By Nanci Dixon
Among the monuments in Washington, D.C., there is another historic site to visit—The Mansion on O Street™. It is rated as one of the top five historic venues in the world by the Smithsonian Magazine, and for good reason! This is one of the most unusual museums, hotels, and mansions I have ever been in.
It is a hotel and residence as well as a place for weddings, events, and tours. But it is not like any hotel anywhere. It is a combination of five row houses linked together. There is room after room with a plethora of decorations, knick-knacks, and historic items—and to top it off, everything is for sale! Secret doors lead to other rooms, doors, and even houses. There is even a secret door leading to an underground wine cellar.
Oh, the things you’ll discover!
But what amazes me most is the sheer amount of stuff. Everywhere! It is artful, kitschy and historic. As an RVer, I try to minimize and get rid of “stuff”, so it seemed somewhat like an upscale hoarder’s dream! It was fun to flip through record albums that I once had, see toys from my youth and knick-knacks I recognized from my grandma’s house.
A beautiful wood table with flowers encased in resin caught my eye… as did the $14,000 price tag. It would have taken several days to make my way through all the rooms and find all the secret doors.
“The coolest place in Washington, D.C.”
Each room was different and decorated with a theme. There are suite names like Versailles, Fifth Dimension, Speakeasy, James Bond, Cavern, Captain, and more. Each is opulently decorated and, when not rented out, available to tour. Room rates vary nightly from $475 for a room to $25,000 for the entire residence. The rooms and residences are also available for long-term rentals. It is rated as one of the seven top hotels in Washington, D.C., by Forbes. Bookings.com says it is the coolest place in Washington, D.C.
Famous, important guests at The Mansion on O Street
The Mansion was a safe haven for Rosa Parks when her home was threatened. She stayed at The Mansion for almost a decade as part of their hero-in-residence program. Mrs. Parks entertained there, worked on Civil Rights and held Gospel breakfasts.
The Mansion has been a hotel and place to visit for presidents, musicians and artists for 40 years.
If you would like to learn more about The Mansion on O Street as well as read about its founder, click here.
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Thank you, Nanci! Well! Even though we lived in the metro area and worked “downtown” (as DC itself is referred) for more than a quarter of a century, I never heard about this!?! Between this and the Spy Museum’s new location (as of our departure 7 years ago), I now have reason to go back into the city during one of our semi-annual visits. 🤔😯 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂