Royall House Launches Tour Season With Open House

The Royall House and Slave Quarters will host its annual free Community Open House on Saturday, May 21, from noon to 3 p.m. Guides stationed in the mansion, in the Slave Quarters, and on the grounds will be available to answer visitors’ questions. There will be no regular guided tours on this day.

The museum reopens for regular tours on Sunday, May 22, and will be open each Saturday and Sunday through October 30, with guided tours at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Tours are always free for members, with a modest admission fee for non-members. Admission to the Slave Quarters, which houses exhibits and the museum shop, is free during tour hours.

Please note that the museum will be closed to the general public on Sunday, June 5, for the annual Giving Voice fundraising event.

In the eighteenth century, the Royall House and Slave Quarters was home to the largest slaveholding family in Massachusetts and the enslaved Africans who made their lavish way of life possible. Architecture, household items, and archaeological artifacts bear witness to the intertwined stories of wealth and bondage, set against the backdrop of America’s quest for independence. The Slave Quarters is the only remaining such structure in the northern United States, and the Royall House is among the finest colonial-era buildings in New England.

The Royall House and Slave Quarters is located at 15 George Street, Medford. On-street parking is available and the museum is located on the 96 and 101 MBTA bus routes. For more information: visit RoyallHouse.org, email Director@Royallhouse.org, or call 781-396-9032. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

– Submitted by Tom Lincoln, Executive Director