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To allow for the enjoyment of all visitors to Historic New England’s properties and to help us care for our buildings, collections, and landscapes, we appreciate your compliance with our guidelines for personal and professional photography. Historic New England properties are first and foremost historic sites open for house and garden tours, public programs, and function rentals. Historic New England occasionally contracts with photographers to use the properties as commercial location sites or to film for the promotional purposes of Historic New England.
Personal/recreational photography is candid, souvenir-type photography using a non-paid photographer. The photographs are not to be used commercially. Costumes, props, and photo equipment such as tripods and large camera bags are prohibited. Large group photography for personal use requires advance reservations with the site manager or permission from the site manager. Professional portraits of any kind are not considered personal/recreational photography. Outdoor photography for personal use is permitted during regular museum and grounds operating hours. Visitors are welcome to take personal photographs of the exterior of Historic New England’s properties. Guests are not permitted to walk in plant beds or to handle any plants, plant containers, or outdoor sculpture. Interior photography for personal use is allowed during guided tours at Historic New England properties. For the safety and comfort of our visitors and the protection of our historic sites, we ask that you be aware of your surroundings and stay with your group. Video and selfie sticks are not allowed. Historic New England reserves the right to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises.
Professional photography is any session using a paid photographer or any professional-style shoot, including wedding, family, or special event portraits. Professional photography is permitted when approved in advance (at least 72-hours notice), requires a signed contract between the photographer and Historic New England along with a certificate of insurance, and is subject to fees. Exceptions may be made to the fee schedule when photography is determined by our organization, in its sole discretion, to promote Historic New England as a cultural institution or events venue. Outdoor photography for commercial purposes requires advance approval and a contract. Guests and photographers are not permitted to walk in plant beds or handle plants, plant containers, or outdoor sculpture, including the placement of props or equipment. Photography involving nudity is not permitted. Wedding and engagement photography at the properties where Historic New England rents space for functions is permitted exclusively by photographer(s) or videographer(s) hired by the couple renting the property for their special event. All commercial photo shoots must be scheduled through the media relations office in advance. Download a sample copy of our contract. All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must include your name, use, publisher, and date of publication.
Photography by the news media should be scheduled through Historic New England’s media relations office at [email protected].
Commercial or recreational use of drones is not allowed at Historic New England properties unless it is for purposes deemed beneficial to Historic New England. Typical uses include building and landscape assessment, property documentation, and photography and videography for marketing or publicity purposes. Permission for drone flight at a Historic New England property requires the written approval of the team leader for property care.
Images from HistoricNewEngland.org may be used for school or academic reference free of charge for non-publication purposes in a school setting. Credit should be given to Historic New England and photos used from HistoricNewEngland.org should link back to the source. Historic New England cannot give permission for images it does not own that are credited on its website. It is the responsibility of the user to contact the image owner for permission and to make sure they are in compliance with copyright laws. Historic New England has a library of digital images available for non-commercial publication and promotional opportunities. All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must include your name, use of the image, publisher, date of publication, requested image, and photography format requirements.
Historic New England may photograph or film its events and public programs. Unless you notify the photographer on site otherwise, your attendance at an event or program grants Historic New England permission to display and/or publish any photographs in which you appear. These photographs may be used in any and all of Historic New England’s publications and in any and all other media without limitation and are not subject to compensation. These materials are the property of Historic New England.
All requests for photography or filming on site are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must include your name, use, publisher, and date of publication. Historic New England reserves the right to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph at its sites or to reproduce photographs in its collections. Staff has the authority to approach anyone to enforce these rules. Failure to comply may result in removal from the premises. Please follow any verbal instructions.
Historic New England is the largest and most comprehensive independent preservation organization in the U.S., and welcomes the public to thirty-eight exceptional museums and landscapes, including several coastal farms. The organization operates a major collections and archives center in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and has the world’s largest collection of New England artifacts, comprising more than 123,000 decorative arts and objects, and 1.5 million archival documents including photographs, architectural drawings, manuscripts, and ephemera. Engaging education programs for youth, adults, and preservation professionals, and award-winning exhibitions and publications are offered in person and virtually. The Historic New England Preservation Easement program is a national leader and protects 118 privately owned historic properties throughout the region.
Historic New England serves the public through five key program areas: Homes, Farms, and Landscapes; Artifacts, Archives, and Stories; School and Youth Programs; Preservation Services, and Community Engagement and Leadership. Our thirty-eight historic sites span four centuries of architectural styles and five New England states. Historic New England takes care of 160 buildings with 2,903 windows, 147 chimneys, 67 heating systems, and 284,228 square feet of roofs.
Number of Historic New England sites that are National Historic Landmarks: 14
Number of acres of historic gardens and open spaces that Historic New England preserves: Historic New England shares more than 1,284 acres with the public at our historic sites. In total, we protect more than 2,200 acres of land, which includes the 927 acres protected through our Preservation Easement Program.
Number of people who visited Historic New England sites in 2019: We welcomed 217,566 people to our properties in 2019. This includes visitors who came for guided tours, group tours, exhibitions, public programs, school programs, private functions, community meetings and events, and to enjoy the landscapes.
Number of objects in Historic New England’s collection: There are more than 123,000 objects in Historic New England’s collection. It is the largest assemblage of New England art and artifacts in the country. We share this collection with the public through exhibitions; through our Collections Access database; and at our historic sites, where more than 40,000 objects are on display. Number of items in Historic New England’s Library and Archives: There are more than 1.5 million items documenting New England’s architectural and cultural history in the Library and Archives. The archival collection includes:
Number of students served in 2019: Historic New England served 44,943 students in 2019 from 196 communities. We offer more than fifty different school programs at fourteen sites: Arnold House, Casey Farm, Castle Tucker, Codman Estate, Coffin House, Eustis Estate, Hamilton House, Sarah Orne Jewett House Museum and Visitor Center, Nickels-Sortwell House, Otis House, Pierce House, Quincy House, Roseland Cottage, and Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm. Our educational programs are recognized for their innovative use of historic resources to reinforce and enrich student learning.
Number of public programs offered in 2019: Historic New England offered more than 400 public programs in 2019 that were enjoyed by 72,699 participants.
Number of privately owned properties in the Preservation Easement Program: There are currently 113 privately owned historic properties across New England protected through Historic New England’s Preservation Easement Program, one of the first preservation easement programs in the country, and the model on which many other programs are based. More than 200 buildings and 900 acres are protected through this program.
Number of Historic New England members: Historic New England has 9,279 member households. More than ninety percent of Historic New England members live in one of the six New England states but the breadth, importance, and vitality of our mission draws the interest and support of individuals from forty-one states, plus the District of Columbia. Members receive free admission to thirty-seven Historic New England homes, farms, and landscapes, and the Library and Archives; three issues per year of Historic New England magazine; the Guide to Historic Properties; Historic New England Events; membership card; passport; discounts on purchases made at shops; access to nearly one hundred free-to-members programs and events; and discounts on public programs.
Complimentary and reduced admissions: Historic New England provides complimentary and discounted house tour admissions to the following groups/members with appropriate identification:
Sample Story IdeasEmail our media relations office to discuss story ideas.
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