, served in Congress, and was a mayor of Boston. In 1796, Harrison Gray Otis and his wife, Sally, lived and entertained lavishly in this elegantly furnished home. Visitors learn about the Otises, their young family, domestic staff, and the people who lived here after them. The house portrays both high-style living in the Federal era and the cycles of change in a dynamic urban neighborhood.

*The museum is currently closed for the season and will reopen again in the spring.*

Historic New England Members Tour Free

10/29/2026

Did you know the Boston Women's Pro Baseball Team (Boston Hunters) is named after this women? Learn more about her on our walking tour!

Due to popular demand, we one more walking tour this year! Health and Medicine on Beacon Hill take place Saturday, November 28 from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Starting at Otis House and winding through the streets of Beacon Hill, you’ll discover how residents navigated medical care and how that care evolved over time.

10/24/2026

Otis House 115 years ago!

Five years later, Historic New England purchased the property and began restorations for its eventual use as organization's headquarters.

Notice the shops out front and the adjacent lot. These were demolished by 1925 when Cambridge Street was widened.

Source: City of Boston Archives

10/21/2026

It's time for our season to come to an end. The house is now closed for tours and will reopen in spring 2027. See you then!

10/06/2026

Interested in medical history or a new perspective of Beacon Hill? Hop on our last walking tour of the season!

Health and Medicine on Beacon Hill
Saturday, October 10, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

10/02/2026

Where do these doors lead? If you haven't yet toured Otis House, you may be very surprised!

There are two more weekends left this season to find out. Visit Friday-Sunday on the hour 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

09/30/2026

The Otises would never have been able to maintain their home and family without their labor. How many servants lived and worked at the Otis’ home is hard to say. The records show five male servants from 1798 to 1800, with no more than two at a time. However, these records can be spotty and only reference men over the age of 18. There were probably younger servants, female servants who did not appear in tax records, and day servants who commuted to their place of employment.

This back stair was the only way to access the third floor staff and children's bedrooms.

09/18/2026

See you there!

Catch us next Sunday, September 27 from 12-4pm at the Beacon Hill Civic Association's HillFest!

Come on down to the Flat for our annual neighborhood block party where you can grab a b**r and a hot dog, play co****le and watch the dog parade. We could also use your help to set up or clean up so please DM us if you're interested in volunteering!

09/13/2026

Popular American miniaturist Edward Greene Malbone painted this likeness of Sally Foster Otis in 1804. She's wearing a carnelian cross necklace set with topaz and pearls.

Previously strung with pearls, an Otis descendant had the necklace restrung with a set of matching carnelian beads nearly a century after Sally owned it. Both the miniature and the necklace are in Historic New England's collection.

09/09/2026

We are pleased to announce that Otis House will remain open for tours through October 11, 2026, and will reopen for the 2027 season!

The museum is now anticipated to temporarily close at the end of the 2027 season for a multi-year restoration and visitor enhancement project, timed with construction of the adjacent West End Library development.

09/07/2026

Have you walked our new tour on Beacon's Hill medical history? Discover how residents navigated medical care, local alternative treatment options, and trailblazing physicians.

Join us next Sunday, September 13th at 10:00 a.m. or Saturday, October 10.

Address

141 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA
02114

Opening Hours

Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm
Sunday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

+16179945920

Website

http://www.historicnewengland.org/

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