McGuffey House and Museum

Front of McGuffey House with sign 'McGuffey Museum 1833'

A group of children examine McGuffey readers on the famous hexagonal table. Text: Introducing the McGuffey Readers to a new generation.

Museum News

Spring Events Calendar Announced

Save the date for our historical lectures, tours and programs.

Fall 2018 in Review

Students, parents, and teachers from St. James School, Cincinnati, pose on the side porch of McGuffey House Kaylie Schunk and Steve Gordon join students and friends at the annual International Student and Scholar Services Thanksgiving Dinner

We welcomed enthusiastic visitors, enjoyed good food and fellowship, and learned about fascinating local history from distinguished guest speakers. Fall 2018 Highlights

McGuffey Readers at the 2018 Graduate Research Forum

Former McGuffey student intern Kaylie Schunk presented her poster The McGuffey Readers' Afterlives: Designing Exhibition Spaces at the Miami University Graduate Research Forum on November 9. Kaylie is studying for her master's in American History. (Click images for larger versions)

Read Kaylie's recent manuscript: Peter Bruner: Novel in Death, Not in Life

From our collections

Bishop Sideboard

Mahogany, 1790–1815

This sideboard belonged to the first president of Miami University, Robert Hamilton Bishop. Brought to Oxford by the Bishops in 1824, it stood in the entry hall of the Bishop home until the 1930s.

In 1991, Dr. Jonathan S. Bishop donated the sideboard to Miami University and the McGuffey Museum.

Peter Bruner's top hat and hatbox

Peter Bruner Hat Box

Overcoming years of slavery, voluntary service in the Union Army, and decades of manual labor, celebrated Oxford citizen Peter Bruner's life is a story worth telling and re-telling. The Museum collection includes his top hat and hat box.

Octagonal table

McGuffey's octagonal table, possibly where he wrote the first 4 Readers

It is thought that McGuffey wrote the first four books in the series in this house, very possibly on this table.

1840s pie safe

Pie Safe Cupboard

Poplar with pierced tin panels, 1840–1850

Cupboards of this type were used for food storage. The pierced tin panels allowed air circulation without letting rodents and large insects foul the foodstuffs.