Magnolia House is a destination in itself. Be sure to work extra time into your travel plans so that you can enjoy this house and the curiosities that decorate it, and to get to know its owners.
Danforth is beyond kind. He was so kind to our family and very patient with our neurotic dogs, who he welcomed into his home with open arms and even offered to walk when we were out sightseeing. He also offered to let us stay an extra night at no cost. Work obligations prevented us from taking advantage of this, but we did make the most of the opportunity by taking a very late checkout and spending one more day in Manhattan so that we could take a guided tour through the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
I hope that we can stay at Magnolia House every time we visit NYC. We felt very much at home here, and I would prefer it over a corporate hotel any day.
You will also want to take in all the history of the house that Danforth has compiled and recorded. We found out that a distant cousin stayed in this house in the 1800s. Do you have connections to anyone who has stayed in this house? It’s possible. Don’t treat Magnolia House like a hotel — it’s so much more than that.
But if you need more than a museum experience for lodging, consider also: hot showers; plenty of towels; free WiFi; very quiet and secure; kitchenette with dishes, silverware, coffee maker, and mini fridge; television with access to Netflix and YouTube; and extremely comfortable beds that are made daily.