33 Historic New England Properties Are Open for Free This Weekend

Roseland Cottage and Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House / Photos courtesy of Historic New England

There are 37 majestic mansions and estates operated by Historic New England throughout the region, and this Saturday, 33 of them are waiving admission fees.

Every year on the first Saturday in June, the organization offers free tours of most of its properties. Historic New England’s many estates will once again flaunt their lush gardens, impressive architecture, and storied pasts free of charge on June 3.

The historic collections showcased on the tours paint a picture of daily life in New England over the past four centuries. Homes like the Gedney House in Salem date back to 1655, while the more modern Gropius House from 1938 offers a glimpse into the life of the founder of the Bauhaus movement, Walter Gropius.

Other highlights include Beauport, the grand Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester that was the summer home of one of America’s first professional interior designers, and Roseland Cottage, a bright pink Gothic Revival home in Connecticut. For those who can’t escape the city this weekend, there’s the Otis House in the West End, a Federal-style mansion designed for former mayor Harrison Gray Otis by Charles Bulfinch.

Founded in 1910, Historic New England is the oldest and largest regional heritage organization in the country, with properties spanning from Rhode Island to Maine. On Saturday, most of the houses will open at 11 a.m., with the last tour beginning at 4 p.m. Hours and tour times vary, so see the complete open house list at historicnewengland.org.