Rose Hill Mansion Opens for the Season May 2
Geneva, N.Y.: The Rose Hill Mansion will open for the 2023 season on Tuesday, May 2. At this Greek Revival mansion, Historic Geneva tells the story of 19th-century farm and family life in the Finger Lakes.
Once a working farm, the house and surrounding grounds are now open seasonally for guided tours. Built in 1839, the elegant Greek Revival house was the center of a busy and productive farm at mid-century. Much of the guided tour focuses on the Swan family who lived there from 1850 to 1890. Through family letters, photographs, and diaries, visitors explore their joys and sorrows, and their interactions with neighbors and the many workers required to keep the large house and farm in working order. They discover how Robert Swan combined business methods of organization with scientific innovations like drain tile to make his farm more productive and profitable. Twenty rooms of the house are restored and furnished in the Empire style, popular from the 1820s to 1850s. The property also has a terrific view of Seneca Lake and nearby farmlands.
The East Tenant Cottage contains exhibits and public restrooms. The exhibits for 2023 are One House, Many People and the recently-installed Slavery in New York State. One House, Many People chronicles enslaved, paid, and volunteer workers at Rose Hill over its 200-year history. Slavery in New York State explores the history of slavery in the state and at Rose Hill. Slavery was legal in New York from 1626 through the 1840s, and from 1792 to 1826, enslaved people lived and worked on the Rose Hill property.
The Carriage House Gift Shop at Rose Hill is open whenever the house is open. The shop carries historically inspired and locally made items, as well as souvenirs, history books, jewelry and home decorative items.
Rose Hill Mansion is located at 3373 Route 96A, about a mile south of Routes 5&20, near Geneva, New York. The house is open May 2 through October 31, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Mondays and July 4. The last tour is at 3:30 p.m. daily. The grounds are open year round, free of charge. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult on the grounds.
Admission is by guided tour only and is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $6 for children 10 to 18. Children 9 and under are free. A family rate of $30 is available for two adults and one or more children aged 10 to 18 in the same household. Advance sale tickets are available at historicgeneva.org. Discounts offered for group tours. Reservations required for groups.
Rose Hill Mansion is owned and operated by Historic Geneva, formerly the Geneva Historical Society, located at 543 South Main Street, Geneva.
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