A Visit to Boscobel House and Grounds

Yesterday, the Rowe family went to visit Boscobel House and Grounds in Garrison, NY, with some family friends who live nearby.  When we arrived, both girls were moaning about how hot it was outside, but they got a chance to cool down inside the Visitor Center, where we waited in line for tickets.  While we waited, Madeleine began to peruse the Center.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  What are we gonna do at this place?
ME: It's a historical site.  It will be a little bit like the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, where we get to explore outside but also inside a historical building.  See?  The walls all have information about the history of this place on them.

Madeleine then wandered from wall to wall reading all about the background of the place.  (Unfortunately, this trip provided several opportunities to completely fail my children in the knowledge arena:)

MADELEINE: (looking at a mapped layout of Boscobel house) Mommy?  What's a drawing room?
ME: Ummm....

Yeah, that's not a question I can answer.


JULIA: (pointing to the mountains in the distance) Mommy?  What mountains are those?
ME: Ummm....

                                           Some mountains that I obviously couldn't name.


ANYWAY, Madeleine was delighted upon finding a map of the grounds in the Visitor Center.

MADELEINE: A map!!  Mommy.  *I* will be the...what do you call it?  The...
ME: Navigator?
MADELEINE: Yes!  I will be the navigator!


So Madeleine led us off. 

MADELEINE: First let's go to the FORECOURT! 

We made our way to the Forecourt via the Great Lawn, which offered the scenic view above.  Madeleine got antsy to get to the Forecourt so we moseyed on over to enjoy live music and an Ice Cream Social.  Julia SHOCKED the living daylights out of me by declaring herself too full from lunch to get ice cream, but Madeleine was all in.  We sat on the shaded lawn while the kids enjoyed ice cream, then headed into the historic Boscobel House.

This house was right up the kids' alley.  It has been preserved to look as it would have in the early 1800's, when it was built.  Each room was fully furnished, with items like an antique grandfather clock, a telescope, a wooden clarinet and flute, and toy dolls on display. 

JULIA: This house is REALLY cool!
MADELEINE: Can we move here?
JULIA: It's so neat to look in all the rooms!
MADELEINE: Can we move here?
JULIA: Mommy, did you see the bedroom over here?
MADELEINE: Can we move here?

Here's a glimpse of what one of the rooms looked like:

                                                                       Dining Room


Eventually the kids were ready to leave the house and head back out to the Forecourt, where guides were teaching children how to play games from the 1800's.  The musician who had been performing before we headed into Boscobel house wrapped up and a really great jazz quartet began to play:

ME: (glancing at Madeleine) Are you okay, honey?
MADELEINE: I'm just really worried that we're not gonna get to see all the things on the map.  We still haven't walked down Maple Lane or seen the Herb Garden.
ME: (pointing to the road adjacent to the Forecourt) Well, that's Maple Lane.  You can just walk down it if you want.
MADELEINE: No, Mommy.  KIDS are not allowed to walk down there by THEMSELVES!
ME: Sure you can!  I can see you from here.
MADELEINE: No, then an adult who works here will think that I'm LOST.
ME: Are you saying you'd like me to come with you?
MADELEINE: (nodding eagerly)

So we headed on down Maple Lane, which led us back towards the Visitor's Center.

MADELEINE: (sighing blissfully) Oh, I just LOVE Maple Lane. Mommy, imagine walking down here in the FALL!
ME: That would be really beautiful.
MADELEINE: Mommy? Can we just LOOK in the Gift Shop to see what the prices are?
ME: I guess so.

We entered the Gift Shop and Madeleine found paper dolls that were only $5, so I agreed to buy them for her.  As we stood in line, I lamented the fact that I was missing the jazz quartet.

MADELEINE: Mommy?  I didn't really WANT to stay for the whole concert, so I'm really glad we're in here right now.
ME: Oh.  I really wanted to stay for the concert so I'm kinda sad we're inside.

Luckily, we were able to hear the music as soon as we exited the Gift Shop.  We headed to the Herb Garden to fulfill Madeleine's dream of seeing EVERYTHING on the map.  Madeleine was absolutely enthralled with the Herb Garden.

MADELEINE: Mommy!  Come into this really cool part and look!  Mommy, this is my favorite part of the whole place.  Mommy!  You HAVE to take a picture of me here, you just HAVE to!

So I did:

Soon after, the rest of our party joined us in the Herb Garden, and we headed to our cars just as a random rainstorm hit.  The girls repeatedly talked about how glad they were that we had gone to explore Boscobel, and Madeleine was relieved that we managed to see EVERYTHING on the map!