We’re continuing our world tour, and this time around we’re recommending fascinating famous residences locally, nationally, and internationally*. All of the places featured were once the home of a historical figure. Whether virtually or in person, take a tour of their homes to get an insight into their lives – it’s a great way to get to know them and understand how they lived. Come on in!

Find out more about these famous residences and discover more historical stories with Bloomberg Connects. *Note the below links work best on your smartphone with the Bloomberg Connects app downloaded.

LOCAL

Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum | Brooklyn, New York, US

Let’s start in Pelham Bay Park to discover Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum – a grand 19th-century country house with a long history. Thomas Pell, an English physician, first bought the 50,000 acres of land from the native Lenape people in 1654, but the Greek revival mansion wasn’t built until the 1830s by Robert Bartow. Over the years, the estate changed hands and had many residents, but it first opened as a museum in 1945. The extensive restoration and furnishing work has made it the impressive house and grounds you can visit today. You can “Explore Room by Room” and learn about the mansion’s treasures.

Merchant’s House Museum | New York, New York, US

Now let’s head to Manhattan for Merchant’s House Museum – a four-story 1832 house filled with furniture, decorative objects, and even the personal belongings of the Brewster family, who lived there for 100 years. It’s a beautifully preserved glimpse into New York life at the beginning of the Gilded Age and one of the best examples of late-Federal and Greek revival architecture. It opened as a museum in 1936 and was designated a New York City landmark in the 1970s. The Historic House Trust of New York City has been preserving the building since 1999 and continues to fight to save it from nearby development. Explore “The Building”, “The Collection” and more. And if you’re visiting in person, don’t miss the ongoing exhibition See you at the Ball! Objects from New York’s Prince of Wales Ball.

NATIONAL

Molly Brown House Museum | Denver, Colorado, US

Over to Denver to meet Margaret “Molly” Brown – a philanthropist, activist, and socialite, but most famously a survivor of the Titanic. She loved to travel, but when not on her many adventures, the Molly Brown House was her Denver home. It was built in 1889 and bought by Margaret’s husband in 1894, with ownership later transferring to her. In the seventies, Historic Denver saved it from demolition and opened it as a museum. The collection holds an impressive 9000 objects that help tell the story of her life – you can explore the house floor-by-floor from “Study” to “Sunroom”. If you plan to visit before May 19, you’ll also be able to see a special art exhibition: The Rise and Fall of Mining Town in Colorado.

Monticello | Charlottesville, Virginia, US

Now to Monticello in Charlottesville. Monticello was the home and primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States. This architectural masterpiece is the only private home in the US to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is run as a museum by the Jefferson Foundation. Hear about the “Parlor” where Thomas Jefferson, family, and friends would gather for important social events, or find out about the “South Wing,” the living quarters for some of the over 400 African Americans enslaved by Thomas Jefferson.

INTERNATIONAL

Charleston | Firle, Lewes, East Sussex, UK

In the small English village of Firle lies Charleston, the former country home and studio of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. Around 1916, it became a meeting place for their fellow artists, writers, and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. The house itself is a work of art, as every available service has been taken as a canvas and filled with color and pattern. “Explore the House” today, together with their “Collection Highlights”. Plus, this May, Charleston Festival celebrates 35 years with an ambitious lineup featuring Grayson Perry and Gilbert & George. 

Rembrandt House Museum | Amsterdam, NL

Finally, we’re off to the heart of Amsterdam to visit the house of the seventeenth-century Dutch master – Rembrandt. The house was built in 1606, and Rembrandt bought it in 1639 – it became his home and studio for 19 years until he became bankrupt. Fast forward a few hundred years, the Rembrandthuis Foundation restored the building and opened it as a museum in 1911. Today, you can take a tour of the house from the “Small Office” to the “Large Studio” to experience how the famous Golden Age painter lived, and learn all about the “Etchings” on display.

Open House New York is supported by Bloomberg Connects, a free mobile app featuring guides to hundreds of museums, galleries, sculpture parks, gardens, and cultural spaces.