Nichols House Museum

The Nichols House Museum occupies an 1804 Bulfinch townhouse, among the earliest of its kind on Beacon Hill. In 1885, Dr. Arthur Nichols and his wife Elizabeth purchased the house making it the backdrop against which their three daughters matured into designers, writers, and social activists. In 1930, Rose Standish Nichols (1872-1960) inherited the house and began laying the plans for its establishment as a museum. Soon after her death in 1960, 55 Mount Vernon Street opened its fanlight-windowed doors to the public. Today, the Nichols House Museum continues the discussion on the social concerns embraced by those who passed through this home, which remain relevant.

Furnished with an original collection, the interiors reflect the cultural values and changing tastes across two generations of Nichols ownership. Highlights include sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, European paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, and American furniture. Visitors also encounter day-to-day objects including an 1897 dumbwaiter and a 1936 radio.

Exhibits

Take this opportunity to visit the museum at your own pace. Stroll through the period rooms and get a taste of the house's rich history and art. This year's event features a mini-exhibition on our Asian art collection. Please note this open-house event is first-come-first-served. Due to capacity restrictions, there may be delays.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.