This realistic Nichols House Museum Tour Review helps you plan your next visit to this historic mansion.

The Nichols House Museum in Boston, MA is one of the oldest house museums in the United States.

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Sights & Places of Interest

The Nichols House Museum was built in 1803 and renovated in 1830. It is a four story red brick mansion.

Whatever the building gained in height, it lacked in width. This house museum is very narrow. In a way, it is more similar to houses in Vietnam rather than mansions in the US.

The Nichols House Museum Tour begins outside, in front of the house’s main entrance. But first you need to check in.

Kitchen

The museum door might be closed when you arrive. In this case, ring a bell. Once the door opens, proceed to the waiting hall. The waiting area is in the mansion’s kitchen.

Nowadays, there is little left from the kitchen in this museum. Only a stove gives up the room’s original purpose.

When the tour begins, you will have to go back to the house’s front lawn. This is where an introduction takes place.

Main Staircase

Following a brief segue into the house’s history, you will reenter the hallway. A spiral staircase is a distinguishing feature of this room. It is an elegant way to save valuable real estate.

This section of our Nichols House Museum Tour Review will cover the inside of the house.

Library

Due to the house’s narrow setup, the library is the only other room on the ground floor. Like any library in New England, it has bookshelves and a fireplace.

The library has numerous historic items. There are lots of books, paintings, furniture, and light fixtures.

Your tour guides will share more information about the owners of the house and their family history. This is your opportunity to get a glimpse into the life in the 1800s.

As you take the staircase to the second floor, take a closer look at the exquisite ironwork candlestick.

Living Room

The house’s living room is to the left from the main staircase. It was a place for formal gatherings back in the day. Many discussions and heated debates took place in this room.

Take a look at the heat shield screens in the rooms with fireplaces. Many of the screens have cross stitched patterns. Some have even complete scenes.

Dining Room

A formal dining room is opposite from the living room. The dining room has several portraits.

The room also has elegant furniture pieces, like this display cabinet. Tableware, glassware, and cutlery are other worthy objects in this room.

Despite all the art, the wall paper might be the dining room’s major attraction. This red gilded wallpaper lost some of its shine over the last 200 years due to the gas lighting.

The darkened wallpaper gives this room a very different feel compared to the bright red one.

The dining room is right next to a pantry and a second staircase. There is a window that separates the dining hall from these rooms. Lots of colored glasses are now on the window shelves.

Inner Yard

The pantry offers a clear view into the house’s inner yard. There is a shed that stored firewood and coal back in the day.

The Nichols House Museum Tour spends most of the time in the second floor rooms. After a throughout exploration, you will climb up to the third floor. This is the last floor open to public.

The fourth floor used to house servants’ quarters. Storage of museum exhibits is that floor’s primary use case now.

The third floor is home to two bedrooms. This is also a place for the only bathroom in the whole house.

Master Bedroom

You will first visit the master bedroom. It is to the left of the staircase. This room is similar to most house museums. There is a bed, chests of drawers, and art pieces.

A second, smaller bedroom is directly above the dining room.

Each room included a fireplace. It was the main source of heat during cold New England winters. Not all fireplaces in the Nichols House Museum have heat shields.

Like other rooms in the house, this bedroom has its share of historic items.

The tour ends after a quick look into the sole bathroom. The visitors take the main staircase back to the ground floor.

Continue with our Nichols House Museum Tour Review. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Nichols House Museum

The Nichols House Museum is at 55 Mt Vernon St on Beacon Hill in Boston. This museum is just a block away from the Massachusetts State House and Boston Common.

This location makes the Nichols House Museum an excellent addition to Boston’s Freedom Trail.

Where to Stay near Nichols House Museum

If you prefer to walk to the Nichols House Museum, your lodging options are limited. You need to look for places to stay in Boston Downtown and Back Bay neighborhoods.

But you should consider places to stay a bit further away. Many properties in Cambridge, Brookline, Revere, and South Boston are more affordable. Yet there is a way to get to Downtown sights via public transport.

You can reach the Nichols House Museum within minutes from Red, Blue, or Green T stations. Just check that there are no long term service disruptions and closures.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

You could visit the Nichols House Museum on a guided tour. The tours run every day except Mondays at 10am, 11am, and 12pm.

• Regular admission is $16 per adult.
• There are discounts for AAA members ($15), seniors ($13), students and teachers ($8).
• Admission is free for children, military personnel, and North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association members.
• This museum does not honor America the Beautiful annual passes. You can leave it at home.

Each tour only takes up to 10 visitors. So it is best to reserve your tickets in advance to secure your spot. A regular tour takes about 45 minutes. But it could take longer than an hour if you have a talkative tour guide.

Takeaways: Nichols House Museum

The Nichols House Museum offers a great way to go back in time. You can learn more about the life in the 1800s. An interesting mansion layout, exquisite items, and knowledgeable guides make the time fly by during the tour.

Keep in mind that the tours sometimes run longer than 45 minutes. On the one hand, you can explore this beautiful house museum for longer. You could get a better return on your admission price. On the other hand, you could be late for a tour of nearby Gibson House Museum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Safe realist travels!