Mediterranean-style mansion on Caramoor's estate
hosts activities for youngsters and the young at heart 

Katonah, New York - From elegant teas to a swinging hoedown, Caramoor's House Museum will be bustling with activities through the autumn of 2005 and into the holiday season.   

"Many people only know Caramoor for the summer concerts and the autumn and spring indoor recitals in the House Museum's Music Room," said Merceds Santos-Miller, manager of the House Museum.  "However, we offer so much more at this time of year, including many activities that are ideal family outings." 

Afternoon Tea 

Elegant afternoon teas will be served on all Thursday and Friday afternoons in September and October, except October 14 and 28.  Served in the grand style in the House Museum's Summer Dining Room, which overlooks the romantic Spanish Courtyard, guests are treated to a delectable assortment of tea sandwiches, English scones  served with clotted cream and preserves, fabulous desserts and fine teas.  Tea is preceded at 1:45 pm by a tour of the House Museum's extraordinary collection of Eastern and Western art and artifacts spanning the centuries, with docents leading visitors through twenty rooms of this must-see mansion, including entire rooms from European palaces and country manors filled with furniture, tapestries, sculpture, paintings, textiles, stained glass, and a renowned jade collection.  Following the tour, tea is served on the same china used at the luxurious tea parties once given by Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor's founders.   

Tickets for afternoon teas are $29.  Groups of seven or more should call 914.232.5035 ext. 221 for reservations. 

Grandmothers, Granddaughters Tea 

Grandmothers and granddaughters are invited to a special Saturday tea on September 17, 2005 at 2:00 pm.  The afternoon will begin with a tour of the House Museum led by two docents, one human and one canine: an Afghan Hound named Michael!  Youngsters will receive the activity book The Key to Caramoor and the tour will be followed by a mini-recital in  the Music Room featuring 13-year-old piano prodigy Jun Luke Foster who had performed at Carnegie Hall before he was ten.  A yummy formal tea completes a charming day in a magnificent mansion. 

Tickets are $39, children 16 and under $29. 

Fall is for Square Dancing at Caramoor 

Swing you partner and do-si-do on Friday, October 14 at 7:00 pm when square dance caller Liz Slade and "a live old time Southern string band" lead this fun-filled dance in the House Museum.  No experience is necessary, cowboy hats and boots are encouraged, and the hoedown atmosphere, including bales of hay, will be provided along with an authentic Southern pulled pork dinner with all the trimmings, chilly dogs, coleslaw, and brownies-to-die-for. 

Tickets are $33, children 7 to 16 years of age $26. 

Spooky Tea 

Is it tea or is it a ghostly potion?  Bring your little ones to a riveting performance of spooky Halloween tales in a mysterious mansion, the House Museum, on Friday, October 28 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm.  Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk offers spooky-but-not-scary, child-friendly stories followed by a special brew (hot cider) and ghostly treats in the Summer Dining Room.  Costumes are encouraged and every youngster will receive a prize. 

Tickets are $30, children 8 and under $20. 

Music & the Mind lecture 

January marks the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Mozart and Caramoor will celebrate early with a special lecture/recital on Tuesday, November 15 at 11:00 am.  "Mozart at 250: A Psychological Exploration" will feature the distinguished psychiatrist and virtuoso concert pianist Dr. Richard Kogan, examining Mozart's creative development through discussion and performance.  Luncheon will be served in the House Museum's Summer Dining Room following the lecture, which is made possible in part by donations received in memory of Elie Siesel. 

Tickets:  Lecture $17 ($15 for Friends of Caramoor), luncheon $16. 

Holiday Tea Musicales 

Dazzling decorations and a recital of joyous songs adds to the holiday spirit.  The afternoon starts at 1:00 pm with a tour of House Museum, beautifully decorated for the season, followed by a special holiday recital and a special afternoon tea consisting of an array of tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, scrumptious desserts and special holiday sweets and teas. 

Holiday Tea Musicales will be held on December 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15 & 16.   

Tickets:  $40.  On December 7 and 14 the same event minus the recital will be held and tickets will be $30 on these two afternoons. 

Performer's Showcase 

A series of mini-concerts will be held on Wednesday's at 11:00 am through October 12, each followed by a tour of the House Museum:  September 7 - Andrew Armstrong, piano; September 14 - Ed Polcer and the Magic of Swing Street; September 21 - Michelle Kim, piano; September 28 - Anna Polonsky, piano; October 5 - no performance; October 12 - Eleanor Perrone, piano.   

Tickets:  $16   

Other Events

 Evening concerts and special Saturday family music programs will be held throughout the autumn.   For information on these activities visit Caramoor's website at www.caramoor.org. 

Exhibition:  If These Walls Could Talk 

The special exhibition If These Walls Could Talk: 17^th, 18^th and 19^th Century Wall Decorations at Caramoor, focusing on extraordinary wall coverings in the House Museum's collection, continues through Saturday, December 17. 

Some of the highlights of If These Walls Could Talk include the Monkey Bedroom, which is covered by 18^th century silk whimsically painted with monkeys; the Burgundian Library with its 17^th century panels painted on wood from a French chateau and illustrated with stories from the Old Testament; the Reception Room, the walls of which are covered by elegant wallpaper painted in 18^th century China; and in the  formal Dining Room, the stunning blue ground wallpaper from a villa near Turin, Italy, also 18^th century Chinese, and made for the export market. 

Caramoor's House Museum

The House Museum is the former home of Caramoor's founders, Lucie and Walter Rosen.  This astonishing Mediterranean-style villa is filled with the Rosen's vast collection of European and Asian art and artifacts that span the centuries, including paintings, sculpture, furniture, textiles, stained glass, tapestries and a major jade collection.  This remarkable museum is one of only five famous mansions in the United States that incorporates entire rooms from European villas and palaces. 

Twenty rooms of the mansion are open to the public.  Well-trained docents offer guided tours through these stunning rooms describing the background of the treasures they contain and the unique history of the Rosen family.  Tours are Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm with the last tour at 3:00 pm. 

Admission to Caramoor's House Museum is $9.  Children 16 and under are admitted free. 

About Caramoor 

Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built the great house and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world.  Their musical evenings were the seeds of the International Music Festival of today.  Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor - the house with its art collection; the gardens; and the musical programs on summer evenings - the Rosens established a Foundation to open Caramoor to the public in perpetuity.    

Tickets and Information 

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, New York. 

For more information on Caramoor and tickets to call events call the Box Office at 914-232-1252. or online at www.caramoor.org.