After-Hours Tour & Wine Reception @ Connecticut's Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

Tucked away in Norwalk, Connecticut, the 62-room Lockwood-Mathews Mansion has stood as a monument to post-Civil War ambition for over 150 years. How did one of the most technologically advanced homes of the 19th century spend much of the 20th abandoned and on the brink of destruction, only to emerge as a crown jewel of American preservation in the 21st century? Now’s your chance to explore this National Historic Landmark after hours during an exclusive evening of history, elegance, and celebration.

Join New York Adventure Club for an exclusive after-hours visit to the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, a spectacular Second Empire–style estate considered one of the most important surviving Victorian mansions in America.

Led by a Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum docent, our exclusive experience of this prototype of Châteauesque construction — later adopted as the standard among the nation’s wealthiest during the Gilded Age — will include:

• The story of the mansion’s original owner, LeGrand Lockwood — a successful Wall Street financier who funded Union soldiers during the Civil War, only to suffer financial ruin in the crash of 1869
• The legacy of the Mathews family, who purchased the mansion in 1876 and preserved it as a seasonal retreat for over 60 years

• A walkthrough of the sumptuously designed first-floor rooms, including the largest collection of Herter Brothers interiors outside The Met, the rosewood-inlaid Drawing Room, and the French Renaissance Revival Dining Room by George Platt
• A climb up the grand staircase to the preserved second floor, featuring family bedrooms, the exotic Moorish Room, and the behind-the-scenes world of the servants' quarters
• A look at the current exhibition, “Bulls of Wall Street: High Finance, Power, and Social Change in Victorian America,” exploring how 19th-century finance reshaped the country — and who got left behind
• An exclusive look at private areas throughout the home
• An overview of the multi-decade effort to save the mansion, from community protests in the 1960s to the recently completed multimillion-dollar restoration that brought this architectural icon back to life

Afterward, we’ll gather in one of the mansion’s historic rooms for a private wine and cheese reception!

See you there!

*While the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion has an elevator, select parts of the tour require taking the stairs.

**Transportation to the mansion is not included.

Schedule of Events:

4:00-5:30pm: Tour

5:30-6:30pm: Wine Reception

Transportation:

*Please double check train departure times the day before as schedules can shift due to track work

By Public Transit: Take the New Haven Metro-North Train departing from Grand Central Terminal and disembark at the South Norwalk station. Then, take an Uber or cab to the mansion, which is roughly 5 minutes away (cabs are readily available right in front the station). Norwalk Transit Bus #3 or #7 can also be taken to Mathews Park — visit Norwalk Transit for more information.

Trains from South Norwalk depart for GCT roughly every half hour.

By Car:

A free parking lot is located right in front of the house.

Disclaimer

By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.

Must be 21 or older to consume alcohol. ID will be checked at door.

Ticket price is for an educational tour with complimentary snacks & beverages.

Categories: In-Person, Mansions & Private Clubs