This realistic Grey Towers National Historic Site Guide helps you plan a visit to the Gifford Pinchot House and grounds.

Grey Towers is a landmark near Milford, Pennsylvania. This site protects a 1886 mansion and picturesque grounds. A visit to Grey Towers is a highlight of any trip to the Delaware Water Gap area.

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Sights & Places of Interest

The Gifford Pinchot House is the main attraction of Grey Towers National Historic Site. This family mansion dates back to 1886.

As the name indicates, the house belonged to Gifford Pinchot. Mr. Pinchot served as a Governor of Pennsylvania and the first Head of the United States Forest Service.

Gifford Pinchot commissioned this house as a summer home. He leaned on the French origin of his family when picking a design. As a result, the house was built in a French Chateau style.

You could only visit this beautiful mansion on a guided tour from May to October. But Grey Towers National Historic Site has plenty of things to see year round.

You will not regret taking a free self guided tour of the grounds. Stop by the East Terrace and the Long Pool before exploring the Letter Box and the Bait Box buildings.

1. Gifford Pinchot House

You will see the Gifford Pinchot House quite soon after entering the grounds of Grey Towers. This massive, yet scenic mansion is on a hill. You would be driving on a narrow one-way road to reach it.

The main parking lot is on a hill behind the mansion. You would need to pass the Gifford Pinchot House and take a right turn at a three-way junction. The restrooms are the closest building to the parking lot.

You might need to park at an overflow lot if you visit Grey Towers in the summer. The main lot serves only handicap visitors during this time.

Ivy covers the walls of this mansion. As a result, this French Chateau house looks more like the mansions in Europe than house museums in the US.

The Gifford Pinchot House is quite different than the Gibson House Museum or the Haas-Lilienthal House. But the Muckross House in Killarney, Ireland looks just like Grey Towers.

Ivy has a dark green color if you visit Grey Towers in the spring or early summer. Plenty of rainfall helps the plants regrow after the winter.

But you might not recognize these vines if you visit the Gifford Pinchot House in the fall. A dry summer brings burns to the ivy leaves.

It is a good idea to start your visit to Grey Towers at the ticket office. Reserve a spot on the next available mansion tour if you visit the site in the summer or fall.

The guided tour only goes through three rooms of the Gifford Pinchot House. You will visit the Hallway, Library, and Dining Room. But you will see a handful of items, more than in many other house museums.

The next section of this Grey Towers National Historic Site Guide covers the mansion tour.

1.1. Hallway

The guided tour of the Gifford Pinchot House starts in the Hallway. This wide passage is right next to the entryway that now serves as a ticket office.

You will learn more about the history of Grey Towers and the Pinchot family. Beyond the biographical information, you should enjoy a handful of art exhibits.

There are a couple of wooden furniture pieces of amazing craftsmanship. You could enjoy the carved console table, display cabinets, and railings.

The Hallway also has a few statues and paintings. A Napoleon statue is one of the sculptures. It is hardly a surprise to see a French political leader in this mansion given Pinchot’s French heritage.

The tour guides cannot cover all of the items in the house on a 1-hour tour. As a result, you might need to look for the exhibits yourself. A tour of the Gifford Pinchot House will start to feel like a scavenger hunt.

A few of the historic items are on the window sills. You will find small sculptures there if you look. Make sure to never touch any of the items in the mansion. Admire the craftsmanship from a safe distance.

Even the household items are beautiful in Grey Towers National Historic Site. A decanter with metal forging and a glass with a pattern are on display at another window sill.

You are unlikely to ever learn the story behind these items. But you could still enjoy their beauty as the mansion tour continues.

1.2. Library

The Gifford Pinchot House tour goes to the library next. This room has two areas, a library and an office space. There is an even greater number of historic items and exhibits in this room.

An office space is to the right of the room entrance. There is a desk with countless tiny boxes, portraits, and manuscripts. The wooden fireplace mantel has a beautiful carved pattern.

It is easy to spend hours studying the different items in the office space. But the duration of the 60-minute tour puts a natural limit on your exploration.

The tour guide will gradually move to a more traditional part of the Library. You will likely notice a moose head on the wall. This is a strange exhibit for a former Chief of the US Forest Service.

Outside of the moose head, the Library has a number of bookcases. They are all full of books. You could find books on different animals, birds, and countries.

Some of the books are in the dire condition. You could tell that Gifford Pinchot put them to a greater use. Book lovers could probably tell what book editions are rare or unique.

The setup of the Library resembles a parlor. There is a sofa and an armchair. You could imagine the Pinchots reading a book and having a conversation. More sculptures and lamps set the tone to this area.

There is one other item you should not miss in the Library of the Gifford Pinchot House. A 19th century globe depicts the countries, major railways and waterways of that time.

Once again, you could study this globe from a distance for a few minutes. The maps have gone a long way in displaying the world over the years.

1.3. Dining Room

The Dining Room is the last room on the guided tour of the Gifford Pinchot House. This room faces the East Terrace and the Marble Court.

Just like the Hallway, the Dining Room has plenty of art exhibits. You will find a few paintings and tapestry designs in this room. A solid wood dining table and exquisite chairs round up the list of the main items.

There are fewer exhibits in the Dining Room if you compare it to other rooms open to public. So, you need to cherish the ones in the room.

Take a closer look at this candelabra. It is also a wind chime. Every time someone passes it, the air movement creates a sound. Most wind chimes are outside. An indoor chime is a rare but notable piece.

The Gifford Pinchot House and grounds are in nearly perfect condition. You will be hard pressed to find a piece that is not spotless.

But there is one thing if you are on a quest of finding small imperfections. The dining room has one partially broken window. Given the landmark status of Grey Towers, it might not be easy to replace it.

The mansion tour ends in the Dining Room. You will take a short walk to the ticket office via the Hallway. You will be once again on your own at the end of the tour.

2. Grounds of Grey Towers

You might be lucky and get tickets for the upcoming mansion tour right away. Or you might have to wait for 50+ minutes for the next available tour. Either way, you should take the time to explore the grounds.

There is a lot to see around the Gifford Pinchot House. Amazing architecture, thoughtful design, and exquisite sculptures await you in Grey Towers.

The next section of this Grey Towers National Historic Site Guide walks you through the main sights around the mansion.

2.1. East Terrace

The Gifford Pinchot House tour starts and ends near the East Terrace. It is a great place to start your exploration of the grounds.

This terrace has some of the best views of the mansion and its surrounding areas. Take a moment to explore this castle like structure from the outside.

You should be able to take in the beauty of this mansion even if architecture is not your thing. It is easy to see some similarities with Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center in California.

You will see two round towers and symmetrical windows, doors, and roof elements. Only the chimneys and the missing fourth tower suggest that the building is not perfectly symmetrical.

The Gifford Pinchot House has some similarities with the Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon. This resemblance is strongest on the East Terrace.

2.2. Delaware Valley

Once you can take your eyes of the mansion, you could scout at the area surrounding the terrace. A beautiful Lynwood Gold Forsythia shrub grows behind the half circle stone wall of the East Terrace.

These plants could often get in the view. But a Lynwood Gold Forsythia is often a view in itself. This shrub changes color depending on the season. Its leaves are yellow in the spring and cooper in the winter.

You should still be able to get a glimpse of the Half Moat. It is a good idea to visit this small pool at a later stage of your grounds tour.

A beautiful lawn is right below the Moat. There is a group of bushes in the distance. Take a closer look. The buses follow the same shape as the Half Moat.

There are no tall trees for at least 0.2 miles (0.3 km). As a result, you could see for miles. The Delaware Valley is on full display. So are the Kittatinny Mountains.

This mountain range is all the way in New Jersey. You might even see the High Point Monument. It will be on the highest mountain on the horizon.

2.3. Fall Decorations

The staff of Grey Towers National Historic Site decorates the grounds in the fall. You can count on seeing a few pots of the multicolored chrysanthemums. Most of these seasonal flowers are on the East Terrace.

But mums are not the only fall installation at Grey Towers. Pumpkins and cabbages remind visitors of Halloween. All of these installations makes this area of the grounds even more picturesque.

Most visitors spend a fair amount of time at the East Terrace taking pictures. It is easy to lose track of time while there. It should not be a problem if you already visited the Gifford Pinchot House.

But you should really keep eye on the clock if you went to the Terrace before the tour. You would not want to be late to exploring the rooms and art pieces inside.

2.4. Marble Court

Once you are ready to leave the East Terrace, you will find yourself in the Marble Court. You should look both up and down when in this court.

You will find beautiful sculptures above. There is an exquisite black eagle and a couple of white lions atop the columns.

You will see a wave design underneath your feet. It reminded the Pinchots of their 9 month long family trip on a boat. The original design was of marble. You could see a more durable granite design now.

2.5. Finger Bowl

You could choose from a few paths once you exit the Marble Court. You could turn left to the Finger Bowl, continue to the Long Pool, or turn right to the Letter Box. All of these option work great.

But you might want to go to the Finger Bowl next. This is a unique structure at Grey Towers. You would have to search long and hard to find a similar design at other house museums.

The Finger Bowl used to be a summer dining area for the Pinchots. An ivy covered pergola with an open roof is the key structure of the Finger Bowl.

But a small pool in the middle of the pergola was by far the most peculiar item in this area. This pool served as a table when filled with water.

The mansion owners and guests gathered around the pool. The dishes floated in wooden bowls and on rafts. It allowed for everyone to enjoy the food family style.

You could take a portion from a bowl before passing it to another guest or family member. It is an ingenious way of organizing an outdoor dining space.

2.6. Swimming Pool Terrace

You could be tempted to take the stairs from the Finger Bowl to the Swimming Pool Terrace. But you are unlikely to spend much time in this area.

The Swimming Pool Terrace pales in comparison with the East Terrace. It is now a space for private events and public programs. There is little to see there outside of hydrangeas covering the stone wall.

2.7. Long Pool

You should take a passage to the Long Garden and the Long Pool instead. This area is another example of a highly creative design.

The Long Pool is much shorter in reality than you might think. It is deeper and narrower at the end, near the Bait Box. The Pinchots made it that way to create an optical illusion.

You might expect to see such design elements in the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. But a French Chateau mansion in Pennsylvania hardly fits the profile.

The staff of Grey Towers National Historic Site plant flowers in the Long Garden. You could enjoy the views of the pool surrounded by blooming flowers in the summer and spring.

Take a path on either side of the pool. They will lead you to the Bait Box. Do not forget to admire the flowers and plants on your way there.

2.8. Bait Box

The Bait Box has its fair share of design elements and interesting pieces. You could go inside the Bait Box and see for yourself.

This fishing named building was originally a playhouse. It even has a blacksmith forge. It was a practice ground for iron-working skills, a popular kid activity back in the late 19th century.

Once the only child of the Pinchots grew up, the building became a tea room. The Bait Box is now a meeting space for museum personnel and volunteers.

The Bait Box has beautiful glass windows. While the glass is not stained, they look just like Sintra Palace in Portugal and Ca’ d’Zan in Florida.

There is a courtyard near the Bait Box. It has a stone wall with an elliptical opening. All Lord of the Rings fans will think of the Shire the moment they see it.

The Bait House is also at the northern end of the area open to public. You would have to return to the Long Pool to see other structures at Grey Towers.

2.9. Amphitheater

You could catch a glimpse of an Amphitheater right from the Long Garden and Pool. There is little to see there outside of a gazebo.

A downhill path will bring you the Amphitheater. But you do not have to hike to explore the gazebo. There is an easier way. Just park at the overflow parking lot. The Amphitheater is a short walk from there.

2.10. Letter Box

The Letter Box is another picturesque structure to see near the Long Pool. This building was an office and a document storage room back in the day.

Similar to the Bait Box, you could enter the Letter Box. There are a few educational exhibits inside this building. Unless you are into history you might not find the inside of the Letter Box interesting.

But you are certain to remember its large tinted windows. They let the light in but provide privacy from the outside.

2.11. Moat

It is now time to take the staircase down to the Moat. You might remember this shallow pool from your time exploring the East Terrace.

You could capture nice views of the Gifford Pinchot House with busts and turkey sculptures. A Lynwood Gold Forsythia will lighten up your photo during any season.

The Moat is also one of the best places to see fall foliage at Grey Towers National Historic Site. You could wander around the European Copper Beeches.

These trees have a beautiful range of colors in the fall. You could see green, yellow, orange, and red leaves on the same tree at the same time.

2.12. Walled Garden

There is one last area of the grounds for you to visit at Grey Towers. Get ready to cross Grey Towers Drive to the Walled Garden. This garden is in active use.

The descendants of Gifford Pinchot use one half of the garden. The US Forest Service managed the other half. There is a greenhouse and a monitoring station in the Walled Garden.

Continue with this Grey Towers National Historic Site Guide. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Grey Towers

Grey Towers National Historic Site is in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The park is just west of Milford, Pennsylvania and Delaware Water Gap.

Grey Towers is also mere miles from the Tri States Monument. This monument is almost at the intersection of three state lines: Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

New York Stewart Airport is the closest airport to the park. It is less than 45 minutes northeast of Grey Towers. There are a handful of domestic and international flights at Stewart.

But it is not a major airline hub with few direct flights. The same is true for Wilkes-Barre Scranton Airport, another close-by airport.

As a result, you could be better off flying to New York City airports as an out-of-state visitor. Newark Liberty is the closest hub to Grey Towers. You could reach the park in 1.5 hours during normal traffic.

New York LaGuardia and JFK airports are also viable options. But you would need to budget more time to pass through Manhattan. The park is at least 2 hours from LaGuardia and 2.5 hours from JFK airport.

Philadelphia Airport is 3 hours south of Grey Towers. Other major East Coast airports, like Boston Logan and Baltimore Washington, are over 4 hours away.

A rental car makes a visit to Grey Towers easy. You could park next to the Gifford Pinchot House, grab lunch, or visit Delaware Water Gap after.

But there is also a bus if you would like to skip the drive. ShortLine Hudson 800 bus runs three times a day on weekdays. There is one bus a day on the weekend.

A one way ticket is $30.8 per adult. Seniors will pay $27.7. And children travel for $15.4. The bus brings you from New York Port Authority Bus Terminal to Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania in 2.5 hours.

Where to Stay near Grey Towers

Milford, Pennsylvania is an obvious town to consiser a place to stay in when visiting Grey Towers. Look no further than Hotel Fauchere if you are into beautiful boutique hotels.

It is only fitting to stay in a historic building after a visit to a picturesque house museum. Do not skip Peter’s Europa House for a slightly upscale dinner in nearby Shohola, Pennsylvania.

You would need to drive for about an hour to other towns with places to stay. Look into Stroudsburg and Scranton in Pennsylvania, Rockaway and Parsippany in New Jersey, and Middletown in New York.

All of these towns have plenty of places to stay. For even more selection you cannot go wrong by searching for a place to stay in NYC metropolitan area.

It might not be a good idea to stay in Manhattan. But Newark, Meadowlands, or Fort Lee give you a lot of choices. Even Brooklyn and Long Island could work out if you plan on exploring New York City next.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

Grey Towers National Historic Site is managed by the United States Forest Service. You will see the Coat of Arms of the Department proudly displayed at the gate.

This management structure means that you should bring your Interagency Pass. Yet, there are different hours and fees for the grounds and the mansion at Grey Towers.

You could take a self guided walk around the grounds from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. A self guided exploration of the grounds is free. You could use a museum brochure to guide your visit.

Guided tours run from Memorial Day to October. You could choose from guided tours of the Gifford Pinchot House and its grounds.

Tours run from Thursday to Monday during the summer season. They start on the hour between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each tour takes about 60 minutes to complete.

The mansion tours cost $10 for adults and seniors. Youth between 12 and 17 years have to pay $5. Children under 12 years old visit the Gifford Pinchot House free of charge.

Grey Towers National Historic Site is part of the Interagency Annual Pass network. Yet, America the Beautiful annual pass does not grant free admission to the guided house tour.

This is common with tours fees in National Parks and Monuments. But Grey Towers is a unique park. It offers a 50% discount to the America the Beautiful annual pass cardholders.

It gets even better. Each Interagency Annual Pass allows for two signatures. As a result, you could get two tickets at a reduced price if both pass holders are present.

You could only buy tour tickets in person on the day of the tour. It is best to arrive early to increase your chances of getting a spot on the next tour.

Takeaways: Grey Towers

Grey Towers National Historic Site is one of the most beautiful house museums in the United States. The French Chateau mansion is certainly a sight to see.

Anyone who enjoys learning about history, architecture, and art would greatly enjoy this house museum. You could even tour the Gifford Pinchot House at a discount if you have an Interagency Annual Pass.

But the mansion is only part of the appeal of this landmark. The grounds of Grey Towers make this site a unique destination.

It is free to explore the Finger Bowl, Long Pool, and East Terrace. Yet, these structures highlight the incredible thought process of the Pinchots.

Take a trip to Northeastern Pennsylvania and admire the stunning beauty of this park. Try visiting in the summer or fall to enjoy the house tour and seasonal installations.

Take a look at this Video Guide to Grey Towers National Historic Site. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

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