Tour the Lyman Estate

The Lyman Estate, also known as “the Vale,” is a National Historic Landmark and one of the finest U.S. examples of a country estate following eighteenth-century English naturalistic design. In 1793 shipping merchant Theodore Lyman commissioned famed architect Samuel McIntire to design and build a Federal-style house for his family. The thirty-seven acres include beautifully preserved gardens and historic greenhouses. Hear the story of over 150 years of history at the mansion, which is used today as a venue for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/property-rentals/lyman-estate/">weddings and corporate events</a>. Its architectural features include a graceful oval parlor and elegant ballroom, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x79u230bFU">can be seen</a>&nbsp;in the 2019 film adaptation of&nbsp;Little Women. Tours are 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00.&nbsp;Purchase tickets online or on site: $15 adult, $13 senior, $7 student, Free for Historic New England members. There is ample on-site parking for cars in the large lot past the mansion. Please enter through the front door of the mansion to begin your visit. Landscape Tours take place the 3rd Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. and the working-class history tour, Life of a Laborer, takes place on the same day at 11:30 a.m. Visit our website for tickets and more information. Stop by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.historicnewengland.org/property/lyman-estate-greenhouses/">Lyman Estate Greenhouses</a>&nbsp;for beautiful plants and expert advice. For group reservations, please call 617-994-5912 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lymanestate@historicnewengland.org">email Lyman Estate</a>.

Lyman Estate

The Lyman Estate, also known as “the Vale,” is a National Historic Landmark and one of the finest U.S. examples of a country estate following eighteenth-century English naturalistic design. In 1793 shipping merchant Theodore Lyman commissioned famed architect Samuel McIntire to design and build a Federal-style house for his family. The thirty-seven acres include beautifully preserved gardens and historic greenhouses. Hear the story of over 150 years of history at the mansion, which is used today as a venue for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/property-rentals/lyman-estate/">weddings and corporate events</a>. Its architectural features include a graceful oval parlor and elegant ballroom, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x79u230bFU">can be seen</a>&nbsp;in the 2019 film adaptation of&nbsp;Little Women. Tours are 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00.&nbsp;Purchase tickets online or on site: $15 adult, $13 senior, $7 student, Free for Historic New England members. There is ample on-site parking for cars in the large lot past the mansion. Please enter through the front door of the mansion to begin your visit. Landscape Tours&nbsp;take place the 3rd Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. and the working-class history tour,&nbsp;Life of a Laborer, takes place on the same day at 11:30 a.m. Visit our website for tickets and more information. Stop by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.historicnewengland.org/property/lyman-estate-greenhouses/">Lyman Estate Greenhouses</a>&nbsp;for beautiful plants and expert advice. For group reservations, please call 617-994-5912 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lymanestate@historicnewengland.org">email Lyman Estate</a>.

Lyman Estate Landscape Tour

Walk the rolling paths and garden trails of the 37-acre Lyman estate with us. Landscape and horticulture were always integral to the estate. This site was home to pleasure grounds, formal gardens, a working farm, greenhouses, and woodlands for over four generations of the Lyman family. See how the grounds have changed over time and explore that which has remained intact in spite of it.&nbsp; Member $15; Nonmember $20. The Lyman Estate is located at 185 Lyman Street, Waltham, Mass. The parking lot is just past the mansion with additional parking along the entrance road to the property. For more information about the program, please call 617-994-5912 or visit <a href="historicnewengland.org/property/lyman-estate/">HistoricNewEngland.org/Property/Lyman-Estate/</a>.

Life of a Laborer, a Working-Class History Tour

From cooking meals to operating a factory loom, laborers made the Lyman family’s life on a grand estate possible. Hundreds of workers were employed in occupations like gardeners, maids, and farm hands during the Lyman Estate’s 150+ years of operation. Thousands more held positions in industries that helped the family prosper financially, like the textile mills in Waltham and Holyoke that the Lyman’s invested in. Explore the working-class history of the Lyman Estate and visit areas of the house not usually on view during this new specialty tour. Member $15; Nonmember $20 Life of a Laborer, a Working-Class History Tour&nbsp;will also be offered on&nbsp;<a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/laborer-tour-aug">August 16</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/laborer-tour-sep">September 20</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/laborer-tour-oct">October 18</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/laborer-tour-nov">November 15</a>. The Lyman Estate is located at 185 Lyman Street, Waltham, Mass. The parking lot is just past the mansion with additional parking along the entrance road to the property. For more information about the program, please call 617-994-5912 or visit <a href="historicnewengland.org/property/lyman-estate/">HistoricNewEngland.org/Property/Lyman-Estate/</a>.

100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of the Otis House

Short on time? Discover the rich history of art and daily life from the 19th century in just 25 minutes. Perfect for both first-time visitors and longtime enthusiasts, this tour offers a fresh way to experience the Otis House Museum's timeless charm. Historic New England members $5; Nonmember $15. 100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of Otis House will also be offered on August 15, September 21 and October 17. ABOUT THE OTIS HOUSE Otis House is the last surviving mansion in Bowdoin Square in Boston’s West End neighborhood. Charles Bulfinch designed the house for politician Harrison Gray Otis, Sally Foster Otis, and their young family. Tours include the family’s life in the Federal era and the later history of the house, when it served as a clinic and a middle-class boarding house.

Otis House Museum

Movies at the Mansion: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Summer nights are perfect for a free outdoor movie on the historic Lyman Estate grounds. Come early to walk the landscape, have a picnic, explore the c. 1793 mansion, and enjoy musical entertainment by the Waltham High School show band. Please bring your own lawn chairs and/or blankets. In the event of rain the movie will be shown indoors. Candy and drinks are available for sale. Alcohol is not permitted. Free.  Pride and Prejudice (PG, 2005) 127 min-- Celebrate the 20th anniversary of this romance classic and the 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen's birth at a mansion of the same time period. Upcoming 2025 Movie: <a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/lym-the-wild-robot">Thursday, July 31- The Wild Robot</a> Generously sponsored by East Cambridge Savings Bank, Watertown Savings Bank and Roche Bros. Supermarkets.

Movies at the Mansion: The Wild Robot

Summer nights are perfect for a free outdoor movie on the historic Lyman Estate grounds. Come early to walk the landscape, have a picnic, explore the c. 1793 mansion, and enjoy musical entertainment by the Waltham High School show band. Please bring your own lawn chairs and/or blankets. In the event of rain the movie will be shown indoors. Candy and drinks are available for sale. Alcohol is not permitted. Free.  The Wild Robot (PG, 2024) 101 min-- After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose. Generously sponsored by East Cambridge Savings Bank, Watertown Savings Bank and Roche Bros. Supermarkets.

Short on time? Discover the rich history of art and daily life from the 19th century in just 25 minutes. Perfect for both first-time visitors and longtime enthusiasts, this tour offers a fresh way to experience the Otis House Museum's timeless charm. Historic New England members $5;&nbsp;Nonmember $15. 100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of Otis House&nbsp;will also be offered on&nbsp;September 21&nbsp;and&nbsp;October 17. ABOUT THE OTIS HOUSE Otis House is the last surviving mansion in Bowdoin Square in Boston’s West End neighborhood. Charles Bulfinch designed the house for politician Harrison Gray Otis, Sally Foster Otis, and their young family. Tours include the family’s life in the Federal era and the later history of the house, when it served as a clinic and a middle-class boarding house.&nbsp;

From cooking meals to operating a factory loom, laborers made the Lyman family’s life on a grand estate possible. Hundreds of workers were employed in occupations like gardeners, maids, and farm hands during the Lyman Estate’s 150+ years of operation. Thousands more held positions in industries that helped the family prosper financially, like the textile mills in Waltham and Holyoke that the Lyman’s invested in. Explore the working-class history of the Lyman Estate and visit areas of the house not usually on view during this new specialty tour. Member $15; Nonmember $20 Life of a Laborer, a Working-Class History Tour&nbsp;will also be offered on&nbsp;<a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/laborer-tour-oct">October 18</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://my.historicnewengland.org/23835/laborer-tour-nov">November 15</a>. The Lyman Estate is located at 185 Lyman Street, Waltham, Mass. The parking lot is just past the mansion with additional parking along the entrance road to the property. For more information about the program, please call 617-994-5912 or visit <a href="historicnewengland.org/property/lyman-estate/">HistoricNewEngland.org/Property/Lyman-Estate/</a>.

Short on time? Discover the rich history of art and daily life from the 19th century in just 25 minutes. Perfect for both first-time visitors and longtime enthusiasts, this tour offers a fresh way to experience the Otis House Museum's timeless charm. Historic New England members $5;&nbsp;Nonmember $15. 100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of Otis House&nbsp;will also be offered on&nbsp;October 17. ABOUT THE OTIS HOUSE Otis House is the last surviving mansion in Bowdoin Square in Boston’s West End neighborhood. Charles Bulfinch designed the house for politician Harrison Gray Otis, Sally Foster Otis, and their young family. Tours include the family’s life in the Federal era and the later history of the house, when it served as a clinic and a middle-class boarding house.&nbsp;

Short on time? Discover the rich history of art and daily life from the 19th century in just 25 minutes. Perfect for both first-time visitors and longtime enthusiasts, this tour offers a fresh way to experience the Otis House Museum's timeless charm. Historic New England members $5;&nbsp;Nonmember $15. ABOUT THE OTIS HOUSE Otis House is the last surviving mansion in Bowdoin Square in Boston’s West End neighborhood. Charles Bulfinch designed the house for politician Harrison Gray Otis, Sally Foster Otis, and their young family. Tours include the family’s life in the Federal era and the later history of the house, when it served as a clinic and a middle-class boarding house.&nbsp;

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Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

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Experiences

Tour the Lyman Estate

Tour the Lyman Estate

Lyman Estate Landscape Tour

Life of a Laborer, a Working-Class History Tour

100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of the Otis House

Movies at the Mansion: Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Movies at the Mansion: The Wild Robot

100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of the Otis House

Lyman Estate Landscape Tour

Life of a Laborer, a Working-Class History Tour

Lyman Estate Landscape Tour

Life of a Laborer, a Working-Class History Tour

100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of the Otis House

100 Years in 4 Objects: A Quick Tour of the Otis House

Lyman Estate Landscape Tour