The Hunterfly Road Houses at Weeksville

In 1838, James Weeks and other African American investors bought land in what is now Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant to build an independent, landowning free Black community. Weeksville became a refuge for African Americans during the 1863 Draft Riots, then nearly disappeared under the growing city until residents rediscovered its surviving houses in 1968 and fought to preserve them. Those Hunterfly Road Houses, set along an old Native American trail that later became a colonial road, are now the heart of the Weeksville Heritage Center, each one interpreting a different era of the community.

The grounds are free, but only guided-tour visitors can enter the houses. Public tours run Tuesday through Saturday, last about an hour, are capped at 14 people and must be booked online at least 48 hours ahead; payment isn't accepted in person. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children as of October 2026. The landmarked houses have no heating, cooling or ramps, seating is scarce, and wheelchairs, walkers and strollers can't go inside. A self-guided brochure covers the grounds.