Mischief comes to life at The Frick’s All Hallows’ Eve at the Mansion

It was the kind of night that reminded New York why it still knows how to throw a party. All Hallows’ Eve at the Mansion returned to The Frick for the first time since its renovation—a fever dream of lace, legacy, and lavish eccentricity inside one of Fifth Avenue’s last true palaces. Forget polite museum whispers; this was a waltz between decadence and delight.

Gilded Mischief in Marble Halls

The crowd came dressed to haunt—in sequins, silks, and full Gilded Age fantasy. Feathers met fangs, and tiaras tangled with top hats as champagne flutes clinked beneath The Frick’s crystal chandeliers. Somewhere between a Venetian ball and a scene from The Age of Innocence, Dorinda Medley floated through the room like a modern duchess—equal parts mischief and majesty.

The air smelled faintly of roses, cognac, and good gossip. LOUIS XIII christened the night with a hundred-year-old pour, while Champagne Telmont kept spirits—literal and otherwise—endlessly effervescent. Tarot readers whispered futures, magicians conjured the impossible, and The Muses spun the soundtrack of sin and sophistication.

DJs The MusesPhoto: George Koelle

Benefit Chair Alexander HankinPhoto: Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com

Daniel Goldstein, Alexander Hankin, Bosilika An, Adolphus BuschPhoto: Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com

A Night for the Ages

Olivier Cheng’s hors d’oeuvres shimmered by candlelight, and the Ladurée lounge upstairs turned into a pastel fever dream of pastries and flirtation. Downstairs, guests raided the candy bar like grown-up trick-or-treaters in couture. The scene was absurd, elegant, and irresistible—exactly what Halloween at a mansion should be.

Meanwhile, the Frick’s legendary collection—Vermeer, Whistler, Turner—watched from the walls, unbothered yet amused, as the living paid their respects in diamonds and disguise. The contrast between art eternal and revelry ephemeral created a rare kind of magic—one only New York’s most storied mansion could conjure.

Guests in the Frick’s James S. and Barbara N. Reibel Reception Hall at All Hallows’ Eve at the
Mansion; photo: Matteo Prandoni/BFA.comMatteo Prandoni/BFA.com

Benefit Chair Elizabeth M. Eveillard receiving a tarot card reading by Sherry Lane; photo: Matt
Borkowski/BFA.com

Scott Francis and Mike Fabbri; photo: Matt Borkowski/BFA.com

The Spirit of The Frick

Beyond the gowns and glitter, the night celebrated something greater: the revival of The Frick as a living, breathing sanctuary for art and imagination. Each ticket supported the museum’s mission to preserve its treasures and expand access for future generations of art lovers. The Frick does not merely display masterpieces—it sustains the very dialogue between culture and beauty that defines this city’s soul.

Those who wish to ensure that legacy endures can become patrons or Fellows of The Frick, joining a circle that values preservation, education, and elegance in equal measure. To experience the next All Hallows’ Eve at the Mansion not as a guest, but as a true custodian of its magic, visit frick.org/membership .

The final note of The Muses echoed through the marble hall as the chandeliers dimmed, leaving only candlelight and a hint of perfume. New York has many soirées, yet few shimmer quite like this. The art of opulence, it seems, is alive and well on East 70th Street.