Landscape, Downton Abbey–themed tours
Staatsburgh State Historic Site (also known as Mills Mansion) will offer two types of tours beginning in September — a Downton Abbey–themed experience and a landscape tour.
The Downton Abbey Themed Tour will compare Staatsburgh to Downton Abbey. Staatsburgh, the turn-of-the-century home of socialite Ruth Livingston Mills and her husband, industrialist Ogden Mills, was a real-life American version of the fictitious British estate. A costumed guide will highlight Staatsburgh’s counterparts of the series’ fictional characters, noting the specialized role each servant played and how the house functioned during a busy weekend of entertaining.
The Downton Abbey Themed Tour”will be offered on Saturdays, Sept. 19 and Oct. 17 and 24, at 1 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and free for children 12 and younger. The Downton Abbey Deluxe Tour will be offered on Sundays, Sept. 20 and Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and students, and free for children 12 and younger. Reservations are required for both programs and can be made by calling 845-889-8851, ext. 355.
On Sunday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m., the site will give a guided landscape tour, “What You See … and What You Don’t See.” The walk will explore how the landscape was designed to deliberately hide all the labor that made the good life possible. There is no charge for the tour on about one mile of mostly level terrain, with some uphill walking, suitable for all ages.
The program will take about 1 ½ hours and will be canceled in the event of heavy rain.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site and the Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park are located on Old Post Road in Staatsburg, off Route 9 between Rhinebeck and Hyde Park. For more information, call 845-889-8851 or visit nysparks.com and facebook.com/StaatsburghSHS.
