The Lotos Club
Private Tour
Founded in 1870 by a group of young writers, journalists and critics, The Lotos Club is one of the oldest literary clubs in the United States. The name, which comes from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, The Lotos Eaters, is meant to convey the idea of “rest and harmony.” Member Mark Twain described it as “The Ace of Clubs.” The Club’s objectives, then and today have a literary and artistic focus. Its State Dinners are legendary fetes for scholars, artists, collectors, writers, politicians and diplomats.
A very short list of honorees include: Ulysses S. Grant, Amelia Earhart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Robert Frost, Roy Lichtenstein and Angela Lansbury. Notable members include: Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Wyeth, Renee Fleming, Tom Wolfe and Yo-Yo Ma. Its current French Renaissance revival building was originally designed by Richard Howland Hunt around 1898 for Mrs. Elliott F. Shepard, the daughter of William H. Vanderbilt, as a wedding gift for her daughter Mrs. William Jay Schieffelin.
Join Royal Oak as we discover the Club’s remarkable history on an exclusive tour of this five-story building—complete with a sweeping grand staircase, Tiffany skylight, and wood paneled library with Tudor-style molded ceiling.
Please note: This tour requires extensive walking, standing and possible stair-climbing.
Wright, H. C. Seppings, Men dining at the Lotos Club, 1890. Library of Congress
