House Tour

House Tour Funds Grants

Every year since 1959, upwards of a thousand people have toured the houses of Park Slope.

In the early years, the Civic Council used the House Tour as a way to convince people to move here rather than the suburbs, thus playing a major role in saving Park Slope from the ravages that destroyed many other New York City neighborhoods.

In more recent years, the House Tour, generally held the first Sunday after Mothers' Day, has become the major fund raiser for the Civic Council, with proceeds plowed back into the community in our Grants Program. In the 2006-2007 grant cycle, we distributed $10,650 to 19 neighborhood schools and organizations.

In addition to ticket sales, proceeds come from House Tour sponsors. Sponsors for the 2008 tour are: Aguayo & Huebener, Brooklyn Properties of 7th Ave., Brown Harris Stevens Brooklyn, Commerce Bank, Massey Knakal Realty Services, Prudential Douglas Elliman,  TB Shaw Realty Associates,  Universal Mortgage, Inc., Warren Lewis Realty Associates, and Orrichio Anderson Realty, Inc.

Advance ticket sellers are Aguayo & Huebener, Astoria Federal Savings, Brenton Realty, Brown Harris Stevens, Dixon’s Bicycle Shop, Dizzy’s Diner, TB Shaw Realty Associates, Warren Lewis Realty, and Windsor Cafe. Tickets can also be purchased online.

The many volunteers who make the Tour work include house sitters plus the PSCC Trustees and members who who, from January to May, select homes, raise funds, coordinate publicity, sell tickets, write and edit the brochure, design the poster and the street banner, recruit and organize the sitters, coordinate flowers, and arrange for tour buttons and tickets.

And, of course, the Tour would not be possible without our neighbors who open their homes and institutions.