The People
Between 1859 and 1954, three generations of Gibson family members and dozens of servants lived and worked at 137 Beacon Street. In many ways, their experiences are typical of individuals of their particular gender and social class. And yet, their unique stories allow us to explore this period of Boston’s history through a distinctly personal lens.
Click below to learn more about who lived at 137 Beacon.
The People
Between 1859 and 1954, three generations of Gibson family members and dozens of servants lived and worked at 137 Beacon Street. In many ways, their experiences are typical of individuals of their particular gender and social class. And yet, their unique stories allow us to explore this period of Boston’s history through a distinctly personal lens.
Click below to learn more about who lived at 137 Beacon.
The Gibson House Museum
A time capsule of domestic life from the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries
The Gibson House Museum is a private, nonprofit house museum in Boston's historic Back Bay neighborhood. The home served as residence to three generations of Gibson family members and their household staff between 1859 and 1954. The Museum’s four floors of period rooms, including the original kitchen, are a time capsule of domestic life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Visitors experience the house through guided tours that interpret class and culture through the stories and objects of the people who lived and worked there.
Tours at the Gibson House
Thursdays: times vary; click on the "Book" button above to see availability
Fridays at 1:00, 2:00**, & 3:00 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays at 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 p.m.
The Museum is open to the public year-round, by guided tour only.
Walk-ins for a tour are welcome! However, space is limited.
We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance to guarantee your spot on the tour.
**Friday 2:00 p.m. tours August-October may be closed to the public to accommodate a private group.
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Please note that tours include several flights of stairs and the museum does not have an elevator or air conditioning.
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During the summer months, due to the lack of air conditioning, tours may be canceled if the outside temperature reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Refunds will be processed accordingly.
Take a house tour to learn about the Back Bay neighborhood, home life in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Boston, and the experiences of the Gibson family and their staff. We offer both “At Home with the Gibsons” and “Upstairs, Downstairs: Domestic Service at the Gibson House” on a regular basis.