Group Tours at Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House (1907)
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An interior designer’s eclectic seaside retreat
A National Historic Landmark
Enter a maze of rooms alternating between light and dark, decorated like stage sets evoking America’s past based on a variety of themes. Explore a bright apple green bedroom with lush jungle-like wallpaper, an early American kitchen awaiting a crowd of guests, a breathtaking green-and-white dining room overlooking Gloucester Harbor, and a round book tower built around quirky wooden curtains.
Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, was the summer home of Henry Davis Sleeper, one of America’s first professional interior designers.
Location:
75 Eastern Point Boulevard, Gloucester, Mass.
978-283-0800
Hours of Operation:
- Late May through October 15, Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- All group tours must be scheduled by appointment. In addition to open days, group tours may sometimes be scheduled at times the museum is closed to the public.
Specialty Tours
We are happy to work with you to customize your experience.
- Guided House Tour: Enjoy an approximately one hour guided tour; please allow one and a half hours for your visit.
- Guided Landscape Tour: After touring the house, learn about the restored Arts and Crafts-style landscape that includes intimate garden rooms and dramatic views of the harbor.
- Nooks and Crannies: This in-depth, two-hour behind-the-scenes tour of Henry Davis Sleeper’s summer retreat allows plenty of time to explore each room, including passageways, closets, and other spaces not usually open to the public. Guides highlight their favorite objects and share stories about Sleeper, his friends, and staff.
- Beauport Pride Tour: Beauport tells the story of a gay man in the early twentieth century. On this house tour learn additional research about Sleeper’s family and friends, and hear readings from diaries and letters written by Sleeper and his social circle.
- Twilight Tour: Take a leisurely private evening tour of Beauport and watch lamplight and reflections from the water create magical effects inside the house.
- Terrace Reception: For a truly exclusive Beauport experience, conclude any private, group, or specialty tour with a wine reception on the terrace. Pricing and availability upon request.
Tour Details
- Up to 10 visitors can tour the house with each guide; generally we can accommodate up to 40 visitors in the house within an hour and a half. Accommodations may be made for larger groups.
- Please note that the tour requires a considerable amount of standing and climbing stairs. If members of your group need special assistance, please let the museum know in advance.
Cost:
- Please call or email for group tour and specialty tour rates.
- Receptive tour operator rates available upon request.
- The tour leader and bus driver are welcome to a complimentary tour with the group.
- A non-refundable deposit based on your maximum number is due upon booking. The outstanding balance must be paid when the group arrives on-site for the tour.
- Please call two weeks in advance to confirm a guaranteed number of visitors.
Nearby Attractions:
- Explore Gloucester, the oldest working seaport in America with dozens of wonderful restaurants, shops, beaches, inns, and attractions. Visit Discover Gloucester for ideas, recommendations, and events around town.
- Visit other Historic New England properties nearby. Package discounts available.
- Cogswell’s Grant, Essex – Another collectors’ house, and the perfect accompaniment to Beauport. A must-see destination for lovers of American folk art, Cogswell’s Grant was the summer home of renowned collectors Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little.
- Phillips House, Salem – Phillips House is the only home on historic Chestnut Street open to the public, and it provides a glimpse into the private world of the Phillips family and their domestic staff during the early decades of the twentieth century. The kitchen, pantry, and a domestic staff bedroom, present a rarely seen picture of how the great houses functioned as new technologies were being introduced.
Amenities:
- Two restrooms located on the grounds
- Museum shop offering an assortment of books and souvenirs
- An Arts and Crafts-style garden with dramatic views of the harbor
- The parking lot across the street from the house can accommodate both cars and buses.
Please Remember:
- Food and drink are prohibited in the museum.
- Touching, leaning, or sitting on the objects is prohibited.
- Cell phones should be silenced prior to your tour.
- Your group will stay with the tour guide for the entire tour.
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