Some public school students will now get a glimpse inside the Mayor's house as Gracie Mansion re-opens for student tours. Our education reporter, Lindsey Christ, got an exclusive look at the new program.

Some students studying American history will now have the chance to visit an historic home, which also happens to be the current Mayor's residence.

"You are the first tour in a couple years, we refreshed what we're doing, what we're showing, we added to the house, Executive Director of The Gracie Mansion Conservancy, Paul Gunther told a group of students.

When Mayor de Blasio and his family moved into Gracie Mansion, all tours were suspended. Public tours resumed last year but school tours only began again this week for seventh graders, who study American history from Colonial times up to the Civil War.

"We remain committed to the house being the people's house, which mayor LaGuardia established when he moved in here," said Senior Advisor to Mayor de Blasio Gabrielle Fialkoff.

The mayor's wife, Chirlane McCray, has overseen the mansion's redecoration - with art and artifacts representing New Yorkers from all walks-of-life at the end of the 18th century, when Gracie was built.

"You might see a Ketubah from a Jewish wedding," Fialkoff said. "A portrait of Frederick Douglass. And focus on people like the Gracies. So we really tried to take a look at the city from many points of view." 

The city has developed lessons for teachers to give before and after their tour.

The tour guides highlight items that might be of particular interest to middle school students.

"This cannonball right here was dug up in the yard there because there was actually conflict between the British in the American troops."

At the portrait of Elizabeth Wolcott Gracie, students are told about former housekeepers who claimed they saw her ghost.

Those we spoke to were skeptical.

"That's kind of weird but I don't know if that's real or not," one student said. "It's just a little bit shaky."

And there is a lot of focus on the history of slavery and segregation in New York.

"This sampler here is from a little girl before the Civil War and she went to the African free school - Colored Public School Number Three in Williamsburg."

Going forward, the mansion will be opened to seventh graders every Wednesday with about 100 students a week taking tours.