Fraunces Tavern Museum

This place is awesome! And Kevin, the Irish bar tender, is super awesome. He makes the best cocktails. Went there last night with two friends and we sat at the bar chatting with Kevin and enjoying great drinks. The ambience of the place is just perfect and there is lots of room and different seating options. Will definitely be back next time we are in downtown Manhattan!

Great history here. It’s where General George Washington said farewell to his troops at the end of the Revolutionary War. Artifacts, furniture of the era, a lock of Washington’s hair, paintings, prints, discounted books and 2 intact rooms: one in which Washington himself held his final farewell in and another with fine furnishings and hand painted wallpaper. I loved it here! When you are done, head downstairs for some food and a wide selection of beers and whiskey! ‘Murcia!

Would you like to travel back in time before the urbanization explosion turned new Amsterdam into the buzzing, insomnious concrete jungle we all know today? This museum may help recreate the era when Chinatown was a fresh water pond surrounded by farms, and the financial district was a small trading outpost. Down a pint at the tavern below and set 1750 on the time machine. An improbable remnant of that era, the five buildings on Fraunces’ Tavern block have been salvaged by the ever-​changing landscape of New York. The tavern was essentially the original lobbyist building designed to discuss politics and rub elbows with the inebriated politicians. The building became famous after George Washington (the military man, before the presidency) chose this place to officially disband the Revolutionary War generals.
Asleep yet? Surprisingly, this is one of my favorite places in the financial district. Having visited many dilapidated historical buildings in other parts of America (Troy, NY comes to mind), it made my heart swell with joy to see this historical gem preserved in the middle of Manhattan. The very small museum – $ 7 admission fee is well worth it – dives into the history of the island, and the political nature of Fraunces’ Tavern early days. The highlights include the recreated dining room from 1760’s (as well as other rooms from that period) and early Manhattan maps from the Library of Congress. It’s hard to believe that Chelsea was a small forest in 1750. There was a decent amount of the Revolutionary War memorabilia, flags, swords, muskets; those were the times to try mens’ souls.
Oh yes! Don’t forget there’s an actual tavern downstairs.

I came here during Museum Day (which meant free admission!) Normally, admission is $ 4 for students and $ 6 for adults. It’s a small museum, even if it’s a very important historical spot (where Washington gave a dinner before dismissing his soldiers at the end of the war). You get to see 2 rooms that have been set up as it looked when it was a tavern. There about 4 other large rooms, which seem to have rotating exhibits. I saw an interesting exhibit about the flags that have been present in the US as well as an exhibit on paintings that recreated important revolutionary scenes.
I’d say, not that worth it for the admission unless you have time to spare, but still a great museum.

Aside from the really creepy women belting out tunes on one of the floors, this was a rather interesting stop along our Night at the Museums route. It was a bit too «stop at the Tavern and/​or gift shop» for my tastes, but ya gotta pay the bills, I suppose. Was a big fan of the crowdsourced exhibit in the back.

I love history, so this was a treat for me. As others have mentioned, it is a rare opportunity to see a little bit of New York’s part in the Revolution.
If you don’t like history, it’s probably not worth it for you.

I went to the Fraunces Tavern Museum as part of the Smithsonian’s Museum Day Live!, in which participating museums had free admission if you printed a special ticket. So, in full disclosure, I got in for free, but I gladly would have paid the $ 7 admission.
The museum is unassuming upon entrance, with a «gift shop» that was little more than a bookshelf with novels and knick-​knacks. After watching a brief introductory video, we moved on to check out the exhibits. Between rooms that were restored with old furniture to a gallery of paintings to a room tracing the history of the American flag, the museum was much more extensive than I realized it would be. It’s not going to hold a candle to the Met in terms of square footage, but it’s larger than it looks.
We were regaled with stories and history by a few of the museum staff members, who were eager to share and very approachable. While some of the information they gave was repetitive after watching the intro video, hearing about George Washington’s farewell dinner while standing in the very room it took place in was worth hearing about it for a second time.
Afterwards, we headed downstairs for a pint and some snacks at the Tavern itself, but that’s another review for another time. As a bit of a history buff, I’m glad to have stopped by, and I’m sure you don’t need to be as buff as I am to appreciate it.

This is a nice Museum in downtown. The place gives you a sense of how old town NYC used to be, and before going here I have no idea that NYC back in the 1700’s only stretched out to about Wall St. Everything north of that was just forest.
This is a definite must see with a nice restaurant in the bottom floor. IF you want to learn more about the past of NYC, this is a place to visit that will give you an idea.
Great for US history buffs.

Sadly, little is left of New York City’s colonial-​era history. The Fraunces Tavern Museum is among the best of what survives. Here, on this very spot, General George Washington held a farewell dinner with his officers of the Revolutionary War. That room, the «Long Room,» is preserved intact.
First, the downside: housed entirely upstairs in a historically-​preserved building, the museum is not ADA-​compliant. If you cannot climb stairs, you ain’t gonna see it. Also, the extensive exhibits are drily presented: artifacts in glass cases, with text cards to read. It’s an old-​school museum, the sort that makes kids dread the word «museum.» Small children will quickly become bored and restive.
Now the upside: the museum actually spreads across the second floor of 5 adjacent buildings. It’s far larger than you would guess from outside. The exhibits are detailed and extensive, documenting Washington’s presence in NYC, at the Tavern, and his international fame; the Tavern’s role in the early city; and (most interesting, I thought) the city’s early history. If you are keen on history, you’re gonna like this place. Only the spacious-​but-​colorful «Flag Gallery» disappointed me. It purports to show the evolution of the US flag. I can tell you it does not.
Perhaps the most historic aspect of the museum, though, is downstairs: the fact that near 300 years on, Fraunces Tavern is still open, as a restaurant.
I greatly recommend Fraunces Tavern Museum for those with a more-​than-​passing interest in colonial or early-​Republic history. I do not much recommend it to general visitors and not at all to families with small children. At the time of writing, admission is $ 7, $ 4 for seniors or those under 18, and free for children under 5 (not recommended).

Went here with a city-​dweller friend who suggested this place while we were in town. Beautiful, historic building that seems out of place among the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan, though it gives one insight of how the area looked during the days of Washington. The inside is what you would expect of any building this age.
We went through the museum first. Lots of priceless artifacts on display. Bring a student ID and its $ 4 to get in. $ 7 without.

Worth dropping in if in the area. Lots of interesting items from or themed the revolutionary period (mostly painting, but also flags and some other things). I feel the presentation could be more thoughtful, especially given the significance of the site. Hopefully visitors are struck with a desire to visit Philadelphia or Boston after interacting with the exhibits.

You can not visit downtown and not check this place out! A true NYC treasure!

It’s $ 7 to get in, $ 4 for seniors and children and free if you’re military.
It’s a very small museum, more like a house actually where stuff from the 17^th-​19^th centuries paraphernalia can be found here. It’s one of the oldest houses that survived the Revolutionary war that was built in 1719 and then sold to Samuel Fraunces in 1762 to become a tavern. The tavern downstairs is the oldest in New York city.
A lot of historical significance comes to play here as this tavern was the home to government houses during the Revolutionary War. Many paintings in this museum are actual 18^th century works that depict life during the Revolutionary War.
Another cool thing about this museum is the fact that you can drink right downstairs in the bar where they have plenty o beers.

I’m really not a history buff.
Downstairs is the dining area, and the next two floors are dedicated to the museum. There was a tour group we could’ve joined, but the guy was talking in too much detail, and we just wanted to browse, read what captured our eye, and go on through.
You see some flags, you can play a video, you read all about the American Revolution, etc etc. I personally wouldn’t pay to see this (got in for free due to Smithsonian day), but if you’re into history, then this is your spot.

This tavern was a hotbed of revolutionary activity during the American Revolution and was famously where George Washington gave a farewell speech after the war. The first floor is set up as the tavern would have looked this. The second floor has portraits, artifacts, documents, a video, and flags. Specifcally, the flag room is really impressive. Skip the video — it’s long and repetitive of what you get in the rest of the museum. The place is set up really nice, it’s an interesting and unique topic, moderately priced at $ 10, and air conditioned.

After years of meaning to check it out, I finally got a chance to visit the Fraunces Tavern Museum last summer, and it was definitely worth the wait. This is one of those places where you can practically feel the historical importance of the building upon entering. It was fascinating learning about the history of the building and how it tied into the history of the city.

Came here a few months ago an hour and a half before closing time, so it wasn’t crazy busy (although I imagine this place never gets packed). What a beautiful piece of history! Now this is the kind of museum I like. The staff were all very helpful and informative in answering our questions. We took our time to browse the many artifacts and pieces of history. There’s even a locket of George Washington’s hair! (plus a piece of his tooth, and a piece of his coffin)
The restaurant inside of here is being renovated. Not sure when it’ll open back up.
P. S. Nice clean spacious bathrooms.

I can’t believe that I didn’t rate this place yet. I’m a big history buff and they’ll tell you that this was where George Washington said his last farewell as a soldier to his Generals after the Revolution, they held a dinner for him and he then took a ferry to NJ ending his military life. It was sad for the troops but they didn’t realize that he’d come back once again, once he was chosen as president. Lots of history in this building, even if you’re not a tourist, check out their museum, it’s only 3 bucks or 5 (I think) to get in, but they’ve always got evening lectures from authors and historians who are big into the history of downtown and usually sponsored by the Sons of the Revolution. The flag room is a place to visit and the displays always change on the 3^rd floor. If you work in downtown, spend 30 minutes a day here for a week during your lunch, it’s worth it.