At the Table
A members-only American mahjong clubhouse opens this August in Andover
The Hidden Parlor Society, a private club built to "revive the art of gathering," plans to debut on Boston's North Shore.
The Hidden Parlor Society, a members-only American mahjong clubhouse, will open in downtown Andover, Massachusetts in August 2026, according to WhatNow Boston. The 3,800-square-foot space on Park Street, on Boston's North Shore, will be capped at 44 members, with the exact address shared only with members, the report says.
Per the coverage, membership comes in four tiers named for the wind tiles (East, South, West, and North) and is released in small batches. Founding general manager Heather Forrest Gagnon told the outlet the club "seeks to revive the art of gathering" at a time when genuine human connection is increasingly difficult to find.
The report describes open play and reserved tables alongside leagues, tournaments, lessons and guided sessions, with beginners explicitly welcome. Retreats, guest evenings, floral-design workshops and a curated boutique of tiles, mats, racks, cards and accessories round out the plans, according to WhatNow Boston.
OOTT is not affiliated with the club and does not sell mahjong sets. As the piece notes, American mahjong, played with racks, jokers, and the annual National Mah Jongg League card, grew from the Chinese game and the communities, including the Jewish American players, who shaped its American form.