John Bowne House and Kingsland Homestead: A Flushing History Visit

Flushing’s historic houses offer distinct ways to approach local history. The John Bowne House recalls a fight over religious freedom, while Kingsland Homestead traces the lives of local families and now houses the Queens Historical Society. The Lewis Howard Latimer House Museum adds another perspective through the home and legacy of Lewis H. Latimer.

For a compact history-focused outing, you can plan around these house museums and then use the guide to downtown Flushing’s streets and transit to round out the day. The John Bowne House is about an 11-minute walk from Hotel Indigo: Flushing - LaGuardia By IHG, and Kingsland Homestead is about a 13-minute walk away.

Built circa 1661, the Bowne House is described by its operator as the oldest house in Queens. John Bowne built the original portion, which included a kitchen and upstairs bedrooms. Additions followed in 1680 and 1691; in 1830, the roof was raised and a north wing was added.

The house also has a connection to the history of religious freedom. Quaker John Bowne was fined and jailed for defying Governor Stuyvesant’s ban on religious dissent and refusing to renounce his right to religious freedom.

Before the Flushing Friends Meeting House was built in 1694, the Bowne House served as a place of worship for more than 30 years.

The Bowne House Historical Society has owned and operated the building as a house museum since 1946. Its listed address is 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, NY 11354. Public opening days, regular hours, admission prices and general reservation arrangements aren’t specified in the available visitor information, so contact the Historical Society before making plans.

Kingsland Homestead was built circa 1785 for Charles Doughty as a two-and-a-half-story Long Island half-house. British sea captain Joseph King bought it in 1801, and the house took its name from him. Descendants of the original families continued living there until the 1920s.

The Kingsland Preservation Committee saved the house from demolition in 1968 and moved it to its present location in Weeping Beech Park. Today, the first floor has local-history exhibitions and a permanent exhibit about the homestead and its people. The Queens Historical Society’s archive and library are available by appointment.

Guided tours are listed for 2:30pm–4:30pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and entry requires an advance timed ticket. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students, seniors, veterans and visitors with disabilities.

It’s free for members, children under 12 and a care partner accompanying a visitor with a disability. The first floor is wheelchair accessible; contact the Queens Historical Society ahead of time about access to Weeping Beech Park. Tours have Mandarin Chinese and Spanish translations available.

Kingsland Homestead is at 143-35 37th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354. There’s no designated museum parking, though street parking is available. The Queens Historical Society lists the house as closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and federal holidays.

The Lewis Latimer House Museum is at 34-41 137th Street, Flushing, NY 11354, about a 9-minute walk from the hotel. It’s open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm. Self-guided visits are free; the 45-minute guided tour, “Light Up The World: The Legacy of Lewis H. Latimer,” requires a ticket reservation.

Guided-tour admission is $15 for adults and $8 for seniors aged 65 and over, students, veterans and visitors with a disability. Caregivers accompanying visitors with a disability and children under 12 enter free. K–12 groups may arrange visits by appointment Tuesday through Friday. Group visits are limited to 20 people; larger groups should contact the museum’s education office.

The museum is ADA compliant and fully wheelchair accessible. Service animals are welcome, and an educator or docent is on-site during public hours to assist visitors with special needs. Limited parking spaces are available in the museum lot.

These three stops make a manageable group of nearby history visits, but the available information doesn’t give walking times between the museums themselves. Check the locations before setting your order, and leave room for each house’s tour arrangements.

Kingsland’s timed tickets and the Bowne House’s unspecified regular public schedule make it sensible to confirm those details before building the day around either one.

If you’re coming to Kingsland by subway, the Queens Historical Society’s directions are to take the 7 train to Main Street, Flushing, walk two blocks east on Roosevelt Avenue to Bowne Street, then continue through Margaret Carman Green Park to the homestead.

Before setting out, check the official site of the relevant museum or historical society before you go. Confirm tour availability, ticket requirements, hours and access details directly with the operator, especially for the Bowne House, whose general public schedule isn’t specified here.

For Kingsland Homestead, contact the Queens Historical Society ahead of time about park access; for the Lewis Latimer House Museum, reserve a guided tour if that’s your plan.