Seward House Museum

This beautiful estate is surrounded by two acres of lush garden and trees. The elegant interior has been restored to its original beauty and features an unmatched collection of political and travel souvenirs, decorative arts and photographs that spans William Seward's nearly forty-year political career.

The Seward House Museum opened to the public on 1955. Visitors are able to tour rooms filled with original furnishings, artwork and personal belongings owned by the Seward family. The Museum has welcomed thousands of visitors including current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton. The Museum offers several educational and seasonal programs in addition to guided house tours.

The mission of Seward House Museum is to interpret the accomplishments and the democratic and social values of William H. and Frances A. Seward and their immediate descendants and to engage a diverse public in connecting the past with the present.

Institutional History

The Seward House Museum was founded in 1951 in the will of William Henry Seward III. He left the home to the Fred L. Emerson Foundation located in Auburn, NY. William Henry Seward III intended for the house to become a museum that would honor the legacies of his father and grandfather. The Seward House opened to the public in 1955, and now displays an entirely original collection. The Seward House became a registered National Historic Landmark in 1964. In 2009 the museum established itself as its own independent 501-c3 not for profit becoming a fully independent museum.

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