The Mount is the Lenox estate that Edith Wharton built in 1902 and called home until 1911. The novelist and design writer helped shape the house herself, applying the principles from her book The Decoration of Houses, and the result is a Classical Revival mansion with proportions, light and gardens that still feel deliberate. She wrote The House of Mirth here and entertained friends including Henry James, and the property is now a museum and cultural center that treats her as a designer and a writer as well as a novelist.Visitors walk the main floor and upper rooms on guided or self-guided tours, then step out to the terrace and the gardens. The formal layout steps down from the house through a sunken Italian garden with a fountain and a walled flower garden, past a lime walk and a lower French-inspired garden, all framed by the hills. The setting captures the Gilded Age dream of Lenox as a country retreat for wealthy New Yorkers, and the interior shows how Wharton made it livelier than many of her peers did.
Plan about two hours
An hour for the house, an hour for the grounds. The rooms are lightly furnished with restored period pieces, and the volunteers and guides explain the design choices. Wharton disliked cluttered Victorian interiors and worked to make rooms that felt open and practical, with views of the garden from most spaces.
The library, her bedroom and the dining room are the places where the writing and the social life of the house come through most clearly.The Mount is seasonal and runs on a changing schedule, so check opening days before you go.
Through the open season it offers regular tours, garden strolls, author talks, readings and evening events. One of the most popular is the candlelit ghost-story evening, which draws on the house's reputation and on Wharton's own supernatural short stories. Book ahead for these, because capacity is limited.Photography is welcome in the gardens and often in the house, though some rooms have restrictions.
Wear comfortable shoes, because the paths are gravel and the grounds slope. The estate is at the south end of Lenox, a short drive from Tanglewood and Shakespeare and Company, which began here in its early years.
Parking is free on site. Wheelchair access to the ground floor is available, but check in advance for the upper rooms.The Mount works well as the first stop on a literary Berkshires trip. Combine it with a walk through Lenox village, a lunch at a local cafe, and an afternoon at Naumkeag or Chesterwood for a day of Gilded Age and artist estates.
Readers of Wharton will enjoy the bookshop, and anyone curious about gardens will appreciate the careful restoration. The best months are late spring through fall, when the borders are full and the grounds feel as Wharton intended.
Reading helps. If you can, read The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome or one of the short stories before you go; even a few pages make the tour more personal. The Mount's bookshop stocks editions and biographies, and the staff can recommend a starting point for newcomers.
Wharton was also a keen gardener and traveler, and her books on Italian villas and French gardens shaped the terraces you walk. If you arrive early, sit on the terrace for a moment and imagine the writers who gathered there. That quiet pause is often the best part of the visit.
What to expect
The experience
House tours and a self-guided walk through formal gardens, with seasonal talks and evening events.
Best time
Late spring through fall; plan around the seasonal opening schedule.
How long
About two hours.
Tips
Check opening days, book the evening ghost-story event early and wear comfortable shoes for gravel paths.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Readers, garden lovers and fans of Gilded Age history.
- Families
- Best for older children who can enjoy a guided tour; the gardens are easy for younger ones.
- Couples
- A graceful garden stroll and a house tour with a literary theme.
- Pair with
- Shakespeare and Company, Naumkeag or Lenox village.
- Time needed
- Two hours.
Good questions
Who built The Mount?+
Edith Wharton, who designed and built it in 1902 and lived there until 1911.
What did she write here?+
The House of Mirth was written at The Mount, along with other work of the period.
Is The Mount open year round?+
It is seasonal; check the current schedule for tours and events.
Are there evening events?+
Yes. A candlelit ghost-story evening and other talks are offered during the season.
Are the gardens included?+
Yes. Garden access comes with a visit, and the grounds can be explored on foot.