Tag Archives: Morris-Jumel Mansion

Morris-Jumel Mansion: Family & Community Day – Create your own lantern

Before the arrival of electricity, candles and lanterns helped illuminate New York City after dark. Throughout much of Morris-Jumel Mansions history, its rooms were lit by candlelight and fireplaces . Join us for our November Family Day and make your own handheld paper lantern as we explore how people brought light into their homes before electricity. Families can choose between a traditional cone shaped lantern or a special Morris-Jumel Mansion lantern modeled after the historic house. Decorate your lantern with colorful tissue paper then add a battery operated tea light to watch it glow! All materials provided while supplies last. This activity is designed for all ages and children are welcomed to create with the help of an adult.
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Antes de la llegada de la electricidad, las velas y las linternas ayudaron a iluminar la ciudad de Nueva York al caer la noche. Durante gran parte de la historia de la Mansión Morris- Jumel, sus habitaciones se iluminaban con velas y chimeneas. Acompáñenos en nuestro Dia de la Famila de noviembre y cree su propia linterna de papel mientras descubrimos cómo las personas iluminaban sus hogares antes de la electricidad. Las familias podrán elegir entre una linterna tradicional de forma cónica o una linterna especial inspirada en la histórica Mansión Morris-Jumel. Decore su linterna con papel de seda de colores y añade una pequeña vela LED a pilas para verla brillar. Tendremos todos los materiales necesarios hasta agotar existencias. La actividad es apta para todas las edades, y los niños pueden participar con la ayuda de un adulto.

FREE No registration needed.   Location: Basement or outside if the weather permits

Virtual Parlor Chat: Light, Shadow, and Chasing the Ghost of Augustin Le Prince

The haunting story of the Morris-Jumel Mansion’s vanished Gilded Age inventor.

On the eve of presenting the first motion picture camera to the world—2 years before Thomas Edison—its inventor, Augustin Le Prince, stepped onto the train from Dijon to Paris and vanished without a trace. Le Prince had begun his motion picture experiments in the early 1880s in Washington Heights. Concerned that Edison’s spies were monitoring his experiments, he left his family there to work in relative privacy in England. In 1888, Le Prince filmed the world’s first moving picture in a garden in Leeds.

Two years later, after his experiments had strained both his finances and his marriage, he was finally ready to present his invention to some of Gilded Age New York’s most illustrious patrons at the Morris–Jumel Mansion, securing his place in film history. First, however, he had to persuade his brother to settle their late mother’s estate to help relieve him of the crushing debts he had not dared reveal to his family.  But just before sailing to New York, Le Prince boarded a train in Dijon and was never seen again.

His family and friends made concerted efforts to find him, but their searches yielded nothing. Had Le Prince chosen to disappear in order to conceal secrets he was hiding, or was something more sinister at work?

Laurel Avery, author of “Light and Shadow”, will go into depth about the research involved in retracing Le Prince’s steps before his mysterious disappearance, and the importance of getting the history right for her upcoming novel Light and Shadow. We will go from the Paris morgue, to Leeds, where the first films were shot, to Washington Heights and the Morris–Jumel Mansion, where his family waited for his planned arrival and the much anticipated showing of the first film.

About the Speaker: Laurel Avery, author of Light and Shadow, is a dress historian, founder of Edwardian Recreations, and a former museum educator at Historic Hudson Valley. A native New Yorker with a love for historical detail, she has lived in Europe for over two decades.

She spent eight years researching and writing the book, consulting with the foremost authorities on Le Prince. She traveled to France, Leeds, and New York to trace the footsteps of Le Prince from his youth to his mysterious disappearance in Paris.  Although the novel is a work of historical fiction, it is based on known facts about Le Prince’s life and work.  Laurel currently lives in the Netherlands, where she can often be spotted in Edwardian dress, soon to be accompanied by dachshunds.

 

Morris-Jumel Mansion: Family and Community Day – Dia de Los Muertos celebration

Family and Community Day: Dia de Los Muertos celebration: sugar skull masks, paper marigolds, papel picado

Free, No registration required

Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a cherished holiday celebrated by many members of our community that honors the lives of loved ones who have passed away. During Día de los Muertos, many vibrant traditions come alive and together, they weave a rich tapestry of love, memory, and celebration. Join us at Morris Jumel Mansion and immerse yourself in the spirit of this beautiful tradition with activities like making sugar skull masks, crafting paper marigolds, and creating colorful papel picado. Enjoy music, sweet surprises, and the chance to connect with fellow community members. Materials are provided on a first come, first served basis. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

El Día de los Muertos es una festividad muy querida que celebran muchos miembros de nuestra comunidad y que honra la vida de los seres queridos que han fallecido. Durante el Día de los Muertos, muchas tradiciones vibrantes cobran vida y juntas tejen un rico tapiz de amor, memoria y celebración. Únase a nosotros en Morris Jumel Mansion y sumérjase en el espíritu de esta hermosa tradición con actividades como hacer máscaras de calaveras de azúcar, elaborar flores de papel y crear papel picado colorido. Disfrute de la música, dulces sorpresas y la oportunidad de conectarse con otros miembros de la comunidad. Los materiales se proporcionan por orden de llegada. ¡Estamos ansiosos por celebrar con usted!

Morris-Jumel Mansion: Communing During Construction – Paranormal Historical Investigations

A special series during the Mansion’s restoration that takes you inside the house to investigate the presence of the paranormal!  Fridays and Saturdays 10/2 – 11/7 except for 10/24

Investigate paranormal activity behind the scaffolding! In this special series of investigations, we are bringing you into the Mansion after the construction crews leave for a different kind of investigation. Over many years, changes to the physical interior and exterior have caused reported shifts in the paranormal activity experienced in the Mansion. With extended access during this current period of change, we invite you to join us to get to the bottom of the question – “If there are ghosts in the Morris-Jumel Mansion, what do they think of the restoration?”.

Looking for an unforgettable ghost adventure for you and your friends? This Spooky Season, book an exclusive paranormal investigation at Manhattan’s oldest surviving house, where you will learn the background of paranormal investigations, including the legendary paranormal activity at Morris-Jumel Mansion, while learning the history of the Mansion, its former residents, and interesting facts about the museum collection. During the program, you will have after-dark access to ghost hunt in the period rooms of the Mansion, normally closed off to the public. Believers and skeptics alike will enjoy the evening, and will have the opportunity to possibly communicate with Morris-Jumel Mansion’s former residents using paranormal investigative equipment.

This event is strictly for those 18 and over.  Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing.  This event is capped at 16 participants.

Guests will not be permitted entry to the park/mansion before 6:45pm; the tour will begin promptly at 7pm; the gates will be closed and locked at 7:05pm and no entry will be permitted after that time. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this. Please plan your arrival accordingly. If you find that you are running late, please call the museum before 7pm at 212-923-8008.

We reserve the right to deny entry, and/or to remove from the premises anyone who appears intoxicated, or who is not abiding by these guidelines, which have been established to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our staff and other visitors.

Please be aware that this event includes extended periods of time where participants must stand. The Mansion does not have an elevator, and this event takes place on multiple floors that are only accessible via stairways.

Because of the high demand for this event, guests will be limited to one paranormal investigation per season until further notice. Any duplicate orders will be refunded in order to ensure we can allow as many members of our community to experience this unique event as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Reach out the Mansion at 212-923-8008 if you would like to book a private Paranormal Tour

Morris-Jumel Mansion: Communing During Construction – Paranormal Historical Investigations

A special series during the Mansion’s restoration that takes you inside the house to investigate the presence of the paranormal!  Fridays and Saturdays 10/2 – 11/7 except for 10/24

Investigate paranormal activity behind the scaffolding! In this special series of investigations, we are bringing you into the Mansion after the construction crews leave for a different kind of investigation. Over many years, changes to the physical interior and exterior have caused reported shifts in the paranormal activity experienced in the Mansion. With extended access during this current period of change, we invite you to join us to get to the bottom of the question – “If there are ghosts in the Morris-Jumel Mansion, what do they think of the restoration?”.

Looking for an unforgettable ghost adventure for you and your friends? This Spooky Season, book an exclusive paranormal investigation at Manhattan’s oldest surviving house, where you will learn the background of paranormal investigations, including the legendary paranormal activity at Morris-Jumel Mansion, while learning the history of the Mansion, its former residents, and interesting facts about the museum collection. During the program, you will have after-dark access to ghost hunt in the period rooms of the Mansion, normally closed off to the public. Believers and skeptics alike will enjoy the evening, and will have the opportunity to possibly communicate with Morris-Jumel Mansion’s former residents using paranormal investigative equipment.

This event is strictly for those 18 and over.  Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing.  This event is capped at 16 participants.

Guests will not be permitted entry to the park/mansion before 6:45pm; the tour will begin promptly at 7pm; the gates will be closed and locked at 7:05pm and no entry will be permitted after that time. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this. Please plan your arrival accordingly. If you find that you are running late, please call the museum before 7pm at 212-923-8008.

We reserve the right to deny entry, and/or to remove from the premises anyone who appears intoxicated, or who is not abiding by these guidelines, which have been established to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our staff and other visitors.

Please be aware that this event includes extended periods of time where participants must stand. The Mansion does not have an elevator, and this event takes place on multiple floors that are only accessible via stairways.

Because of the high demand for this event, guests will be limited to one paranormal investigation per season until further notice. Any duplicate orders will be refunded in order to ensure we can allow as many members of our community to experience this unique event as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Reach out the Mansion at 212-923-8008 if you would like to book a private Paranormal Tour