Pages

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Mansion on O Street

Today Paul and I went for afternoon tea at the Mansion on O Street here in DC. The best I can describe the place and experience as a kooky, amazing, mad hatter tea party + Miss Havisham house all rolled into one.

The Mansion is made up of 4 or 5 row houses combined together to create 100 rooms (some are hotel guest rooms), and 32 secret doors behind bookcases and mirrors (we only found one!). Each room is over the top decorated and everything that doesn't move is for sale.

A must see for anyone coming to DC! I would recommend the guided tour or self guided tours, rather than tea time. The food while lavishly displayed wasn't authentic English Tea like we expected but it made our visit even more eclectic and fun!

Here are a few camera phone photos from our visit!

omansion6
Chandelier in main tea room

omansion5
We had our tea in this room

Everything here is for sale...
Everything is for sale, including that angel!

omansion4
Lots of odd juxtapositions: Santa with Vietnam Vets, travel mugs + a teddy bear? Of course!

Purple cauliflower!
Purple, green and yellow cauliflower!

Tons of cakes! Oh my!
Tables piled high with cakes!

Traditional English tea food? LOL!
Traditional English tea food? I don't think so ... (P.S. the bowl NOT the Twizzlers is $12)

omansion2
Semi-creepy doll watching over the cakes

Looks like a fun game...
Fun 80's game. I bought it! only $3!

omansion3
Wine Cellar room accessed by secret door through the kitchen

Omansion
Betty Boop Statue? Don't mind if I do!

Floor in kitchen of O st. Mansion
Trompe l'oeil painting on kitchen floor. Amazing!

If you are anywhere near DC or come here for a visit you MUST go to the O street Mansion. It's even a hotel and you can stay there if you like. The guest rooms are completely over the top!

Today was an amazing and fun day and not one I'll forget anytime soon!

12 comments:

  1. Claudine, this is so cool! I have lived near DC for years (let us just say a LONG time) and I have never heard of this. I will have to check it out. Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. They do say lots of locals don't even know about it. So glad we discovered it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an eclectic place! I'll definitely have to visit it if I'm ever in the D.C. area.

    ReplyDelete
  4. OH MY GOSH, how cool!! Jason and I will definitely have to go check this out!!! So you can just go wander around to try to find the secret doors? I will be there ALL DAY LONG trying to find them all! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jen and Jared and I are coming to DC in July..and you bet we'll see YOU AND this cool place !

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cameron - you could do the self guided tour then! I don't think they let people just come in. but the tours are only $5!

    I want to go back and go on the guided tour to find all the doors!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glad you explained the $12 was for the bowl...not the candy..lol
    LOVE that kitchen floor!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. whyducks11:53 AM

    What a wonderful treat to have, thanks for sharing it with us, but I do wish you had sent us all a piece of cake!

    ReplyDelete
  9. what a fantastic discovery. the guided tours sounds the way to go.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous7:56 PM

    WOW. It is on the list of things to see, that is for sure. I think all houses and buildings need secret doors, it just makes things more interesting. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love The O Mansion!

    The themed rooms are so fun. I also think its so cool/dangerous how everything in the house is for sale!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Washington was never like this when I lived there...
    ;-)

    ReplyDelete

Hello!

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on my blog!

I do try to answer any questions that you might post, so if you ask a question -- check back for answers in the same thread where you posted your comment.

I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for stopping by!

♥ claudine hellmuth
www.claudinehellmuth.com