Open House New York Weekend is an annual festival that unlocks 300 destinations across the five boroughs for behind-the-scenes tours and special activities. Don’t miss out on an free opportunity to learn about the historic Conference House on Staten Island.

Built by English immigrant Captain Christopher Billopp, in or around the year 1680, this handsome stately manor was a wheat farm throughout the first century of its existence.  An invaluable relic in America’s history, the Conference House was the site of a 1776 peace conference which attempted to end the Revolutionary War.  Edward Rutledge, John Adams, Lord Howe and Benjamin Franklin were among those in attendance.  Surrounded by lush acreage of forests, marshland and meadows, the Conference House overlooks the Arthur Kill River, Lower Raritan Bay and nearby New Jersey.  The history and location of our museum gives visitors a glimpse of a pre populated landscape of New York City, while also illustrating our nation’s history.