Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Southern portion of the Prasat Nakhon Luang
Prasat Nakhon Luang
Lenin’s Head, Tsinandali
The Tunnels of Tabor
What hidden tales lie buried beneath?
Pirate Grave, Portland
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Codex Gigas (the Devil’s Bible) open to the portrait of the devil.
Codex Gigas: Who Drew the Devil in This Massive Medieval Bible?
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington, D.C. The Mansion on O Street

The Mansion on O Street

With over 100 jam-packed rooms to explore plus elaborate tea services and events, the Mansion on O Street is a hidden treasure.

Washington, D.C.

Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Baroque Room   Amaury Laporte / CC BY 2.0
  Amaury Laporte / CC BY 2.0
  Amaury Laporte / CC BY 2.0
Mansion on O Street   Chuck Allen / CC BY-SA 2.0
O Street Mansion Christmas Party   Jessica Curtin / CC BY 2.0
Amnesia Room   Amaury Laporte / CC BY 2.0
One the many bathrooms in the Mansion.  
Amnesia Room   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
One of many bedrooms   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  IgFan / Atlas Obscura User
Game room with pinball machines   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Mansion on O Street, near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., was founded by H.H. Leonards-Spero and opened on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1980. The house itself boasts “over 100 rooms and 70 secret doors” spread throughout four maze-like floors. Part of this elaborate layout is due to the strange design of the mansion, which is not a mansion at all, but actually four rowhouses opened to one another and turned into one elaborate hotel/museum/private club.

Though a few items are part of the O Street Mansion’s “permanent collection,” most of the many thousands of items piled throughout the mansion’s themed rooms (many of which are acquired from local junk shops and garages sales) are for sale, including the thousands of books on the numerous floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

Because the mansion also functions as a hotel, not all rooms will necessarily be open to the public at the time of your visit. Even so, a self-guided tour of the house can still take hours. Each themed room—some themes include a log cabin room, the French Renaissance room, and the Billiards Room—contains hundreds of pieces of art, books, and other “treasures” to examine and ponder. The mansion also includes also a large amount of Beatles and John Lennon memorabilia, including a Sgt. Peppers jukebox in the John Lennon Room. Be sure you locate the hidden door to the impressive “wine cellar” before you go. And no, that’s not the Amnesia Room, which itself displays a large wine collection.

Related Tags

Places To Stay Mansions Eccentric Homes Homes

Know Before You Go

The Mansion on O & O Street Museum also features concerts, private dining, receptions, weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, meetings, and events, as well as their popular tours and Treasure Hunts, all of which must be booked online. The O Mansion is open to the public daily for tours from 11-5 pm based on availability, with the last tour starting at 3pm. Online reservations are required.

 Tours: Sunday-Tuesday 9 am - 6 pm. Wednesday-Saturday 9 am - 9 pm. Fees apply. 

Community Contributors

Edited By

hrnick, lrt228, NairVinayak, k2allison...

  • hrnick
  • lrt228
  • NairVinayak
  • k2allison
  • sydneyjd719
  • bankercb
  • mbison
  • danielschuldt
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • IgFan
  • blimpcaptain

Published

September 4, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Mansion on O Street
2020 O St NW
Washington, District of Columbia, 20036
United States
38.908397, -77.045749
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Sonny Bono Memorial Park

Washington, D.C.

miles away

The Brewmaster's Castle

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Embassy Gulf Service Center

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Sonny Bono Memorial Park

Washington, D.C.

miles away

The Brewmaster's Castle

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Embassy Gulf Service Center

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 50

Related Stories and Lists

Treat Yourself to a Scavenger Hunt Through DC’s Most Delightful Destinations

List

Sponsored by washington.org

Related Places

  • Redstone Castle

    Redstone, Colorado

    Redstone Castle

    This Rocky Mountain mansion was the luxurious home of the authoritarian leader of a company town.

  • Independence, Missouri

    Vaile Mansion

    A remarkably opulent mansion with a tragic history.

  • Barbara Hutton’s Japanese palace, in the shadow of the volcano Popocatépetl.

    Jiutepec, Mexico

    Camino Real Sumiya

    The tragic heiress Barbara Woolworth Hutton built her seventh husband this Japanese-inspired palace in Mexico.

  • Seiberling Mansion in Kokomo, Indiana

    Kokomo, Indiana

    Seiberling Mansion

    An opulent testament to the boom-and-bust history of industry in north central Indiana.

  • Aerial view of Thunderbird Lodge

    Incline Village, Nevada

    Thunderbird Lodge

    This historic estate on the east shore of Lake Tahoe was home to an eccentric millionaire (and his pet elephant, Mingo).

  • Row of old houses with the narrow Kleine Trippenhuis or “Little Trip House” on Kloveniersburgwal canal.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Kleine Trippenhuis

    One of Amsterdam's narrowest houses is located right across the canal from its widest.

  • Front entrance to the Whale House.

    Santa Barbara, California

    Whale House

    This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

  • The marble aviary.

    Indianapolis, Indiana

    Allison Mansion

    This elaborate estate contains a stunning marble aviary, a sunken conservatory, and a magnificent music room with a two-story pipe organ.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.