alexander hamilton house virtual tour

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

414 West 141st Street New York , NY 10031 United States

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Hamilton Grange National Memorial, also known as The Grange or the Hamilton Grange Mansion, is a National Park Service site in St. Nicholas Park, Manhattan, New York City, that preserves the relocated home of U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton .

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The first amendment, virtual tours.

Welcome to the National Constitution Center’s virtual museum experience. Here, you can discover exhibits—both past and present—that were created by the National Constitution Center. From the constitutional conflicts of the Civil War to the vision and ambition of Alexander Hamilton, there’s plenty to learn right from your home!

Explore Our Exhibits Virtually

Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality

Explore this permanent exhibit to learn how the constitutional clashes over slavery led to the Civil War. The exhibit continues through the postwar period known as Reconstruction and highlights the three new amendments added to the Constitution—the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments—as the nation worked to fulfill its promise of freedom and equality. Join National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Exhibition Developer Elena Popchock on a video tour to learn about this critical period in American history.

American Treasures: Documenting the Nation’s Founding

Trace the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and the addition of the first 10 amendments—the Bill of Rights. Learn about important but lesser-known Founding Fathers like James Wilson and Gouverneur Morris. Featuring original drafts of the U.S. Constitution from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, this exhibit highlights the key proposals and compromises that shaped the document’s final text.

Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes That Shaped a Nation

Want to learn more about the rise and fall of one of the most popular Founding Fathers? In this virtual experience, discover Alexander Hamilton’s role in the debates that shaped our nation through the lens of his fraught relationships with James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Aaron Burr. This exhibit was on display at the Center from March 2018 through December 2019.

Signers’ Hall

Take a virtual walk alongside the signers of the U.S. Constitution. In this signature museum experience, listen as National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen describes the final day of the Constitutional Convention. Meet Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton—and of course, George Washington!

Follow these directions to get the most out of your virtual experience:

• Navigate and explore exhibit sections by using the menu bar on the bottom of the screen.
• Click the yellow camera to navigate to a nearby section in the exhibit.
• Enter the next section or return to the previous section using the red arrows on the sides of the screen.
• Use your mouse to pan around the image or scroll to zoom in and out.
• Hover over a text panel and click to zoom.
• Play the video , and click outside the pop-up window to exit.

Virtual tours made possible by generous support from George S. Blumenthal. Photography by Ardon Bar-Hama.

You can also view some of our favorite current and past exhibits online through Google Arts and Culture . Check out these highlights:

• American Treasures
• Powers of the President
• John Marshall: Patriot, Statesman, Chief Justice
• The 13th Amendment
• The 19th Amendment : Women Fight for Rights (1848-1877)
• The 19th Amendment: Suffragists Change Tactics (1878-1916)  

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Virtual Bus Trip: Visit the Home of Alexander Hamilton

Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

We can’t take bus trips right now but, thanks to the internet, we can explore the world from the comfort of our homes. Every Wednesday, we’re presenting a series of links to cultural institutions in Chicago and beyond. Today we’ll visit the home of Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton commissioned architect John McComb Jr. to design a Federal style country home on a sprawling 32 acre estate in upper Manhattan. This house was completed in 1802 and named “The Grange” after the Hamilton family’s ancestral home in Scotland, but served as Hamilton’s home for only two years before his death resulting from his duel with Aaron Burr.

Take a video tour of Hamilton’s Grange with Jordan Fisher from the Broadway musical Hamilton, explore historic photos of the home, watch a video on moving the house , then download or stream the musical’s original cast recording on Hoopla Digital .

Self-Guided Tour of Hamilton’s Christiansted

The National Park Service (NPS) has researched and prepared a two-page publication/map called Alexander Hamilton's Christiansted .  This publication offers a self-guided walking tour that will take you around the former capital of the "Danish Islands in America" to some of the sites directly associated with Hamilton's life on St. Croix, when he lived here between the ages of 10 and 18. Here is a list of the sites covered by the NPS self-guided tour:

1.  Christiansted Wharf  (Christiansted National Historic Site) : During the second half of the 1700s, Christiansted was a bustling international port city. Christiansted Wharf was the site of international trade, as well as the wharf at which Hamilton arrived on St. Croix in 1765 as a child and departed from 8 years later to attend school in British North America.

2.  Fort Christiansvaern (Christiansted National Historic Site): Hamilton's mother, Rachel Faucette, was imprisoned in the fort for several months in 1750 by her former husband, Johan Michael Lavien.

3. & 4.  Numbers 23 and 34 Company Street: Rachel Faucette supported herself and two sons by running a small plantation supply store, which the family resided above. The combination store and residence was located at No. 34 Company Street, but was temporarily moved in 1767 to No. 23 Company Street. Unfortunately, neither structure has survived.

5.  St. John's Anglican Church (27 King Street): The Church of England established this parish in 1760 to minister to the growing number of British subjects living on St. Croix. Hamilton's mother, listed as "Rachel Levine", was found in the church's burial records for 1768 after she died from yellow fever. The original wooden church was destroyed in the hurricane of 1772 and was replaced by the existing Gothic revival church in 1780.

6.  Thomas Stevens' Residence (King Street): After Rachel's death, Hamilton lived with merchant Thomas Stevens and his family on King Street where Hamilton became lifelong friends with Thomas' son, Edward. The exact location of the Stevens' residence is unknown.

7.  Former Presbyterian Church (13 Watergut at Prince Street): Reverend Hugh Knox, pastor of the Presbyterian congregation in Christiansted beginning in 1772, befriended Hamilton as a teenager and provided him with religious guidance and helped to further his education. The church property was sold in 1818 and the church building was later demolished.

8.  The Firm of Nicholas Cruger (Numbers 7 and 8 King Street):  Hamilton went to work as a clerk for the import-export firm of David Beekman and Nicholas Cruger in 1766 at the age of eleven. Hamilton learned the complexities of international trade and foreign exchange while working for Beekman and Cruger and would go on to tell his children that his experiences with Cruger were "the most useful part of his education." Cruger's building was replaced in the late 1700s by the building you see today.

You can pick up a copy of the Alexander Hamilton's Christiansted walking tour map and information sheet at the Christiansted National Historic Site's Fort Christiansvaern or the Scale House during their normal business hours, or you can download a copy here .  To learn a bit about Hamilton's history in the Caribbean before you set off on a self-guided tour, we recommend reading our blog  Alexander Hamilton’s History on St. Croix . You can also take a guided walking tour of Christiansted that focuses on Alexander Hamilton with CHANT or Eyes of Hamilton, which is a great way to learn more about how Hamilton's life on St. Croix influenced his education and ideals. Whichever you choose, enjoy strolling some of the streets and sites that Alexander Hamilton walked 250 years ago!

- Jennie Ogden, Editor

Announcing a Virtual Tour of Hamilton’s Princeton

To coincide with Disney+’s release of  Hamilton: An American Musical , the Historical Society of Princeton has added a new virtual tour to its History@Home resources. The content explores the myths and the true stories of places in Princeton connected to Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Aaron Burr Jr., and more!

Click here to access the map-based tour, or scroll down to read through the sites as an article.

Nassau Hall

Princeton battlefield state park, quaker road, princeton university art museum, maclean house, princeton cemetery, hudibras tavern, the barracks, rockingham historic site, morven museum & garden, beatty house, princeton university.

SONG: “AARON BURR, SIR” HAMILTON: “Sir… I heard your name at Princeton. I was seeking an accelerated course of study when I got sort of out of sorts with a buddy of yours. I may have punched him. It’s a blur, sir. He handles the financials?” BURR: “You punched the bursar.”

Nassau Hall was built in 1756 to house the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) when it moved to Princeton from Newark. According to Hamilton’s friend, Revolutionary War spy Hercules Mulligan (also a character in the musical), Hamilton very much wished to attend the College of New Jersey and had been conditionally accepted after meeting with college president John Witherspoon. This offer was later revoked by the College’s trustees due to Hamilton’s plans to accelerate his studies and earn his degree in less than four years. Mulligan claimed that Hamilton was notified of the decision through a letter from Witherspoon. Hamilton did not, in fact, “punch the bursar” in response– this anecdote was added by musical creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who found that “the rhyme was too good to pass up.”

There are several issues with Mulligan’s account that call this story into question. For one, there already existed a model at the College of New Jersey that allowed students, such as Aaron Burr Jr., to graduate early, so the Trustees should have had no issue with Hamilton’s interest in doing the same. Secondly, no records of this tale other than Mulligan’s telling seem to exist. Hamilton’s rejection does not appear in the Trustees’ minutes and the alleged letter from Witherspoon has yet to be found.

500 Mercer Road

SONG: “RIGHT HAND MAN” WASHINGTON “Any hope of success is fleeting, how can I keep leading when the people I’m leading keep retreating?”

At the end of 1776, following a string of highly publicized defeats in New York and New Jersey that crushed morale and forced the Continental Army into Pennsylvania, the Revolution was at crossroads. American soldiers were cold, hungry, tired of retreating, and looking forward to returning home when their enlistments expired on December 31. With a majority of his army set to leave the war effort behind, Washington needed a victory to inspire hope. With the Hessian garrison at Trenton in his sights, Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night, and marched 19 miles under the cover of a relentless snowstorm. On the morning of December 26, Washington’s army surprised the Hessians and claimed their first major victory of the war.

Over the course of the next eight days, the Continental Army would go on to win major victories at Battle of the Assunpink Creek (also called the Second Battle of Trenton) and the Battle of Princeton. This ten day period from December 25, 1776 to January 3, 1777, often referred to as The Ten Crucial Days, turned the tide for the Continental army. Hamilton served as the captain of an artillery unit in both Battles of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton.

SONG: “RIGHT HAND MAN” WASHINGTON: “Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox wanted to hire you” HAMILTON: “To be their secretary, I don’t think so”

In the lead-up to the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, as the Continental Army approached British-occupied Princeton from the south, George Washington paused on Quaker Road to strategically divide his forces for the attack on Princeton. Nathanael Greene, an unseen character in the musical, led the smaller column of troops that unexpectedly clashed with British forces in the location that is today known as Princeton Battlefield State Park. Later, Greene reflected on the intense conflict, saying that the actions of the day showed “the horrors of war beyond description.”

Image: A Washington’s Route obelisk along Quaker Road. Twelve markers were erected in 1914 by the New Jersey Sons of the Revolution to mark the Continental army’s route from Trenton to the Battle of Princeton.

SONG: “IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS” BURR: “Ah, Mister Secretary.” HAMILTON: “Mister Burr, sir.” BURR: “Did’ya hear the news about good old General Mercer?” HAMILTON: “No.” BURR “You know Clemont Street?” HAMILTON: “Yeah.” BURR: “They renamed it after him, the Mercer legacy is secure.” HAMILTON: “Sure.” BURR: “All he had to do was die.” HAMILTON: “That’s a lot less work.” BURR: “We oughta give it a try.”

General Hugh Mercer was a seasoned revolutionary, having volunteered in the army of the unsuccessful Jacobite Revolution against the British in Scotland in the 1740s. Fleeing to America as a fugitive, he became a respected physician and general, a close friend of General Washington’s, having treated members of the Washington family as a surgeon. Upon his death, Nathanael Greene remembered him as, “a fine companion, a sincere friend, a true patriot, and a brave general.”

The Battle of Princeton began in the early morning of January 3, 1777, when troops under the command of General Hugh Mercer clashed with British forces led by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood. After exchanging several volleys, Mawhood’s troops charged with bayonets fixed. In the skirmish that followed, Mercer was thrown from his horse, and stabbed seven times.

Legend has it that Mercer refused to leave his troops on the battlefield, so he rested against the trunk of a tree that would become known as the Mercer Oak. After the battle, he was taken to the Clarke farmhouse, where he died nine days later. The Mercer Oak stood in Battlefield State Park until March 2000, when it was knocked down by strong winds. Today, a descendant of the original tree stands in its place.

New Jersey chose to honor General Mercer’s legacy once again in 1838 by naming the newly created Mercer County after him.

SONG: “AARON BURR, SIR” HAMILTON: “God, I wish there was a war! Then we could prove that we’re worth more than anyone bargained for”

During the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, Alexander Hamilton served as the captain of an artillery unit. Hamilton commanded his men to set up cannons where Blair Hall is today; they then fired several shots at Nassau Hall, which was occupied by Hessian and British soldiers. This action helped the Continental soldiers win the day. After the battle, in recognition of Hamilton’s efforts at the first and second battles of Trenton, as well as the Battle of Princeton, General George Washington promoted Hamilton to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and invited him to join his military staff as his Aide-de-Camp.

SONG: “I KNOW HIM” KING GEORGE III: “They say George Washington’s yielding his power and stepping away. ‘Zat true? I wasn’t aware that was something a person could do. I’m perplexed. Are they gonna keep on replacing whoever’s in charge? If so, who’s next? There’s nobody else in their country who looms quite as large…”

According to legend, when Alexander Hamilton directed his cannons at Nassau Hall, one of the shots fired burst through a window, decapitating a portrait of King George II.

While the story has not been proven to be true, the painting did suffer permanent damage during the battle. The frame, however, was unharmed. After the war, to pay homage to General George Washington, the Trustees of the College of New Jersey commissioned Charles Wilson Peale to paint Washington’s portrait. The resulting work, “George Washington at the Battle of Princeton,” was displayed in Nassau Hall, occupying the same frame that the portrait of King George II once did. In 2006, the painting moved to the Princeton University Art Museum.

Peale was a member of the secret revolutionary group the Sons of Liberty along with Hamilton’s friend, Hercules Mulligan. Mulligan brags in the musical’s song “ Yorktown ” that he’s “runnin’ with the Sons of Liberty and I am lovin’ it!”

IMAGE: George Washington at the Battle of Princeton, painted by Charles Willson Peale, 1783–84. Princeton University, commissioned by the Trustees

SONG: “AARON BURR, SIR” HAMILTON: “Yes! I wanted to do what you did. Graduate in two, then join the revolution. He looked at me like I was stupid, I’m not stupid. So how’d you do it? How’d you graduate so fast?” BURR: “It was my parents’ dying wish before they passed.” HAMILTON: “You’re an orphan. Of course! I’m an orphan.”

Named after John Maclean Jr., the tenth President of the College, and the founder of Princeton’s Alumni Association, Maclean House was built In 1756 to serve as the residence of the president when the College of New Jersey moved to Princeton.

Aaron Burr, Sr., though the College’s second president, was the first president based in Princeton and the first to live in Maclean House. Burr lived there for just a year with his wife Esther, their children, Sarah and Aaron Jr., and enslaved men, Ceasar and Harry. In September 1757, Aaron Burr, Sr. died of a fever. Esther died seven months later after contracting smallpox, orphaning the two-year-old Aaron Jr. and Sarah. The children soon relocated to Philadelphia.

Aaron Burr is accurately described as “the prodigy of Princeton college” in “Aaron Burr, Sir.” He enrolled at the College of New Jersey in 1769 at the age of 13. He graduated summa cum laude in just three years.

29 Greenview Avenue

SONG: “WAIT FOR IT” BURR: “My grandfather was a fire and brimstone preacher. But there are things that the homilies and hymns won’t teach ya. My mother was a genius My father commanded respect When they died they left no instructions. Just a legacy to protect.”

Aaron Burr, Jr. is buried at the foot of his father’s grave in the Presidents’ Plot at Princeton Cemetery of Nassau Presbyterian Church. Aaron Burr, Sr., the 2nd president of the College of New Jersey, has the cemetery’s oldest grave. It is next to the resting place of Jonathan Edwards, the 3rd president of the College, who was also a famed theologian and Aaron Burr Jr.’s grandfather. Burr’s mother Esther is buried in Northampton, MA; his sister Sarah’s grave is in Litchfield, CT.

Aaron Burr, Jr. is the only person buried in the president’s plot who was not a College/University president, or married to one. College president James Carnahan conducted the funeral sermon in Nassau Hall, and spoke about the evils of dueling. Burr’s body was escorted to the cemetery by members of the College faculty, students, alumni, a military band, and “Mercer Guards,” an honor guard of the College’s Cliosophic Society, of which Burr was a founding member. 

Present-Day Firestone Library

SONG: “THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION” BURR Hamilton is out of control. MADISON This is great! He’s out of power. He holds no office. And he just destroyed President John Adams, the only other significant member of his party.

Built in 1761 and purchased in 1768 by Colonel Jacob Hyer Sr., the Hudibras Tavern, located on Nassau Street, was one of Princeton’s earliest and most popular lodging establishments. Boasting twelve rooms, the Hudibras could accommodate forty people and thirty horses. On August 27, 1774, on their way to a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, John Adams (a future political enemy of Alexander Hamilton), Samuel Adams, Thomas Cushing, and Robert Treat Paine stayed at the Hudibras. During this time, John Adams observed the revolutionary spirit of College of New Jersey president John Witherspoon and his students, calling them “Sons of Liberty.” John Witherspoon would later become a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, with John Adams. Today, Princeton University’s Firestone Library stands in this historic location.

IMAGE: Plan of Princeton, Dec. 31, 1776 [Detail, with Hudibras Inn highlighted]. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

32 Edgehill Street

SONG: “WHAT’D I MISS” JEFFERSON: “But who’s waitin’ for me when I step in the place? My friend James Madison, red in the face. He grabs my arm and I respond, “What’s goin’ on?” MADISON: “Thomas, we are engaged in a battle for our nation’s very soul. Can you get us out of the mess we’re in?”

Situated at 32 Edgehill Street and built near the end of the 17th century, the Barracks (named for the fact that it was used as a lodging for soldiers during the French and Indian War) is one of the oldest structures in Princeton. In 1783, when Princeton played host to the Continental Congress, the Barracks housed the future political enemies Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

While there is no evidence that Hamilton had any issues with his stay, Madison, who was used to more lavish comforts, wrote to his good friend Thomas Jefferson to complain about the narrowness of his room, saying the house was “without a single accommodation for writing,” and he was “obliged to write in a position that scarcely admits the use of any of my limbs.” In response, Jefferson asked Madison “to engage me a tolerable birth” upon his arrival to Princeton– emphasizing that “a room to myself, if it be but a barrack, is indispensable.” Underscoring Madison and Jefferson’s professional relationship was a very real friendship, which is captured, and sometimes satirized, in the musical.

IMAGE: Photograph by Robert Manella, Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty

84 Laurel Avenue, Kingston

SONG: “RIGHT HAND MAN” ENSEMBLE: “Here comes the General!” BURR: “Ladies and gentlemen!” ENSEMBLE: “Here comes the General!” BURR: “The moment you’ve been waiting for!” ENSEMBLE: “Here comes the General!” BURR: “The pride of Mount Vernon!” ENSEMBLE: “Here comes the general!” BURR: “George Washington!”

George Washington’s final wartime headquarters, Rockingham, was built around 1710, and is believed to be the second oldest house in the Millstone River Valley. At the invitation of the Continental Congress, which was then headquartered at nearby Nassau Hall, General George Washington and his wife Martha stayed at Rockingham with their entourage of soldiers, servants, and enslaved people from August 23, 1783 to November 10, 1783.

While at Rockingham, the Washingtons entertained James Madison and Thomas Paine, among other members of Congress, in gatherings at the house. It was at Rockingham that, on October 31, 1783, George Washington received word that the Treaty of Paris had been signed, ending the Revolutionary War.  It was also at Rockingham that Washington wrote his Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States, a document that discharged his troops and announced his retirement to civilian life. While written by Washington on October 30, General Knox delivered the orders to the remaining Continental Army at West Point, New York on November 2.

55 Stockton Street

SONG: “GUNS AND SHIPS” WASHINGTON: “We rendezvous with Rochambeau, consolidate their gifts.” LAFAYETTE: “We can end this war at Yorktown, cut them off at sea, but for this to succeed, there’s someone else we need”

France joined the American Revolution on the side of the Continental forces in 1778. Their support, both in finances and in manpower, was critical to the eventual American victory. In July 1780, around 5,500 French troops, under the command of the Comte de Rochambeau, landed in Rhode Island. After staying in the Rhode Island area for less than a year, the French force mobilized and met up with George Washington’s army. With the promise of aid from a French fleet under the command of the Count de Grasse, Washington and Rochambeau set their sights on Yorktown, Virginia. They planned to rendezvous with the Marquis de Lafayette and his army of 5,000 men, and cut the main British army off by land and by sea.

Their objective set, Washington and Rochambeau’s combined troops began a 14-week, 680 mile march to Yorktown. En route, the armies stayed in Princeton from August 29 to September 1, 1781, with the French making camp across the road from Morven. Upon arriving in Princeton himself, Washington joined Rochambeau for dinner in town at 3 PM on September 1st before the troops continued on to Trenton for the night.

IMAGE: 69. Camp à Prince-town, le 31 Aoust, 14 miles de Sommerset Court-house; Louis-Alexandre Berthier Collection, C0022, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Louis-Alexandre Bertheir, a soldier in Rochambeau’s army as well as a topographical engineer, created over 100 maps of the routes taken and campsites made by the French army as they traveled to Yorktown. The French camp in Princeton can be seen here west of the college on what is today Stockton Street. 

19 Vandeventer Avenue

SONG: “AARON BURR, SIR” LAFAYETTE: “Oui oui, mon ami, je m’appelle Lafayette! The Lancelot of the revolutionary set! I came from afar just to say “Bonsoir!” Tell the King “Casse toi!” Who’s the best? C’est moi!”

SONG: “GUNS AND SHIPS” BURR: “Yo. Turns out we have a secret weapon! An immigrant you know and love who’s unafraid to step in! He’s constantly confusin’, confoundin’ the British henchmen. Ev’ryone give it up for America’s favorite fighting Frenchman! COMPANY: “Lafayette!”

Originally located on Nassau Street, opposite Bainbridge House, and built c. 1780, Beatty House (now located at 19 Vandeventer) was the home of Colonel Jacob Hyer, owner of the Hudibras Tavern. In 1816 the house was purchased by Colonel Erkuries Beatty, for whom the house is named.

The French Marquis de Lafayette spent the night at Beatty House on July 15, 1825, during his fifteen month tour of the United States. Although just nineteen years of age when he first came to the United States from France to lend his aid to the American soldiers in 1777, he quickly rose to the rank of Major-General in the Continental Army, and became an integral member of General George Washington’s staff. Even during his return visit nearly fifty years later, Lafayette still received a hero’s welcome wherever he went.

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Hamilton Grange National Memorial | TOUR OF THE GRANGE

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National Park Service volunteer conducts a tour of The Grange

Depending on the time of day that you visit Hamilton Grange National Memorial, you will have a choice of either a guided or self-guided tour of the second floor rooms in The Grange, Alexander Hamilton’s summer house. The first floor is used as the park’s Visitor Center and exhibit area, while the third floor where the bedrooms would have been is now used as office space by the National Park Service. There is an elevator that takes visitors to the second floor.

Guided tours are given at 10 AM, 11 AM, and 2 PM. Tours last 30 to 45 minutes and are limited to 15 people. All spots are taken on a first come, first served basis—sign up in the Visitor Center. The popularity of Hamilton Grange National Memorial waxes and wanes with the popularity of the Hamilton musical. If it’s in the news, expect large crowds. The National Park Service suggests arriving at least 30 minutes before tour times to have a decent chance of getting a spot. If you do have to wait until a subsequent tour , you can kill time by reading through the information panels and watching the park film on Alexander Hamilton in the Visitor Center, or you can take a walk in St. Nicholas Park where the house is now located (it has been moved twice since being completed in 1802).

Back side of The Grange

Keep in mind that group tours—usually school groups—are given priority for the 10 AM and 11 AM tours on Wednesdays through Fridays, so if you are planning to come during the school year at these times, call the park first to see if these spots are still available. The phone number is (646) 548-2310. If you have a group of ten or more, you must submit a registration form at least two weeks in advance. For more information, see the Permits and Reservations web page for Hamilton Grange National Memorial.

Self-guided tour times are from 12 PM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 4 PM, and they are also limited to fifteen people, so you may have to wait for somebody to come down before you can go up. A park Ranger or knowledgeable volunteer will be on hand to answer any questions. There are only three rooms to see, which you can do in less than five minutes if you just pop your head in to take a look, but if you want to learn something, be sure to ask the person on duty to explain the purpose of the rooms. In that case, give yourself fifteen to thirty minutes for the tour.

Backpacks and large bags are not allowed in the second floor rooms. Photography is allowed without a flash.

As mentioned, there are three rooms to see on the tour of The Grange. One room is Hamilton’s study. Though he had an office in downtown New York, which took an hour and a half to reach by carriage—long distance commuting is nothing new—he did keep an office in his summer home as well. In addition to doing some work, he used it as his reading room. Some of the books on display were actually owned by Hamilton. The chair and large desk are antiques from the time period, and the lap desk is a reproduction of Hamilton’s original lap desk. This could be folded and taken with him to his office.

Reproduction of Alexander Hamilton’s lap desk

Antique desk and chair on display in Alexander Hamilton’s study

The dining room is furnished per the time period. The only original items are the silver plateau that sits at the center of the table and one of the water pitchers. A wine cooler located on the credenza is a reproduction of a gift that George Washington gave to the Hamiltons.

Reproduction of a wine cooler given to Hamilton by George Washington

The third room on display is the parlor. It is here that guests were entertained before and after dining. Half of the chairs are original to the home, while the others are identical reproductions. The piano forte belonged to Hamilton’s daughter, Angelica. Hamilton had seven children. His eldest son, Philip, was killed in a duel three years before Alexander was himself killed in a duel by Aaron Burr. After Philip’s death, Angelica fell into such despair that she became mentally ill and lived out her life in a mental hospital. She had the piano with her during this time.

Chairs and table in the parlor

There is also an exhibit in the hallway about the restoration of the house and its move from next to St. Luke’s Church to its new location in St. Nicholas Park. A video shows the actual move and renovation. When on a guided tour, the tour pauses to watch the video. The run time is a little over five minutes, so factor that into your self-guided tour time.

Exhibit on the move of The Grange

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Hamilton Grange National Memorial

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Alexander Hamilton Custom House (National Museum of the American Indian)

Cass Gilbert

Date 5 Total, Show more

Constructed, 1907

Abandoned, 1974

Renovation, 1990

Opened, 1994

Moved, 2012

Boat Tour Pt. 1 - by Julie Engh

Designations 4 Total, Show more

National Historic Landmark in Dec 8, 1976

New York City Exterior Landmark in Oct 14, 1965

National Register of Historic Places in Jan, 1972

New York City Interior Landmark in Jan, 1979

Description Show more

The Alexander Hamilton Customs House, now the National Museum of the American Indian, is a Beaux-Arts building designed by Cass Gilbert and erected 1899-1907. When the Federal Government established income tax in 1913, the Customs House became the country's largest collector. The facade's grand sculptures by Daniel Chester French, who also sculpted the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, represent the four continents, their whiteness providing a rich counterpoint to the structure's gray granite. The interior, which is also an NYC Landmark, includes a giant oval rotunda, embellished with Reginald Marsh's WPA (Works Progress Administration) commissioned murals project in 1938.

1974 The United States Customs Service moved out of the building in 1974, and it sat abandoned for over a decade until renovations in the late 1980s. 

1990 In 1990, the Custom House was renamed to commemorate Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and its first Secretary of the Treasury.

The building contains the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian, as well as the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The National Museum of the American Indian is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans. Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and providing a platform of engagement for the Indian voice.

2012 It is also the home to the National Archives in New York City.

Open House New York Weekend - October 17th-18th, 2020

Archtober - October, 2020

Related people Show more

National Museum of the American Indian

Alexander Hamilton , In 1990, the Custom House was renamed to commemorate Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and its first Secretary of the Treasury.

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Government House

55 Wall Street

Chester A. Arthur appointed to be the 'Collector' of the New York Custom House

1 Bowling Green, New York, NY, US 10004

23 Results, Show less

Cubeo  

Hopi Butterfly  

Tlingit  

Quechua scissor  

Mapuche  

Tukanoan headring  

Seminole  

Hunkpapa northern traditional  

Yakama Fancy Shawl  

Wedding dress associated with Inshata-Theumba (Susette La Flesche or Bright Eyes, Omaha, 1854–1903)  

Yup'ik  

Hopi manta  

Hiłamis (Willie Seaweed or Smoky Top, 'Nak'waxda'xw Kwakwaka'wakw, 1873–1967) Gikiwe’ (chief’s headdress)  

George Gunya (Haida, 1810–1880) Flute  

Diné first phase chief blanket  

Rosalia Medina Toribio (Zia, 1858–1950) Polychrome jar  

Caddoan bottle  

Bannock cradleboard  

Shuar ear ornaments  

Armbands associated with John Quinney (Stockbridge Mohican, 1797–1855)  

Mapuche poncho  

Zia Pueblo Jar  

Miche Huari Tunic  

1907 - Originally designed as a custom house by the federal government to house the duty collection operations for the Port of New York  

1907 - Beaux-Arts style building   Unlike most custom houses, which face the waterfront, the Alexander Hamilton Custom House faces inland toward Bowling Green.

1907 - The building occupies a trapezoidal plot   Bounded by Bowling Green to the north, Whitehall Street to the east, Bridge Street to the south, and State Street to the east.

1907 - The plot measures front 200ft, by rear 290ft, by side 300ft   The Whitehall Street and State Street elevations are 300 feet (90 m) wide; the main elevation on Bowling Green is 200 feet (60 m) wide; and the rear elevation on Bridge Street is 290 feet (88 m) wide.

1907 - Musem exterior  

1907 - United States Custom House, facing Bowling Green at the foot of Broadway, with Produce Exchange across Whitehall St  

1907 - New Custom House at lower end of Broadway, 1909  

1907 - Exploring Lower Manhattan  

1907 - Rear view  

1907 - Side of the Building  

1907 - The building incorporates Beaux Arts and City Beautiful movement planning principles, combining architecture, engineering, and fine arts.  

1907 - Four Continents - Africa  

1907 - Four Continents - Europe  

1907 - Four Continents - Asia  

1907 - Four Continents - America  

1907 - Door detail  

1907 - Window detail  

1907 - Signage - U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Museum Entrance and Groups  

1907 - Exhibit space   Seven stories high with an interior steel frame

1907 - Rotunda   The building sits on the site of Fort Amsterdam, constructed by the Dutch West India Company to defend their operations in the Hudson Valley.

1907 - Rotunda   The Fort Amsterdam became the nucleus of the New Amsterdam settlement, and in turn, of New York City. Bowling Green, immediately to the north, became the oldest park in New York City.

1907 - Rotunda  

1790 - Government House   After Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783, the site of Fort George was viewed as the "social center of New York", prime real estate for grand residences. On July 13, 1789, the New York State legislature passed a resolution that the site of Fort George should be used to build a "proper House ... for the residence and accommodation of the President of the United States." A Georgian-style mansion at the foot of Broadway, south of Bowling Green, on the site previously occupied by Fort George in Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1790 by the state of New York, it was intended to be the executive mansion for President George Washington, but he never occupied it. Before it was completed, the federal government moved temporarily to Philadelphia; then permanently to Washington, D.C. It then became the state governor’s residence and was used by George Clinton and John Jay. Later it was leased to John Avery and was known as the Elysian Boarding House. After the passage of the Customs Administration Act in 1799, it was converted into the Custom House in New York. Parts of the building were later leased to the American Academy of Arts, who then offered space to the New-York Historical Society in 1809. In 1813, the property was sold to the city. In 1815, the land was sold to the public and the building demolished.

1625 - Fort Amsterdam   A fort on the southern tip of Manhattan at the confluence of the Hudson and East rivers. It was the administrative headquarters for the Dutch and then English/British rule of the colony of New Netherland and subsequently the Province of New York from 1625 or 1626, until being torn down in 1790 after the American Revolution. It was the nucleus of the settlement in the area that became New Amsterdam and eventually New York City.

5 Results, Show less

1937 - Custom House Murals   In 1937, celebrated New York painted Reginald Marsh painted murals for the rotunda that depicted early explorers of the Americas and traced the course of a ship entering New York's harbor.

1912 - Ports   This is a series of paintings depicting Greece & Rome, and Venice & Spain.

1907 - Four Continents   French performed the commissions with associate Adolph A. Weinman, sculpted by the Piccirilli Brothers. Each sculptural group costing $13,500. From east to west, the statues depicted larger-than-life-size personifications of the continents Asia, America, Europe, and Africa. The primary figures were female, but there were also auxiliary human figures flanking each primary figure. In addition, Asia's figure was paired with a tiger, and Africa's figure was paired with a lion.

1907 - Seafaring Nations   These works were executed by 8 different sculptors. Johannes Gelert: Denmark; Albert Jaegers: Belgium; Augustus Henry Lukeman: Genoa; Frederick Wellington Ruckstuhl: Phoenicia; Francois Elwell: Greece; Francis Michel Louis Tonett: Venice; Louis Saint-Gaudens: Holland and Portugal; Charles Garfly: France and England; and Karl Theodore Francis Bitter. Each sculpture depicts a different symbol of Government. Above the main cornice are a group of standing sculptures of personifications of seafaring nations. There are twelve such statues, which depict commercial hubs through both ancient and modern history. Each sculpture is 11 feet (3.4 m) tall and weighs 20 short tons (18 long tons; 18 metric tons). These sculptures were arranged in chronological sequence from east to west, so that the easternmost sculptures were of ancient Greece and Rome, while the westernmost sculptures were of the more recent French and British empires. One of these sculptures, Germania by Albert Jaegers, was modified in 1918 to display Belgian insignia rather than German insignia.

1907 - Symbols of Government   Symbols of Government at the top of the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House

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Hamilton grange parlor.

The parlor was the hub of entertainment at the Grange. Today, it features an early model pianoforte with which Alexander Hamilton accompanied his daughter Angelica in musical duet. In the original orientation of The Grange, the grand triple-hung bay windows commanded a view of the Hudson River. Easily accessible through the large door in the parlor is the dining room, which, when opened, allowed these two rooms to meld into one breezy open space.

The furniture and other contents of the Grange were dispersed over 190 years ago, and what is present in the house today is an assemblage of pieces that were purchased from and donated by descendants, reproduced, and inferred. Therefore, the furniture in this room is a mix of original and reproduction furniture and items that were either present in The Grange at the time of Hamilton’s occupation, or styled after the era of Hamilton’s life.

The Grange Suite, the collection of furniture custom-made for The Grange, was designed in the Louis XVI Neoclassical French style. Despite being inspired by the French design, these items were commissioned by Alexander Hamilton for craft by a New York cabinetmaker, Adam Hains. The purchase of this suite and the other furnishings at The Grange between 1800 and 1803 cost Hamilton approximately $600—a large sum.

The Parlor Collection

A clock like this one likely graced the parlor mantel.

Alexander and Angelica Hamilton were known for enjoying each other's accompaniment on this piano.

The Grange furniture suite was commissioned by Alexander Hamilton specifically for The Grange.

Keep Exploring The Grange:

The foyer gave the first impression of the home to visitors at the Grange.

The Dining Room at The Grange was equipped to host over a dozen dinner guests.

The study was where Hamilton wrote and did work from his country seat.

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Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Last updated: August 16, 2022