visit the mansions

17 Useful Tips for Visiting the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island

• Post author: Rachel Means
• Post last modified: 2023-11-09

Visiting the Newport Mansions is on many a dreamer’s bucket list, but there’s a lot to know before you go.

Like did you know not all of the mansions are open year-round? Or that small bags are allowed inside the mansions but strollers aren’t?

Where are you going to eat lunch, and where are you going to park?

Don’t worry! I’ve been there, done that, and learned everything you need to know ahead of time so you can enjoy your visit.

Here’s all our most useful tips for planning your first visit to the Newport, Rhode Island mansions!

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Table of Contents

Best Newport Mansions to Visit: Ranked

The most popular Newport mansions to visit are owned and maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport. They have 9 houses, some of which are not open all year round.

Below I’ve ranked the mansions according to our must-see order based on opulent decor, interesting history, and availability.

• The Breakers
• Marble House
• Chateau sur Mer
• Isaac Bell House
• Hunter House

Can You Visit the Newport Mansions for Free?

This question comes up the most, so I wanted to address it first. No, you can’t visit any of the Newport mansions for free , even if you only want to see the grounds.

The only exception is if you know a Preservation Society member and they bring you as their guest.

It’s possible to see some of the mansions from the public sidewalk on the street, but you’re obviously limited in the views you’ll get.

For example, The Elms has large trees that cover most of the front façade, and The Breakers sits back a ways from the street so you only see a sliver of the front.

Most of the estates are surrounded by walls, too, so you can’t really see inside.

While there are plenty of fun things to do in Newport , we highly recommend budgeting to see a couple of the mansions while you’re here.

17 Useful Tips for Visiting the Newport Mansions

1. you need tickets to visit the grounds..

None of the Newport mansions have free entry to explore the grounds only. If you purchase a ticket to tour inside the house, you’ll also get entry to the grounds.

If you want to view the grounds only and not the interior of the mansion, those tickets are available for a reduced price.

See all your Newport Mansion ticketing options here.

2. Some mansions are guided tours only requiring advanced reservations.

Not all of the Newport mansions are open all year round.

Some of the smaller mansions are only opened seasonally and require advanced reservations and guided tours. This trips up Preservation Society members, too.

Even if you’re a member and want to see one of the seasonal houses like Chepstow or the Isaac Bell House, you have to reserve a spot ahead of time.

Members won’t have to pay for the tour, but you do need to reserve a spot. These homes are smaller and the tour size is limited to better fit in the limited interior space.

If you show up without a reservation, they’ll try to fit you in (we’ve watched them do it), but there’s not much they can do if the tour is already filled to capacity.

3. Bring headphones and download the app to enjoy the free audio tour.

What a great resource this is! Get the app and download the audio guide for each mansion.

It’s much more in-depth than the paper brochures available, and it keeps your hands free so you can take pictures while the audio guide plays. I loved it!

The app also has landscape tours at some of the mansions, like an audio tour for the grounds. It connects to your GPS and pops up informational tidbits as you walk around the grounds.

4. Photography is allowed inside the mansions.

Personal photography is allowed inside all of the Newport mansions, so feel free to take as many photos as you’d like. Shutter bugs rejoice!

Tripods and selfie sticks aren’t allowed , and obviously you’re not allowed to block others from enjoying the mansion, but otherwise you can take as long as you like and take as many photos as you want.

Important: this doesn’t include photoshoots.

If you’re trying to take senior pictures or engagement pictures or something like that where you have props (like a graduation cap) or a wardrobe change, you’ll have to get a special permit.

It’s easy to get cute and fun pictures both inside and outside of the mansions. If you’re snapping a few low-key, unobtrusive photos, you’ll be fine without a permit.

But if you show up in your quinceañera dress, they’re gonna know something’s up and ask about your permit.

5. Don’t forget the special guided tours.

The Elms and The Breakers both have additional guided tours available, revealing the behind-the-scenes areas of these great mansions.

The Elms Servants Life Tour features the lives of the men and women who worked for the Berwind family, touring their living quarters and some additional areas in the basement where they worked.

Most fancy houses have a tour like this nowadays. They’re very popular ever since Downton Abbey came out.

The Beneath The Breakers Tour takes you into the tunnels and basement level of the house, discussing the many modern marvels of the day that made The Breakers tick.

I loved both tours, but I liked Beneath The Breakers a little more because it’s so unique.

If you’re looking for that extra special something to round out your mansion visit, I highly recommend a specialty tour.

6. Strollers aren’t allowed inside the mansions.

None of the houses allow strollers. Children are welcome , but you’ll either need to hold little ones or keep them close by as you walk through the house.

I strongly recommend you consider whether your children are old enough to appreciate the house, or at least old enough/well-behaved enough to stay by your side as you appreciate the house.

I’ve been in a mansion when a toddler got loose, ducked under a rope, and took off between all the furniture, precious knickknacks, and 15 th century tapestries.

Luckily, he didn’t knock over anything, but you can imagine the mother’s dismay.

Stroller parking is available outside the front of each house , but you’ll leave your belongings at your own risk.

7. Pack a picnic lunch to eat on the grounds.

I was surprised to discover that picnics are allowed on the grounds at the Newport mansions!

Bring a blanket, picnic basket, or even camp chairs and a cooler and enjoy a meal as a Vanderbilt guest may have.

I recommend The Breakers or Marble House for this, as they both have stellar ocean views, but all of the properties allow picnics.

8. Consider becoming a member or get the one-year access pass.

A great way to save money when visiting the Newport mansions is to become a Preservation Society member.

Your pass will get you in to all nine of the society-owned mansions free of charge for a year, as many times as you wish to visit.

It also comes with other perks and special member events. I did the math and discuss if a Newport Mansions member pass is right for you here.

If you want to visit 4+ mansions in a year, the Access Pass will save you money.

It’s cheaper than buying standard tickets, but also cheaper than becoming a full member of the Preservation Society of Newport County.

If you and another adult want to visit 4+ mansions in one year, then a full membership is worth it.

9. All mansions have free parking lots.

Parking in Newport is notoriously difficult, but each of the Newport mansions open for tours has its own free parking lot.

Now, they can be packed on busy days, but I’ve always been able to find a spot. I had to circle a few times at The Breakers lot, but I did find a spot. Didn’t have any trouble at any of the other houses.

Pro Tip : The parking lot for Marble House is across the street from the house and a tad bit north, so you’ll pass it before you pass the house if coming from town. If you put Marble House into your GPS, you might miss the parking lot. As you get near the house traveling south on Bellevue Avenue, start looking on the right side instead of the left, and you’ll see the green and yellow sign.

10.  Small bags are allowed inside.

As an avid photographer, I really appreciate this policy, but this is also good news for those visiting without cars or with kids.

None of the mansions can store luggage, but a small backpack or diaper bag is fine.

You’ll still need to be aware of where you’re standing so your bag doesn’t accidentally brush up against a wall or artifact, but the ropes will mostly keep you in the safe zone.

11.  No food or drinks inside the mansions.

Food and drinks aren’t allowed inside the mansions, except for water, so make sure you give the kids a snack before you go inside.

You might have the snacks in your bag, but the kids can’t eat it inside the house. You’d have to take them to the restroom area and eat it there.

If you leave the house to eat a snack, they won’t let you back in because you already scanned your ticket.

12.  All of the mansions have restrooms.

Every mansion has restrooms available for visitors. However, they’re always at the very end of the tour, usually by the gift shop.

So, if you’re in the middle of a self-guided tour, you’ll have to walk to the end of the tour, usually on a different floor of the house, use the facilities, and then walk backwards on the tour route to where you left off.

Don’t try to re-enter from the front/start of the tour.

They’re going to want to scan your ticket, and yours won’t go through because it was already scanned when you started your tour.

Sometimes there’s an attendant that’ll recognize you and let you back through, but it’s easier to go backwards.

All of the mansions have staff on each floor, and they’ll help you find the fastest route to the restrooms.   

13.  Be prepared for crowds at The Breakers.

The biggest and most popular to visit Newport mansion is The Breakers. With that fame comes crowds…

Pretty much every time of day and every day of the week, The Breakers will be busy. Pack your patience.

Come early or late for the smallest crowds, right at opening or an hour or two before closing.

Even with the crowds, you can move pretty easily through the house at your own pace. If you’re listening to the audio guide, though, you’ll probably move in groups.

14.  Avoid arriving on the hour or half hour.

Speaking of moving in groups, start your self-guided tours at a non-standard time.

Humans like round numbers, and many will arrive at say 1PM for their tour. If you arrive at 12:45PM, you’ll be fifteen minutes ahead of a big group of people that all arrived at the same time.

It’ll help space you out inside the house and give you a bit more breathing room during your tour.

15.  All mansions require climbing stairs. Some are accessible via elevators.

Not every Newport mansion is accessible for mobility-impaired visitors.

Every house has stairs. A few of the mansions have elevators, but not all of them. And sometimes the elevators are down for maintenance, so call ahead the morning of your visit to check.

Inside the houses, there are two types of staircases: the ones built for use by the owners and the ones built for use by the staff. You’ll use both as you tour the mansions.

The ones used by the owners are always wide, often marble, and usually a shorter stair height because it was easier for the ladies in their ridiculous Gilded Age dresses to get up and down the stairs.

You’ll climb up these staircases at the beginning and/or in the middle of your mansion tours.

The servants’ staircases, though, are narrow and standard stair height. They’re usually located behind a secret door, and you climb down them at the end of a tour.

16.  Viking Trolley Tours has a shuttle option for The Breakers.

The Preservation Society doesn’t have shuttle service between its properties. If it’s a nice day, you can walk between a few of the properties.

It takes some time and adds more time on your feet, which you’ll probably already have enough of if you’re visiting more than one mansion per day, but it can be nice if you’re up for it.

Viking Trolley Tours has an option to add a Breakers tour to their trolley tour. You’ll board the trolley in town, take the tour around town, along Ocean Avenue, and into the mansion district before they drop you off at The Breakers.

You’ll then take your tour of the Breakers, and the trolley will meet you 1.5-2 hours later to pick you up and take you back to town where you started.

17.  Ride the free RIPTA bus to the mansions.

During peak visitor season, one line of the local city bus system offers free rides.

A lot of people descend on the tightly packed town in summer, so the free bus option helps to reduce the number of cars in the area.

Route 67 runs from the Newport Transportation Center in town all the way to the southern end of Bellevue Avenue before turning around.

It stops directly in front of both Marble House and The Breakers, but you can get to all of the mansions from this route if you walk a little.

FAQs for Visiting the Newport Mansions

When’s the best time of year to visit newport.

Summer is the best weather but also the most crowded time of year to visit Newport. Spring and fall are both good alternatives for slightly smaller crowds but still comfortable weather. Winter has its own allure, with the smallest crowds but also fewer shops are open.

How Much Time Do You Need to Visit Newport?

I recommend at least 3 days in Newport to take it all in, but you can easily day trip to Newport from Boston or other nearby cities.

If you want to see several mansions and do other fun things in Newport , then I recommend extending to 5 days or a week.

How Much Time Do You Need to Visit Each Mansion?

This is so subjective, but I’d say at least 1-2 hours for each mansion. Most of the mansion self-guided audio tours are about 45 minutes to an hour long.

But you might be taking pictures or waiting for crowds to move in front of you, and it could take longer.

Plus, you’ll want time to walk the grounds at each mansion, which could be a quick 15 minute loop or a more leisurely stroll with stops to sit on a bench and enjoy the views.

Do the Newport Mansions Have Parking?

Yes, all of the mansions open for tours have their own parking lots. The most popular spots, like The Breakers, can still be very crowded though. I’ve always found a spot, but may have circled a few times before I did.

Are There Places to Eat at the Newport Mansions?

Not really. Two of the mansions (The Breakers and Marble House) have cafes with overpriced pre-made lunch items like sandwiches or salads.

The Chinese Tea House at Marble House also offers afternoon tea, if you book it ahead, which is a fun experience if you like tea, tea sandwiches, and desserts.

But if you need a more substantial lunch, there’s nothing like that at the mansions. You’re better off going back into town for lunch.

Happy travels!

About the Author : Rachel Means

With six-figure student loan debt and only 10 PTO days per year, Rachel started traveling the world. A decade later, she’s paid off her loans, changed careers, and been to 38 US states and 17 countries. She’s an expert at planning and budgeting for travel and loves to help others do it, too! Read her full story here.

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6 top-rated newport mansion tours + tips from a local.

Newport's famed mansions are a must-see in the City by the Sea.

Top-Rated Newport Mansion Tours

Gavin Ashworth | Courtesy of Newport Mansions

More than a century ago, America's wealthiest families commissioned their "summer cottages" to be built in the coastal enclave of Newport, Rhode Island , along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The era's most renowned architects outdid one another in size and scale as well as opulence and grandeur. Today, Newport is synonymous with its exquisite Gilded Age mansions, and experiencing them in person is an absolute must.

The majority of the Gilded Age mansions in Newport – but not all – are owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County, and many of the most popular are open to the public year-round. Get ready to explore the Bellevue Avenue Historic District as you tour Newport's best mansions.

The Breakers

Courtesy of Andrea McHugh

Price: Adults from $29; kids from $10

Standout perk: The Breakers offers an audio Family Tour that engages young visitors with stories about the lives of the children who summered there, the staff who ran the home and interesting things to see in the mansion, such as the playful dolphin sculpture beneath the grand staircase.

Considered the grande dame of all the Newport mansions, The Breakers was no doubt built to impress. The summertime escape of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family was designed by the Gilded Age's preeminent architect, Richard Morris Hunt, and boasts a classic Italian palazzo design with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Visitors can explore the mansion at their own pace via the self-guided audio tour available in nearly a dozen languages (some are transcripts only) on the Newport Mansions free app, which will come in especially handy if you plan to explore more than one mansion. Take some time to explore the beauty of the 13-acre grounds as well, and be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes .

Those with a curiosity of how a mansion of this magnitude worked – after all, The Breakers was considered a modern marvel when completed in 1895 – will enjoy the Beneath The Breakers Tour. This guide-led tour takes you through the boiler room, tunnel and basement. Guests will learn how the home was outfitted with electricity, still considered a novelty during the Gilded Age. This tour requires a separate ticket from The Breakers' audio tour and is best suited for visitors 13 years and older. Advance reservations are recommended.

Local tip: As The Breakers is the most visited mansion in Newport, a good time to visit is either when it opens or toward the end of the day, especially in the busiest summer months. The early evening light can be ideal for photos, but plan accordingly as the house and grounds close one hour after the last tour admission. Before you visit, save time by downloading the free Newport Mansions tour app.

Check prices & availability on:

Marble House

Price: Adults from $25; kids from $10

Standout perk: While it's hard to rival the splendor of Marble House, the Chinese Tea House on the end of the mansion's lawn parallel to Cliff Walk is an unexpected visual delight. For an additional fee, Marble House visitors can enjoy sandwiches and refreshments at the cafe at the Chinese Tea House or make a reservation for brunch and afternoon tea service, offered on weekends May through December. The service is operated by Stoneacre Restaurants, which owns two popular restaurants in downtown Newport.

From the moment visitors walk under the four towering Corinthian columns fronting this mansion, they know they are in for a treat. Like other Newport Mansions audio tours, Marble House has a self-guided tour available via the organization's free app, allowing visitors to peruse the property at their own pace.

Inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles , Marble House is an architectural masterpiece. Made from 500,000 cubic feet of marble, the mansion was a 39th birthday present from businessman and philanthropist William K. Vanderbilt to his wife Alva. He spared no expense for their summer escape. Later in life, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont became a suffragist and hosted events at Marble House in support of women's right to vote. Viewers of the popular HBO series "The Gilded Age" may recognize rooms in the mansion as it was used for filming and also inspired sets.

Local tip: Don't miss the ballroom on the first floor – while it's not the largest in Newport, it's widely considered the most ornate, with gilt details from floor to ceiling.

Standout perk: While The Elms is spectacular, its formal gardens – 10 acres' worth – are extraordinary, complete with nearly 40 species of trees plus terraces, gazebos, fountains and colorful blooms, depending on the time of year.

Fashioned after an 18th-century French chateau, The Elms is a must-visit mansion, from the sun-soaked conservatory and the drawing room to the handsome library and the breakfast room bearing Chinese-style lacquered wall panels. A self-guided audio tour is available in nearly a dozen languages, but any fan of "Downton Abbey" or those curious about life behind the scenes of Newport's mansions will appreciate the Servant Life Tour at The Elms.

On this newly updated, guide-led tour, visitors start in the basement, where you'll see the operations of the house such as the kitchen and butler's pantry, all the way up to the domestic staff's living quarters on the third floor. Along the way, travelers will learn more about the personal lives of staff, and see rare photographs of servants at work and in their free time. You'll even get to learn about topics like immigration and labor disputes on this tour.

Local tip: The Servant Life Tour is not only fascinating, but you'll get the rare opportunity to go on The Elms' rooftop and be rewarded with an amazing and unexpected view of Newport Harbor.

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Rough Point

Price: Adults from $20; free for children 12 and younger

Standout perk: Rough Point sits at the southern end of Bellevue Avenue, so getting here allows you to enjoy views of both private mansions and those open to the public along the way. The mansion's oceanfront perch offers an uninterrupted view of the beautiful Cliff Walk Bridge, a stone arch bridge across the rocky inlet where Doris Duke would swim regularly.

Though a Gilded Age mansion through and through, Rough Point is perhaps best loved not for its grandeur but for its most famous resident: Doris Duke. The late heiress, collector and philanthropist – dubbed the "richest little girl in the world" when she was born – spent considerable time at Rough Point until her death in 1993. A self-guided audio tour leads visitors here through the art-filled home room by room, highlighting eclectic sculpture, family portraits, centuries-old tapestries, renowned furnishings and many pieces Duke collected as an avid world traveler.

While the formal rooms such as the Yellow Room and jaw-dropping Music Room are a sight, the ocean-facing Solarium affords the best views. Whether before or after your tour, visit the house tour on the website for photos and talks of Doris Duke at the home. Note that Rough Point is typically open seasonally from spring through mid-November.

Local tip: On Rough Point's grounds, you'll find a pair of life-size topiary camels inspired by Doris' pet Bactrian camels, Princess and Baby. Both enjoyed the summer months with the tobacco heiress at Rough Point and have become the unofficial mascots of the mansion. The Newport Restoration Foundation encourages taking a #camelgram photo with the Princess and Baby topiary to share on social media.

Dave Hansen | Courtesy of Newport Mansions

Standout perk: Rosecliff's signature feature – despite being home to Newport's largest ballroom, which hosted lavish society events throughout the Gilded Age – is its celebrated heart-shaped grand staircase.

Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, Rosecliff resumed tours in September 2023, much to the delight of Newport's visitors. Architect Stanford White, who was the mastermind behind Newport's historic Casino Theatre and myriad other important buildings, modeled the mansion after the Grand Trianon at Versailles for silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs. Its European influence is felt throughout.

Explore the mansion at your own pace via the self-guided audio tour on the free Newport Mansions app. Don't forget to look up in the ballroom, where the trompe l'oeil ceiling creates an air of whimsy and romance, making it the ideal setting for the filming parts of "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, as well as the more recent "27 Dresses."

Local tip: Rosecliff hosts many amazing events, including the annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival held in September, which features dinners, events and seminars with wines and other libations from around the world.

Note: Rosecliff will have free admission in July and August 2024 as the second floor will be closed to the public during this time.

Chateau-sur-Mer

Standout perk: An audio tour is your guide to this National Historic Landmark, considered Newport's first true mansion. Learn about the lives of the Wetmore family members who lived there for more than a century.

Until the arrival of the Vanderbilt houses in Newport in the 1890s, Chateau-sur-Mer was considered the seaside city's most palatial residence. Today, visitors can explore the home, an Italianate-style villa built for wealthy China trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore, who did quite a bit of entertaining at this summer cottage.

Local tip: While Chateau-sur-Mer is essentially a Victorian Era time capsule, the mansion's grounds are home to amazing tree specimens, shrubs and more, including a striking weeping beech tree. If you explore deeper into the grounds, you'll find a cool circular maze made from mounds of grass; this earthwork by artist Richard Fleischner is known as the "Sod Maze" and makes for a relaxing place to meditate.

What to do nearby

In addition to the historic mansions, Newport offers a variety of historic attractions, walking trails and museums. To help you fully explore the area, here are some recommendations for things to see and where to eat.

Things to do:

• Wander along the Cliff Walk
• Visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Explore the historic Fort Adams
• Discover automotive history at Audrain Automobile Museum
• Explore The Sailing Museum
• Visit the Redwood Library and Athenæum
• Discover the oldest synagogue in the U.S.
• Browse the private collection at the Newport Car Museum

Nearby restaurant recommendations: 

• Breakfast: Annie's or Corner Cafe
• Lunch: Cru Cafe, Belle's Café or The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar
• Dinner: White Horse Tavern, Clarke Cooke House or Castle Hill Inn
• Drinks: Midtown Oyster Bar, The Roofdeck at the Vanderbilt or The Living Room at The Chanler

Frequently Asked Questions

You will need to pay for entry to many of the Newport Mansions. However, driving or walking by is free.

Yes. Driving is one way to get from one mansion to another. You can also choose to take a self-drive tour to see the different mansions and learn about area history.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel 

Andrea McHugh is a travel and lifestyle writer based in Newport, Rhode Island, where the famed mansions of the Gilded Age are common sights along her daily run in the City by the Sea. Though she regularly visits the mansions as they play host to local business and social events, such as the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, Newport Classical Music Festival and Newport Film, she spent a recent "staycation" touring these turn-of-the-century behemoths to write this article.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Things to Do in Rhode Island
• The Top Things to Do in New Hampshire
• The Top Things to Do in Maine
• The Top Things to Do in Vermont

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The Newport Mansions

Channel your inner Crawley and get a taste of America's own Downton Abbey lifestyle in the opulent and iconic Newport Mansions . Meticulously preserved, and in some cases with museum-quality art collections, these grand summer "cottages" of the Gilded Age's rich and famous are a must-see. And if you love this period in history or costumed dramas in general, you won't want to miss HBO's hit, The Gilded Age by Downton creator Julian Fellowes - and filmed in Rhode Island's own Newport Mansions! Watch the show and then visit the gorgeous, historically authentic, and beautifully preserved settings where the scenes were filmed. See below for more information on The Gilded Age . Go to The Preservation Society of Newport County to book your Gilded Age tour to explore the show's settings in person!

The Gilded Age 

From creator Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”), HBO’s  THE GILDED AGE  is available to stream on HBO Max. Written by Julian Fellowes and Sonja Warfield, and directed by Michael Engler and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, the nine-episode drama series stars an ensemble cast of Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, with Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski.

The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, HBO’s The Gilded Age begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook (Jacobson) moving from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her thoroughly old money aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Baranski) and Ada Brook (Nixon). Accompanied by Peggy Scott (Benton), an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George (Spector) and Bertha Russell (Coon). Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?

Credits : Creator/writer/executive producer, Julian Fellowes; executive producer, Gareth Neame; director/executive producer, Michael Engler; executive producer, David Crockett; director/executive producer Salli Richardson-Whitfield; Writer/Co-Executive Producer Sonja Warfield. THE GILDED AGE is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

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The Grandest Historic Mansions to Visit Across the United States

Roxanna is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com.

All open to the public, you can tour the interior of these luxury establishments to admire their size and number of rooms. From state to state, these are as beautiful as they are significant in U.S. history.

Time travel may not be possible, but we can experience the next best thing by visiting historic mansions. These living museums preserve history by keeping the way of life from the era in which the former residents lived on display.

Simple curiosity is the main reason for the popularity of historic house tours. It's human nature to be curious, even nosy, about the people who live beyond those wrought iron gates, those tall white pillars, that mass of fragrant wisteria. House tours provide a healthy—and legal—outlet for our inquisitiveness while benefiting the organizations that work to keep history alive. Kitty Robinson of the Historic Charleston Foundation explains, "I think people love to see what other families have done with these historic homes to make them livable. Toddlers really do live in eighteenth century living rooms." Tours also offer rare opportunities for amateur and professional collectors , gardeners, designers, and history buffs to see what might not be found in books, magazines, or museums. "People go for inspiration," says Sandra Soule, the editor of America's Wonderful Little Hotels and Inns guidebook series.

Many of these properties had to temporarily close their doors to the public at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that some of the restrictions have eased and states are reopening to tourists, historic mansions have also begun allowing the public to visit their sites again. And these house tours can be found all over the country this summer, from Providence, Rhode Island, to Pasadena, California. Cicero once asked, "What is more agreeable than one's home?" For a vacation, maybe someone else's.

Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York

This historic mansion is also a luxury hotel, which means you enjoy a royal European experience right in New York. Oheka Castle was built in 1919 as a summer home for Otto Hermann Kahn.

Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut

See where Mark Twain lived. The house is open for tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays but tickets should be purchased in advance. If you're not ready to travel just yet, know that it's also possible to go on a virtual tour.

George Washington's Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, Virginia

George Washington lived in this home that was 10 times the size of most other homes in West Virginia. Currently, only the first floor is open again for tours and tickets need to be purchased ahead of time.

Fairlawn Mansion in Superior, Wisconsin

Tours are limited to 12 people per tour, but if you're able to get inside, the Fairlawn Mansion is worth a visit. A gorgeous Victorian house that was first occupied by private residents from 1890 to 1920, the property went on to become a Children's Home for 42 years. Today, it's the perfect place to learn about this region's history.

The Ringling Mansion in Sarasota, Florida

Behold the home of the famous circus leader: the mansion called Ca' d'Zan . Once the winter home of circus impresario John Ringling (the name means "John's House" in Venetian dialect), this 1920s Venetian-Gothic-style villa was the romantically crumbling backdrop for the 1998 film Great Expectations . Today, fully restored, it's a museum and a scene-stealing home, where you can stand on the bay-front terrace.

Highlands Ranch Mansion in Highlands Ranch, Colorado

See a working ranch with history in action at the Highlands Ranch Mansion . Featuring historic barns, ranch houses and more on the property, it's like walking into a Weatern fairy tale.

Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright in Mill Run, Pennsylvania

Built in 1935 by Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater served as a weekend home for the couple that owned Kaufmann's Department Store. The architecture is beautiful and a sight to behold.

Bingham-Hanna Mansion and the Hay-McKinney Mansion in Cleveland, Ohio

These two mansions are part of the Cleveland History Center and are works of art. Artifacts from the early 1900s, when the homes were built, give visitors a glimpse into the past.

Prospect Place in Trinway, Ohio

This historic mansion was a stop along the Underground Railroad. George Adams lived there with his wife, and abolitionists would meet in his parlor.

Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

In addition to a gorgeous mansion, the Biltmore Estate features 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds. George Vanderbilt's former home, the property has a whopping 250 rooms and was completed in 1895.

The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island

The Italian Renaissance–style villa was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family and the grandest of the Gilded Age summer homes in Newport. Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt to replace an existing wood structure, the 70-room, four-story home was decorated by Ogden Codman, Jr. and completed in 1895. Today, the Breakers is owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County, which offers access to a number of historic homes in the area, including another Hunt design, Marble House, which was built for Vanderbilt's brother.

The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts

Author Edith Wharton took inspiration from Belton House in England, as well as French and Italian influences, when designing the house and grounds at the Mount , which was built with architects Ogden Codman, Jr., her coauthor of the book The Decoration of Houses, and Francis L.V. Hoppin. Wharton lived and worked there for 10 years before she and her husband, Teddy, sold the property in 1911. The Mount was declared a National Historic landmark in 1971 and is now a cultural center dedicated to Wharton's life and work.

Bayou Bend Collection and Garden in Houston, Texas

Philanthropist Ima Hogg and her brothers built the mansion in the River Oaks area of Houston between 1927 and 1928. Texas architect John F. Staub designed the house, taking inspiration from 18th-century Georgian and Spanish Creole architecture. The home's 14 acres of gardens mix formal landscape design with natural woodlands. Hogg donated the property to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and it is now a house museum showcasing American paintings and decorative arts.

Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee

They didn't call him "The King" for nothing. More than 40 years after his death, both fans and those curious about this pop culture phenom are still flocking to Elvis Presley's Graceland home. Yes, the Jungle Room always draws a crowd, but there's more to what is now deemed Elvis Presley's Memphis at Graceland than his former living quarters. After touring the Graceland mansion, guests can also visit several adjacent museums, including those housing celebrity memorabilia from his career, favorite automobiles he owned and even his private jets named the "Lisa Marie" and "Hound Dog II." Guest quarters are also a part of the complex for those wanting an overnight experience.

Vizcaya in Miami, Florida

Built between 1914 and 1922, Vizcaya was the winter residence of industrial executive James Deering. The Miami home boasts a design meant to look like a time-worn Italianate villa complete with grottos and bridges. The surrounding gardens are based on Italian and French examples incorporating flora suited for a subtropical setting. Unlike many other historic mansions converted to museums, Vizcaya still has most of its original decor. Visitors enjoy perusing 34 decorated rooms showcasing more than 2,500 art objects collected by Deering, and furnishings that have been in the home for more than 100 years.

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18 of America’s Best Historic Homes to Visit

By Elizabeth Stamp

America’s historic houses are a key part of the country’s heritage. Stepping inside one of these well-preserved homes gives visitors a glimpse of architectural achievements, as well as the lifestyles and traditions of the past. Whether you’re a fan of the founding fathers, a literature buff, or a connoisseur of the modernist masters, there are plenty of pedigreed properties to visit across the country. From 18th-century plantations on the East Coast to 20th-century mansions owned by California’s elite, America’s historic homes offer a look at the past while showcasing art, artifacts, and gardens that are as spectacular as the homes they accompany. They also provide an intimate look at the lives of their notable owners, including Edith Wharton, Frederic Edwin Church, Harriet Tubman, and Philip Johnson. Discover some of the best historic homes in the United States and start planning a trip back in time.

Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (Auburn, New York)

In the late 1850s, abolitionist Harriet Tubman purchased property in Auburn, New York, from Senator William Seward and moved there with her parents from Canada, where they had been living since 1851. She returned to the home following the Civil War, and in 1896 she purchased 25 acres of adjacent land to create the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged. She deeded the property to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in 1903. Today, her residence, the home for the aged, and the Thompson AME Zion Church make up the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, which was established in 2017.

Biltmore (Asheville, North Carolina)

Known as America’s largest home, Biltmore House boasts 250 rooms and the square footage of four football fields. The massive manse was built by George Vanderbilt, in collaboration with architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, over a period of six years. The 8,000-acre estate now includes a winery and a village with a hotel, shops, and restaurants.

The Breakers (Newport, Rhode Island)

The Italian Renaissance–style villa was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his family and the grandest of the Gilded Age summer homes in Newport. Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt to replace an existing wood structure, the 70-room, four-story home was decorated by Ogden Codman, Jr. and completed in 1895. Today the Breakers is owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County, which offers access to a number of historic homes in the area, including another Hunt design, Marble House, which was built for Vanderbilt’s brother.

The Oaks (Tuskegee, Alabama)

Completed in 1900, the Oaks was the home of educator and author Booker T. Washington at the Tuskegee Institute , where he served as the first president. The Queen Anne Revival–style house was built by students and local craftsmen and was the first residence in Macon County to be equipped with electricity and steam heating. In 1974, Congress established the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, which includes the Oaks, the George Washington Carver Museum, and the university grounds.

By Erika Owen

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Hearst Castle (San Simeon, California)

Created by architect Julia Morgan and newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the 165-room estate overlooking the California town of San Simeon showcases a magnificent collection of art and antiquities, as well as 123 acres of terraces, gardens, and pools, including the iconic Neptune Pool. The property is now a house museum and a California State Park where visitors can explore different aspects of Hearst Castle’s history, from its art and architecture to its heyday as a retreat for Hollywood’s biggest names.

Langston Hughes House (New York)

The top floor of the Italianate brownstone on East 127th Street in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood was home to the acclaimed poet, playwright, and novelist Langston Hughes for the last 20 years of his life. The 1869 building was where the Harlem Renaissance leader wrote I Wonder As I Wander and Montage of a Dream Deferred. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and from 2016 to 2019 it was home to the I, Too Arts Collective .

The Mount (Lenox, Massachusetts)

Author Edith Wharton took inspiration from Belton House in England, as well as French and Italian influences, when designing the house and grounds at the Mount , which was built with architects Ogden Codman, Jr., her coauthor of the book The Decoration of Houses , and Francis L.V. Hoppin. Wharton lived and worked there for 10 years before she and her husband, Teddy, sold the property in 1911. The Mount was declared a National Historic landmark in 1971 and is now a cultural center dedicated to Wharton’s life and work.

Monticello (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Thomas Jefferson began construction on his plantation, Monticello , in 1769 and found inspiration in the work of Andrea Palladio, as well as in ancient and Renaissance architecture. He later enlarged and remodeled the house beginning in 1796. The 43-room estate was Jefferson’s home until his death in 1826. Monticello is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum, where visitors can view exhibitions about Jefferson, the estate, and the enslaved people who lived and worked there.

Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home (Atlanta)

Built in 1895, this Queen Anne–style home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta was later purchased by Rev. Adam Daniel Williams. Williams’s daughter Christine and her husband, Michael King, would have three children there, including Michael Jr., who would later become known as Martin Luther King Jr. The civil rights leader would spend his first 12 years in the home and after his assassination in 1968, it was restored and turned into a museum. In January of 2018, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, which includes the house, was designated a national historic park and later that year, the house was purchased by the National Park Foundation.

Gamble House (Pasadena, California)

Designed by architects Charles and Henry Greene for David and Mary Gamble, the Gamble house is one of the best examples of American Arts and Crafts architecture. The home was completed in 1908. It became a museum after it was deeded to the city of Pasadena and the University of Southern California in 1966. The home and its original furniture, which was also designed by Greene & Greene, have been beautifully conserved and the exterior was restored in the early 2000s.

Olana State Historic Site (Hudson, New York)

Painter Frederic Edwin Church designed his home in the Hudson River Valley on a hilltop site with the help of architect Calvert Vaux. Church was inspired by his travels, and incorporated Middle Eastern motifs (specifically Persian) alongside the Victorian architecture. The 250-acre estate is now a National Historic Landmark; the house showcases work by Church and the artist’s collection of decorative arts.

The African Meeting House (Boston)

The oldest surviving Black church in America, the African Meeting House—also known as First Independent Baptist Church and the African Baptist Church of Boston—was built in 1806 on Boston’s Becon Hill. Many well-known abolitionists spoke at the meeting house, including Frederick Douglass, Sarah Grimké, and William Lloyd Garrison, who founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society there in 1932. The building is now owned and operated by the Museum of African American History and is the final stop on the Black Heritage Trail.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (Miami)

The waterfront villa in Miami was built by James Deering, who hired artist and interior designer Paul Chalfin to create his vacation home with the help of architect Francis Burrall Hoffman Jr. Following Deering’s death in 1925, the estate served as a private, and later public, museum. The main house showcases more than 2,500 furnishings, artwork, and objects, and visitors can also explore the 10 acres of formal gardens, as well as forests and an impressive orchid collection.

Paul Laurence Dunbar House (Dayton, Ohio)

Acclaimed poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar purchased this 1894 brick home in Dayton, Ohio, in 1904 and lived there until his death in 1906. Following the death of his mother in 1934, the house was purchased by the state, and in 1936 it was designated as the first state memorial honoring an African American. The home is open to the public and displays Dunbar’s personal belongings, including the desk where he wrote much of his work, a sword given to him by President Theodore Roosevelt, and a bicycle built by his friends Orville and Wilbur Wright.

The Glass House (New Canaan, Connecticut)

Architect Philip Johnson’s home in Connecticut is an icon of modern architecture. The Glass House , completed in 1949, was revolutionary for its integration into the landscape and its use of materials. The 49-acre property is home to 14 structures, built between 1949 and 1995, including a sculpture gallery, a studio, and Ghost House, an architectural folly. The estate also hosts an impressive selection of 20th-century artwork collected by Johnson and his partner, curator David Whitney, including pieces by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Drayton Hall (Charleston, South Carolina)

Set on the Ashley River, Drayton Hall was founded in 1738 and is now the oldest unrestored plantation house in America. The house is the first example of Palladian architecture in the country and is displayed unfurnished to allow the original materials and architectural details to take center stage. Today the estate is a National Trust for Historic Preservation site, and guests can tour the house and grounds, which includes one of the country’s oldest African-American cemeteries.

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens (Houston)

Philanthropist Ima Hogg and her brothers built the mansion in the River Oaks area of Houston between 1927 and 1928. Texas architect John F. Staub designed the house, taking inspiration from 18th-century Georgian and Spanish Creole architecture. The home’s 14 acres of gardens mix formal landscape design with natural woodlands. Hogg donated the property to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and it is now a house museum showcasing American paintings and decorative arts .

George Washington's Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, Virginia)

George and Martha Washington’s plantation home was originally built by the president’s father in 1734. Washington expanded the house over 45 years, beginning in 1754, and transformed the one-and-a-half story house into a 21-room mansion. Many of the buildings on the property have been restored or reconstructed, such as the outbuildings where enslaved men and women worked, and a museum showcases artifacts from Washington’s life and presidency.

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20 of the Most Remarkable American Mansions

Mansions are indeed fascinating, especially to most of us who are outsiders to the opulent lifestyle they represent.

But more than wealth and luxury, each of these mansions have their own unique stories and secrets; sometimes mundane and sometimes scandalous.

If the mansions’ stories don’t fascinate you, their size, grandeur, and design would.

In today’s blog post, take a visual journey through the most historic, famous, and iconic American mansions.

Plantation Homes

A plantation complex is composed of different buildings and structures that are commonly found on agricultural plantations in the southern states from the 17th century into the 20th century.

Typically, a plantation complex has the main house, often called plantation home, a slave quarters and other residential structures, a kitchen yard, ancillary structures (such as offices, schoolhouses, or churches) and agricultural structures (such as storage barns, stables, or cotton presses).

Historically, plantations are a huge part of American history, particularly African-American history. Large numbers of African-Americans were held as slaves in these plantations while their white owners got rich off their labor.

Many plantation houses standing today feature antebellum architecture, which is a neoclassical architectural style characterized by huge pillars, a wide balcony, and big center entrances to multiple-story, box-like mansions.

Below are some of the most notable plantation homes in America.

1. Evergreen Plantation (Edgard, Louisiana)

The Evergreen Plantation is the most intact plantation complex in the South and one of the rare ones still operating as a sugarcane plantation.

The main house was built in 1790 and renovated in 1832 in the Greek Revival style with some Federal accents. Its most distinctive feature being the double staircase on the front of the house.

There’s also a double row of 22 slave cabins that have been maintained through the years and help tell the history of the African-Americans who were once enslaved here but were freed after the Civil War and continued to work in the plantation.

Though it’s a National Historic Landmark (the highest historical designation that can be bestowed on a place), the Evergreen Plantation is privately owned and fully functional, meaning people actually live and work in the grounds. However, the main house and the slave quarters are still available to tour.

Their tour touches on the family history of the owners, the architectural and historical significance of the buildings on the complex, the agricultural aspect of the plantation, and most importantly, the labor of the enslaved African-Americans that was crucial to operating such an enormous plantation.

Essential Information Address: 4677 LA-18, Edgard, LA | 985-497-3837 Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am-11am; 11:15am-12:45pm; 1pm-2:30pm; 2:45pm-4:15pm Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Cost: $20 per head for adults; c Website: Evergreen Plantation Note: The plantation may be closed when there are no scheduled tours or for private events, so book in advance through their website or by calling.

2. Whitney Plantation (Garyville, Louisiana)

The Whitney Plantation Historic District is America’s first slavery museum and the only plantation museum in Louisiana to solely focus on the lives of enslaved people.

In 1990, John Cummings bought the plantation from a petrochemical company and spent millions of his own money and 14 years researching and developing the property into a museum and memorial dedicated to telling the tragic story of slavery in America from the eyes of the enslaved.

Working with famed historian Ibrahima Seck as the director of research, Cummings collected plenty of artifacts and research materials and formally opened the plantation to the public in December 2014.

Sixteen original structures remain on site. Visitors can view the French Creole-style Big House, two slave cabins, a steel jail, a Baptist church donated and moved from Paulina, Louisiana, and various memorials, including the Field of Angels, the Allées Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, and the Wall of Honor.

Essential Information Address: 5099 LA-18, Edgard, LA | 225-265-3300 Hours: Mon-Sun; first tour starts at 10am and the last tour starts at 3pm Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Cost: $25 per head for adults; discounts available for children, students, military, seniors, and locals of the same parish Website: Whitney Plantation

3. Oak Alley Plantation (Vacherie, Louisiana)

Oak Alley Plantation is named for the double row of southern live oaks creating an alley from the Mississippi River up to the main house.

The main mansion was finished in 1839, done in Greek Revival-style architecture, with a distinct colonnade of Doric columns all around the exterior. The mansion itself has a square floor plan.

The first owners, Jacques Roman acquired the property in 1836 and had the mansion built.

During this time, the most noted slave in the plantation named Antoine developed the “paper shell” pecan through grafting. It was even entered in the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia where it won a prize. It thus became known as the Centennial variety.

Unfortunately, the plantation where the pecan trees were cultivated washed away in a river break in the 1990s and none of the original Centennial pecans survived.

After Jacques Roman passed away, he left it to his wife Celina. She didn’t know how to manage a sugar plantation, though, and it ended up in auction. The subsequent owners could not afford the upkeep and the buildings fell into disrepair.

In 1925, Andrew Stewart bought the plantation as a gift to his wife, Josephine Armstrong Stewart. The Stewarts commissioned architect Richard Koch to supervise extensive restoration and modernization of the buildings.

When Josephine Stewart died in 1972, she willed the historic house and grounds to the Oak Alley Foundation. Their mission is to educate the public about the history of the sugarcane plantation, its owners, and its place in a bygone era characterized by wealth but marred by slavery.

Places that are available to tour are the Big House, a formal garden, the Slavery Exhibit, the Sugarcane Exhibit and Theatre, the Blacksmith Shop, and the Civil War Tent.

A restaurant and inn are also available on the grounds, in case you want to dine and stay overnight in the plantation.

Essential Information Address: 3645 LA-18, Vacherie, LA | 225-265-2151 Hours: Mon-Sun 9am-5pm Duration: 2 hours Cost: $25 per head for adults; discounts available for children, students, military, seniors, first responders, and teachers Website: Oak Alley Plantation

There are more plantations along LA-18, which we touch upon in our post about the best things to do in Louisiana .

4. Belle Grove Plantation (Shenandoah Valley, Virginia)

Belle Grove Plantation is known as the home of Major Isaac Hite, Jr. and as the headquarters of General Philip Sheridan during the Battle of Cedar Creek.

The history of the plantation dates back to when son Isaac Hite, Sr., the son of a German immigrant, bought 483 acres of land in the Shenandoah Valley, southwest of Middletown.

When his son Isaac Jr. got married to Nelly Conway Madison, President James Madison’s sister, Isaac Sr. gifted them the land. They developed the land into a grain and livestock plantation and had the Manor House built in 1797.

The Manor House features a grand portico with columns, glass transoms that bring natural light into the rooms, and a T-shaped hallway, allowing for ventilation from all four sides. President Thomas Jefferson contributed these design ideas, which he had actually used for his own home constructed earlier.

After Isaac Jr. died, it was occupied several times during the war, the most notable of whom is General Sheridan, who lived here in 1864. Another succession of owners lived in the house until 1929, when Francis Welles Hunnewell bought the property.

Hunnewell had the Manor House and the surrounding buildings restored in the 1930s and 1940s. When he died in 1964, he bequeathed the house, the surrounding 100 acres of land, and $100,000 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Today, it is part of the Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove National Historical Park. The Manor House, the outbuildings, and the surrounding landscape are all available to tour since they were opened to the public in 1967.

Essential Information Address: 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA | 540-869-2028 Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm (last tour at 3:15pm), Sun 1pm-5pm (last tour at 4:15pm) Cost: $12 per head for adults; discounts available for children, students, military, and seniors Website: Belle Grove Plantation

5. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina)

The Magnolia Plantation dates back to 1676, when Thomas and Ann Drayton built a house and a formal garden on the site. It grew and evolved through the years, but the plantation remains under the control of the Drayton family.

Magnolia began as a rice plantation but after the Civil War, its focus shifted to horticulture. In fact, it’s the oldest public garden, being open to visitors since 1870.

Today, the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is Charleston’s most visited plantation, offering tours of the plantation house, the expansive gardens, and an exhibit featuring African-American life in the plantation from their perspective.

Basic admission gets you access to the Historic Garden, Petting Zoo, The Conservatory, Orientation Theater, The Peacock Café, and the Gilliard Garden Center.

Additional guided tours are a separate cost each and include the Plantation House Tour, Nature Tram, Nature Boat, Audubon Swamp Garden, and Slavery to Freedom.

Essential Information Address: 3550 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC | 843-571-1266 Hours: Mon-Sun 9am–4pm Cost: Basic admission: $20 per head for adults; discounts available for children; Additional tour: $8 per additional tour per head for adults; discounts available for children Website: Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

6. Belle Meade Plantation (Nashville, Tennessee)

Belle Meade Plantation is a historic plantation that operated as a cotton and livestock farm. It dates way back to 1807, when John Harding bought Dunham’s Station log cabin and developed it into a plantation.

He named it Belle Meade, which means “beautiful meadow” in French. He began breeding and racing horses in the plantation. His son William inherited the property in 1839 and expanded it to the neighboring property.

The main house was first built in the 1820s as a red brick Federal-style house. When William took over, he had the house altered in a Greek-Revival style and applied stucco to cover the red bricks.

A two-story veranda was created with six limestone pillars, the left wing was removed, and the right wing was raised two stories.

A dairy, carriage house, stable, and a mausoleum were added to the plantation complex by the turn of the 20th century.

During the Civil War, Harding had to cease his breeding and racing operations. Confederate General James Chalmers occupied Belle Meade as his headquarters during the Battle of Nashville, and after the Civil War, Harding resumed his horse farming operations.

Belle Meade had many successful thoroughbred studs. In fact, a few of their bloodlines remain and dominate modern horse racing.

In 1953, after the plantation has turned over a few owners, the mansion, eight outbuildings, and the 30 remaining acres of the plantation were purchased by the State of Tennessee to ensure their preservation.

Nowadays, you can tour the mansion, the grounds, and the outbuildings. They also offer a Journey to Jubilee tour that educates visitors about the first African-Americans brought to Belle Meade and highlights their importance to the success of the plantation.

After touring, you can go for a free wine tasting at the winery on the grounds. If you want a more extensive wine tasting, you can also sample more wines and pair them with food for an additional fee.

Essential Information Address: 5025 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN | 615-356-0501 Hours: Mon-Sun 9am–5pm; last tour at 4pm Cost: Mansion-only tour: $24 per head for adults; discounts available for children and seniors; for other tours, see their list of tours Website: Belle Meade Plantation

7. Pebble Hill Plantation (Thomasville, Georgia)

Pebble Hill Plantation was built by Thomas Jefferson Johnson in 1825, first cultivating cotton, then rice. Upon his death, his daughter Julia Anne who managed the plantation with her husband John Mitchell.

In 1896, Melville Hanna acquired the property and eventually gave it to his daughter Kate in 1901, who then bequeathed the property to her daughter Elizabeth Ireland, known as Pansy.

She established and endowed the Pebble Hill Foundation in 1950 and willed that the entire estate be given to the foundation so it can be publicly opened as a museum and educate as many visitors as they can about life during that era.

The main house was first built in 1850 by architect John Wind, who was commissioned by the Johnsons. Eventually, in 1934, when the plantation was owned by Kate Benedict Hanna, the main house burned down.

Hanna then commissioned architect Abram Garfield to rebuild the house and he made it into the Neo-Georgian, Greek Revival style mansion that we know today.

The H-shaped configuration was retained, but the entire house was rebuilt in masonry to make it fire-resistant. The columns on the exterior are reminiscent of the Greek Revival style, while the plaster molding is reminiscent of Beaux-Arts architecture.

Today, the main house and the grounds are open to the public for tours.

Essential Information Address: 1251 US Highway 319 S, Thomasville, GA | 229-226-2344 Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 12pm–5pm; first tour starts at 10:30am, last tour starts at 4pm Cost: $16 per head for adults; discounts available for children Website: Pebble Hill Plantation

Gilded Age Mansions

The Gilded Age refers to the period between the Civil War and the turn of the twentieth century, when America experienced rapid economic growth.

The richest of the rich, such as the industrialists, bankers, and heirs to already-rich clans are the ones who most benefited from this economic growth, and they weren’t modest about it. They build lavish homes for themselves and vacation homes for the summer.

Gilded Age mansions usually feature European-inspired architecture and interiors, but what makes them uniquely American are the innovations that reflect the current technology at the time. These innovations include central heating, indoor plumbing, and showers.

The rich families also weren’t shy about displaying their wealth in their mansions; these would often have high ceilings, one or two sweeping staircases, marble floors, a separate reception room for receiving guests, and a huge ballroom, usually with crystal chandeliers and painted ceilings.

Here are some of the most famous Gilded Age mansions.

8. The Breakers (Newport, Rhode Island)

There’s no shortage of Gilded Age mansions in Newport, and The Breakers is the most popular of them all.

Cornelius Vanderbilt II bought a wooden house called The Breakers and commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a villa to replace the wooden-framed house. The result is an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo inspired by the 16th century palaces of Genoa and Turin.

Today, The Breakers is known to be the most lavish mansion in Newport and the signature symbol of the Gilded Age.

Essential Information Address: 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI | 401-847-1000 Hours: Vary depending on season; check this detailed, regularly updated calendar prior to your visit Cost: $26 per head for adults; discounts available for children Website: The Breakers

9. The Marble House (Newport, Rhode Island)

Marble House was built as a summer house (or “cottage,” as Newporters call them) and is largely credited as the summer house that begun the transformation of Newport from a sleepy town to a renowned district of stone mansions.

In short, it was the mansion that started it all.

Another Vanderbilt commissioned this mansion, namely, William K. Vanderbilt, Cornelius II’s younger brother. It was a gift for his wife, Alva, in honor of her 39th birthday.

Architect Richard Morris Hunt also worked on this mansion. Inspired by the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles, Marble House is one of the earliest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in America.

Its distinct façade features Corinthian pilasters that are two stories high, as well as arched windows and a monumental portico.

Essential Information Address: 596 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI | 401-847-1000 Hours: Vary depending on season; check this detailed, regularly updated calendar prior to your visit Cost: $18 per head for adults; discounts available for children Website: Marble House

10. Rosecliff (Newport, Rhode Island)

Rosecliff is named for the rose gardens along Cliff Walk that were planted by the original owner of the property, the historian, diplomat, and amateur horticulturist George Bancroft.

Theresa Fair Oelrichs, a silver heiress from Nevada, bought the Rosecliff property in 1891 and commissioned the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to design a summer home suitable for throwing extravagant parties.

Stanford White, the principal architect, modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon in Versailles. This is evident in the open-air colonnade at the center, the paired Ionic columns, pilasters on the second story, and the roofline balustrade concealing the staff quarters on the third floor.

The highlight of the mansion is the grand ballroom in the middle of the building. Measuring 40 feet by 80 feet, it was Newport’s largest ballroom where Theresa Fair Oelrichs threw the most memorable balls, securing her place as one of the greatest hostesses of Newport.

The magnificent ballroom has been featured in films such as True Lies and The Great Gatsby .

Essential Information Address: 548 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI | 401-847-1000 Hours: Vary depending on season; check this detailed, regularly updated calendar prior to your visit Cost: $18 per head for adults; discounts available for children Website: Rosecliff

Check out our article about Newport’s Gilded Age mansions to learn about more mansions you can tour in the area.

11. Lyndhurst (Tarrytown, New York)

First built in 1838, Lyndhurst was owned first by New York City mayor William Paulding, Jr. who hired architect Alexander Jackson Davis to design a mansion in the Gothic Revival style.

This architectural style is evident in the pointed roofs and windows, as well as the castle-like towers and parapets. At the time, this type of design wasn’t very common, and so critics called it Paulding’s Folly for a while.

It was then bought by George Merritt, who renamed it Lyndenhurst for the linden trees planted on the estate. He hired Davis again to double the size of the mansion.

Years after Merritt died, Jay Gould purchased Lyndenhurst as a summer home, shortened the name to Lyndhurst, and stayed there until he died in 1862. This is why Lyndhurst is also known as the Jay Gould estate.

Essential Information Address: 635 S Broadway, Tarrytown, NY | 914-631-4481 Hours: Thu–Mon 10am–4pm Cost: Apr to Sep: $20 per head for adults; discounts available for children, seniors, military, and students; Oct to Dec: $24 per head for adults; discounts available for children, seniors, military, and students Website: Lyndhurst Mansion

12. Vizcaya Museum And Gardens (Miami, Florida)

Formerly known as Villa Vizcaya, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a sprawling estate developed to conserve the surrounding mangrove swamps and tropical forests.

James Deering, a known conservationist, developed the property from 1914 to 1922. Architect F. Burrall Hoffman designed the estate in the Mediterranean Revival style, influenced by Tuscan Italian Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

When Deering died in 1925, his descendants sold off the surrounding parcels of land one by one. Presently, the main house, formal gardens, and the village are now owned by Miami-Dade county, including the art, antiques, and furnishings.

Today, you can tour the museum and the lovely gardens outside.

Essential Information Address: 3251 South Miami Ave., Miami FL | 305-250-9133 Hours: Wed-Mon 9:30am-4:30pm; Tue closed Cost: $22 per head for adults; discounts available for seniors, children, students, wheelchair users; Free for military with ID and children 5 and under Website: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

If you plan to spend a weekend in Miami to visit this mansion, try our Miami weekend itinerary .

13. Lynnewood Hall (Elkins Park, Pennsylvania)

Lynnewood Hall was built between 1897 and 1900 for Peter AB Widener, a well-known tycoon. Architect Horace Trumbauer designed this grand home for Widener and his children after he lost his wife.

Trumbauer designed the T-shaped mansion in the Neoclassical style of architecture, inspired by Prior Park in Bath, England, and Ballingarry in New Jersey.

The interiors were furnished with the most expensive materials: walnut and marble, silk and velvet, Persian rugs and Chinese pottery. Art by Raphael, Rembrandt, El Greco, and other notable artists adorned the walls.

Tragically, Peter Widener’s son George and grandson Harry lost their lives when the Titanic sank in 1912, followed by Peter Widener himself in 1915. Joseph, the only surviving son, took over the property and maintained the extensive art collection.

When Joseph Widener died in 1943, neither one of his children wanted to take on the responsibility of maintaining the mansion and the assets. It was abandoned until 1952, when a religious group bought it.

To raise funds, the religious group sold off the assets, such as the mantels, artwork, and even the landscape sculptures.

Subsequent property tax troubles with the next owners of the mansion resulted in the mansion to be in the market since 2014. At 70,000 square feet, it is the largest surviving Gilded Age mansion in the Philadelphia area, and currently the largest home for sale in the United States.

So if you have an extra $11 million lying around (and an extra $100,000 a year for taxes), you can buy this mansion and have a piece of history, albeit a tragic one.

Essential Information Address: 900-934 Spring Ave, Elkins Park, PA

Biggest Mansions

Megamansions never cease to amaze and intrigue us. Here are the biggest American mansions to date.

14. Biltmore Estate (Asheville, North Carolina)

At 178,000 square feet, the Biltmore Estate is the largest privately-owned home in the United States.

Technically a Gilded Age mansion, architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the Biltmore House Châteauesque-style, reminiscent of the French chateaus in the 16th century.

This is evident in the steep roofs, towers or turrets with conical roofs, the metal cresting on roof ridges, and the arched windows and doors.

George Washington Vanderbilt II and his wife Edith lived in their luxurious family home until his death in 1914. The massive estate remains under the control of the Vanderbilt’s descendants, with The Biltmore Company as the registered owner and family members serving as board members.

Presently, three floors of the Biltmore House, the surrounding gardens, and the winery are available to tour. You can choose among a variety of tours that take you to different parts of the house and the grounds, as well as self-guided, guided, or private tours.

Also, there are various outdoor activities you can do, such as hiking, biking, carriage rides, sporting clays, fly fishing, river rafting, horseback riding, and falconry. Kids can learn about farm animals or simply play on the huge playgrounds.

If you’re feeling tired from the tour, you might want to try out their luxurious spa treatments or even stay overnight in the Village Hotel, The Inn, or Cottage.

Essential Information Address: 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC | 800-411-3812 Hours: Mon–Sun 9am–5pm Cost: Varies depending on the tours or activities you want to do; check out their list of available tours and activities Website: Biltmore

Planning a trip to Asheville, or planning to stop there for a night while on a road trip? Check out our article on what you can do with one day in Asheville .

15. Oheka Castle (West Hills, New York)

Oheka Castle is a Gilded Age, Châteauesque-style mansion that’s now a luxury hotel.

In 1914, financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn commissioned the architectural firm Delano & Aldrich to design a country home, specifically asking for the structure to be fireproof, as he lost his previous home in a fire some time ago.

The castle was completed in 1919 and from then on has been the second-largest private residence in America. Oheka Castle is named for the first syllables of O tto He rmann Ka hn’s name.

French influences are seen all over the house, from the steep roofs to the arched windows and doors. The grand staircase leading to the second floor was inspired by the Chateau de Fountainbleu in Paris, France.

The mansion sits atop the highest point in Cold Spring Harbor, providing residents a breathtaking view of Cold Spring Harbor and Cold Spring Hills.

The grounds were designed by the Olmsted Brothers and included a formal sunken garden, an 18-hole golf course, a greenhouse complex, tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, orchards, stables, and even a landing strip.

After Kahn’s death in 1934, ownership of the estate turned over a few times before finally being bought by Gary Melius, who renovated the house and restored the gardens using the original plans by the Olmsted brothers.

Today, after the $40 million restoration project, Oheka Castle is now a luxury hotel, conference center, and a weddings and events venue. It’s also been the filming location for plenty of music videos, movies, and TV specials.

They offer a guided Historic Mansion Tour that offers limited access to the estate and gardens, followed by coffee, tea, and cookies.

Essential Information Address: 135 W Gate Dr, Huntington, NY | 631-659-1400 Hours: Mon-Su, 11am-12pm Cost: Historic Mansion Tour: $25 per head for adults; discounts available for children, students, seniors, and hotel guests Website: Oheka Castle

16. Arden House (Harriman, New York)

Arden House is a sprawling estate known as America’s first conference center.

It’s unique among the other Gilded Age mansions in that it’s an entirely American mansion—the carved wood, paintings, tapestries, marbles, stone, granite, and sculptures were all sourced from, and made, in the United States.

The Arden estate was first owned by Peter Pearse Parrott and was named after his wife, Mary Antoinette Arden. Edward Henry Harriman bought the property in 1886. Over the next several years, he bought up forty different parcels of land in the area, and increased the land area of his estate to 28,000 acres.

Harriman commissioned Carrère and Hastings to design what is now Arden House. Construction began in 1905 and was finished in 1909. Sadly, Harriman only lived in it for a few months before he died.

The house had a ton of rooms, including a grand ballroom, a library, a large formal dining room, a bar, as well as numerous bathrooms and bedrooms. The most elaborate and the most preserved of the rooms is the music room styled in Gothic-style architecture.

The Harriman family lived in the estate until 1933, after which they allowed the US Navy to use the Arden House as a convalescent hospital during the Second World War.

In 1950, the Harriman family donated the property to Columbia University, who used it as the “home of The American Assembly,” making it America’s first conference center.

Subsequent owners turned it into a public space, with the intent of eventually selling it to the State of New York, but the plan never materialized.

It is currently owned by the Research Center on Natural Conservation, a Chinese-backed nonprofit organization, who turned the mansion back into a conference center, just as it once was.

Essential Information Address: Harriman, NY Website: Arden House

Strange And Unusual Mansions

From creepy mansions with paranormal backstories to mansions that can withstand hurricanes, here are some of the most curious and odd American mansions.

17. Winchester Mystery House (San Jose, California)

In case you’re wondering, yes, this house belonged to a member of the Winchesters of firearms fame.

William Wirt Winchester was the treasurer of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. He was married to Sarah Winchester. They had an infant daughter who tragically died of marasmus, and William himself died of tuberculosis in 1881.

Legend has it that a Boston psychic convinced Sarah that her family was being haunted by ghosts of those who were killed by Winchester rifles.

The same psychic told her that the only way to appease these spirits is to move out of her home in New Haven, Connecticut, move west to California, and continuously build a home for herself and the spirits.

Sarah followed the psychic’s advice and bought a small eight-room farmhouse in San Jose, California.

After her husband’s death, Sarah Winchester inherited more than $20 million plus an almost 50% ownership of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, giving her an income of around $1,000 per day. This fortune kept the construction and renovation of her mansion going until her death in 1922.

By the time she was done, the Winchester was a modern marvel with indoor plumbing, hot showers, elevators, and central heating. From 8 rooms, she expanded the house to have 160 rooms, 40 bedrooms, and 2 basements.

More unusually, the mansion contained doors that lead nowhere, staircases that lead straight to ceilings, a Tiffany glass window in a wall where it’ll get no light, and numerous secret passages. A recurring theme in the house is the number 13 and spider web motifs.

After Sarah’s death, the house was auctioned off and then leased by John and Mayme Brown, who then bought the property for themselves after 10 years. They opened the house to the public in 1923, with Mayme Brown serving as the property’s first tour guide.

Today, the Winchester Mansion is owned by Winchester Investments LLC, a company representing the interests of the Browns’ descendants.

The story of Sarah Winchester and her eccentric house has intrigued millions of visitors all over the world, making the house one of the most popular American mansions to visit. Guided tours are available to see more than a hundred rooms in the house.

Essential Information Address: 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA | 408-247-2000 Hours: Mon-Sun open 9am; closing hours vary Cost: Varies depending on the tour you want to do; check out their list of their daily and seasonal tours Website: The Winchester Mystery House

18. Acqua Liana (Manalapan Beach, Florida)

Known as the largest, most opulent certified green mansion, Acqua Liana is a 15,000-square-foot mansion on 16 acres of oceanfront property in Manalapan, Florida, close to Palm Beach.

Designed by renowned real state artist Frank McKinney, Acqua Liana features waterfalls, water walls, water gardens, and water floors. A double helix glass staircase, a movie theater, and a 2,000 gallon aquarium bar are just some of the luxurious features of the mansion.

For all its unique features and enormous size, the mansion is certified “green” by three organizations: the US Green Building Council, the Florida Green Building Coalition and Energy Star for Homes. This makes this mansion the first ultra-luxury home to earn a triple certification.

The house was sold for $22.9 million a few years ago, but a brochure and a video tour are still available to provide a glimpse into this environment-friendly mansion.

Essential Information Address: 620 South Ocean Boulevard, Manalapan Beach, FL Website: Acqua Liana

19. Caveland (Festus, Missouri)

What is now known as Caveland started out as a mine on the side of a hill in the 1800s to the early 1900s and was converted into a roller skating rink and concert venue in 1958 by Sue Morris.

The venue closed in 1985 and was bought by the Sleeper family in 2003 from eBay, of all places.

They converted it into their family home, constructing a two-level, 5,000-square-foot house inside. The front chamber contains the living areas, the middle chamber has the laundry room and storage, and the back chamber still has the stage where performers entertained the roller skaters.

The house also features thirty-foot ceilings, large windows on the front to let in as much natural light as possible, and an indoor natural groundwater spring pool.

Its temperature is regulated naturally; no furnace or air conditioning was ever installed.

You can see photos of the construction and of the family on their official gallery .

It’s now listed for sale ; the Sleeper family is ready to downsize.

Essential Information Address: 215 Cave Dr, Festus, Missouri Website: Caveland

20. Eye of the Storm (Charleston, South Carolina)

The “Eye of the Storm” on Sullivan’s Island in Charleston is 230 feet from the beach, with a design that’s quite different from the other houses in Charleston.

Built in 1992, this dome-shaped house is energy-efficient and hurricane-proof. George Paul designed the house for his parents after they lost their house to a hurricane in 1989.

The side of the shell that faces the beach features large windows that provides a view of the beach and a maritime forest.

The dome and the interior design are inspired by the curves of seashells. It has 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, an elevator, a wet bar, a skylight, an 889-square-foot deck, and even a bank vault room.

It was renovated in 2018 and put up for sale for $5 million. You can view the photos of the mansion as well as the surrounding areas in their website.

Essential Information Address: 2851 Marshall Blvd, Sullivan’s Island, Charleston, SC Website: Eye of the Storm

Visit one of these American mansions soon!

Plan your next trip to gawk and tour one of these mansions! Or better yet, save up a few hundred thousand dollars and live in one.

Which of these American mansions intrigued you? Know of any mansions that we skipped? Tell us in the comments!

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Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

10 Beautiful Historic Mansions To Visit In The Midwest

Tim Trudell

• Activities and Interests
• Destinations
• History and Culture
• United States

Once the homes of land barons, bankers, railroad tycoons, and shipping magnates, giant mansions would often stand tall on bluffs and hills, overlooking towns across the Midwest, much like a king looking down on his fiefdom. With wings set aside for family members, entertaining, or other reasons, mansions showed the rest of the world how wealthy you were.

Today, several mansions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are museums of sorts, telling the stories of the families and their impacts on their communities.

Through our travels, both hosted and on our own, my wife and I have visited several mansions because we enjoy learning the backstory, as well as local history. The mansions I selected for this article are ones that really stood out to me, and show similarities and differences of communities across the region.

1. Seelye Mansion

Abilene, kansas.

From President Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Edison, celebrities and dignitaries often dined at Seelye Mansion . The 25-room estate was built in 1904 for Dr. A.B. Seelye and his wife, Jeannette. The couple often entertained visitors in the dining room, so as you walk through the room, you can imagine where the president may have sat, or even reflect on the fact that Edison, the famous inventor, sat at the table sharing a meal with the Seelyes. You’ll find a century-old Steinway piano that may be played by a tour guide. The home included a dance hall on one of the upper floors, where the Seelye family would host large parties. The family enjoyed bowling in its single-lane basement bowling alley. Dr. Seelye was also known for a series of medical patents, which are celebrated as part of a medical patent museum in the rear of the mansion. The Seelye Mansion is a must-see during the holiday season, when more than 750 nutcrackers and about 75 poinsettias are located throughout the magnificently decorated house. The Seelye Mansion has been recognized as one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas.”

2. Glensheen Mansion

Duluth, minnesota.

Nicknamed Duluth’s Downton Abbey, Glensheen Mansion ranks among our favorite mansions in the Midwest. With nearly 40 rooms, Glensheen Mansion features dark mahogany wood among its interior decor. The home, along with its contents, was donated to the University of Minnesota in 1979, so everything you see in the home once belonged to the Chester and Clara Congdon family. The rooms are well decorated and reveal what life was like along Lake Superior during the early 20th century. It’s a beautiful home with amazing views. As you tour the home, you’ll find views of Lake Superior from bedrooms and offices. The mansion is located on about 12 acres of land, down from its original 22 acres, and includes a picturesque garden facing the lake. Walk along trails that take you next to Lake Superior to the former boathouse.

3. Pettigrew Home And Museum

Sioux falls, south dakota.

Richard Pettigrew served as South Dakota ’s first senator following statehood. In 1889, during his political service, a Queen Anne-style home was built in Sioux Falls for Thomas and Jenny McMartin. In 1911, Pettigrew bought the mansion from the McMartins. A tour of the house offers a look at the kitchen pantry, dining room, and parlor. With two floors to explore, the Pettigrew Home and Museum includes exhibits with Native American artifacts, natural history pieces, and Western-era weapons, as well as special exhibits.

4. Arbor Lodge Mansion

Nebraska city, nebraska.

What started as a four-room cabin grew into the 52-room Arbor Lodge Mansion . J. Sterling Morton, a former Nebraska territorial governor, founded Arbor Day. His four sons also went on to enjoy success, as Joy Morton created the Morton Salt Company and Carl helped invent Argo starch. Mark worked with Joy on several business ventures, and Paul served in President Theodore Roosevelt’s administration. Joy actually built Arbor Lodge, based on the White House, around the family cabin. During tours, you’ll see where the cabin is located inside. With parlors, a dance hall, and a dining room among the popular attractions, visitors also have fun checking out the family’s bowling alley in the basement. The mansion is located as part of the 72-acre Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and features several acres of flower and botanical gardens, as well as hundreds of trees.

Editor’s Note: Tim knows a thing or two about this beautiful city. Here are his top activities in Nebraska City (as well as where to eat and stay) .

5. Durkee Mansion

Kenosha, wisconsin.

Known for its suspended staircase, the Durkee Mansion was built for Charles Durkee and family in 1861. The mansion’s immaculate foyer opens the staircase, which leads to the second-floor bedrooms. The parlor and dining room were decorated during the era the Durkees called the mansion home. The family also entertained guests in a large dance space on the third floor. In the mid-1860s, the Durkees sold the Italianate-designed mansion to the Episcopal Church, which added a chapel and girls school to the property. Today, the property is officially known as the Kemper Center . Tours include the Durkee Mansion, the school, and the chapel. The property’s grounds are amazing and worth a walk around, offering excellent spots for photos.

6. Historic General Dodge House

Council bluffs, iowa.

Named by President Abraham Lincoln to oversee the construction of the transcontinental railroad from Omaha westward, General Grenville M. Dodge built this 14-room Victorian-style house in Council Bluffs. He ensured the house had central heating and hot and cold water, a rare feat for the time. The three-story brick Historic General Dodge House includes a large porch, perfect for enjoying an ice-cold beverage on a warm summer evening. Decorated as it was during the Dodge family’s time there, the home offers an interesting look at life on the plains in the mid-1800s.

7. Turnblad Mansion

Minneapolis, minnesota.

Swan Turnblad immigrated to Minnesota from Sweden and ran a Swedish-language newspaper in Minneapolis . He built the 33-room Turnblad Mansion on what became known as the Golden Mile, as the Turnblads’ home was one of 40 mansions in the area. The mansion features a French chateau-style exterior. Inside the well-decorated mansion, with its dark wood featuring artistic carvings (including a beautiful staircase), the Turnblads imported 11 colorful, Swedish-tiled stoves located in key rooms. The family lived in the mansion for 20 years. It later became home to the American Swedish Institute , which shares cultural history, special exhibits, and conducts tours of the mansion.

8. Thomas Hart Benton Home

Kansas city, missouri.

An artist, writer, and lecturer, Thomas Hart Benson was renowned in the Kansas City area. Visitors can tour the house and his studio at the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site . The 2.5-story house and property feature a beautiful landscape. Furnished as it was in 1975, when Benton died, you can tour the house’s rooms and view modern furniture as well as accessories of his era. You’ll also visit his art studio, with paintbrushes, canvases, and more. The stone-exteriored house was built in 1903 for a local power company executive, and Benton bought the house in 1939 for about $6,000.

9. Mueller-Schmidt House (Home Of Stone)

Dodge city, kansas.

Known as the Home of Stone — the house is built from Kansas limestone — the Mueller-Schmidt House was built in 1882 for the Mueller family. The limestone gives the house a yellowish tinge when viewing it from the sidewalk. It is located on a corner lot with plenty of outdoor space. After suffering financial issues, the family sold the mansion to the Schmidt family in 1890. The Schmidt family occupied the house until 1960. It was then sold to the county five years later. The house is decorated in era-friendly furniture and accessories, although a few of the items, such as pictures, were family heirlooms. The front room includes a table and chairs, desk, and accessories. The upstairs bedrooms are decorated as they were when the Schmidt family lived there. One room is dedicated to telling the role that women have played in the area, with older photos, artifacts, and memorabilia on display. Some locals believe the house is haunted, so you may encounter a spirit or two, especially in the basement.

10. Magic Chef Mansion

St. louis, missouri.

Considered one of the most beautiful mansions in St. Louis , the Magic Chef Mansion was completed in 1908 for Charles Stockstrom, owner of Quick Meal Stove Company (later changed to Magic Chef), the world’s largest stove manufacturer. At 12,000 square feet, the mansion was among the largest in the area. With a terra cotta facade, the mansion quickly catches the attention of passersby. Tours of the house take you through immaculately-designed rooms, including a full-sized bowling alley in the basement and a saloon. You’ll view gorgeous art that was once hidden by layers of paint. You can read more about the mansion’s history, and tours, here .

What To Expect

As you plan to visit the mansions across the Midwest, you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes. You’ll also need to be aware that some of the houses have narrow and steep stairs that may be difficult for some people to climb. As you do use the stairs, it’s recommended to use the handrails for safety. You will also want to prepare for possible surface changes.

Tim and his wife Lisa have been writing their blog The Walking Tourists for eight years. They live in the Midwest and enjoy writing about its attractions. They focus mainly on the Midwest, but enjoy traveling all over. With daughters living in the Seattle area, they also have a fondness for the Pacific Northwest.

Tim is a freelance writer and online content creator. He has authored two books about Omaha attractions and restaurants: "100 Things to Do in Omaha Before You Die" and "Unique Eats and Eateries of Omaha". A third book about Nebraska tourism -- "100 Things to Do in Nebraska Before You Die" -- will be published in April 2020. He writes magazine, newspaper, and online articles as well as offering ghostwriting services. He loves writing.

As a one-time community journalist, his affection for the stories journalists share has never waned. Having been a manager of people, he is intrigued by people's leadership qualities and practices.

The Latah County Historical Society offers a wealth of resources for researchers, genealogists, and the casual visitor.

We hope to see you soon!

The McConnell Mansion is a free admission museum, but donations are greatly appreciated. 

Hours & Address

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We offer both individual and group tours of McConnell Mansion. 

Host your next event at the McConnell Mansion.

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The Breathtaking Mansion In Idaho You Must Visit This Year

Courtnie Erickson

From Southern Utah to the Panhandle in Idaho, Courtnie Erickson has lived in what she believes are the best (and the most beautiful!) areas in the country. She graduated with a journalism degree from Utah State University and has more than 15 years of professional writing experience. You’ll likely see her with a Dr. Pepper in her hand and a pair of running shoes on her feet. Courtnie is a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState.

More by this Author

There are dozens of historic homes and mansions located around Idaho that deserve your attention. In fact, we put together a list of 11 historic houses in Idaho that you’ll certainly want to check out. But, whether you are a history buff or you just want someplace new to explore, there is one historic house that deserves a spot on your bucket list — the McConnell Mansion. Located in the town of Moscow, this historic mansion is not only breathtaking and has quite an interesting history, but it is also one of a kind in Idaho.

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This mansion is open for tours Tuesday through Friday and occasional Saturdays. Appointments are recommended. You can learn more and schedule your visit on the Latah County Historical Society website .

Have you ever explored the McConnell Mansion in Moscow, Idaho before? What did you enjoy most about your visit? We’d love to hear all about your experience in the comments! If you love historic houses, check out these photos of Idaho from the 1930s . It will certainly open your eyes to a different time in the Gem State.

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Travis Kelce says Secret Service wasn't 'too happy' with him during White House visit

Travis Kelce finally had his moment at the microphone at the White House with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, but there was only one thought running through his head.

“When I walked in, I had about four or five Secret Service members come up to me and tell me, ‘You know if you go up to that podium, we’re authorized to tase you,’” Kelce said on the June 5 edition of  the “New Heights” podcast  with his brother, Jason Kelce.

Travis Kelce jokingly mentioned this fear in his quick remark at the microphone.

“That’s all that was going through my head,” he said on the podcast. “I had no idea President Biden was going to ask me to come up and let me have my moment. And he walks right up, and the first thing he said was (to) give me the floor. And I felt (a) Taser aimed at me when I was up there the whole time.”

“If the president invites you up, you’re not going to get tased,” Jason Kelce said on the podcast.

After Kelce had tried — and failed — to address the crowd at a 2023 White House Super Bowl celebration, President Joe Biden let the tight end take the mic last Friday when he hosted the Chiefs for their second straight NFL championship win.

“I’d have Travis come up here, but God only knows what he’ll say,” Biden said. “Travis, come here.”

As his teammates “oohed” behind him, Travis Kelce, almost sheepishly, approached the podium.

“My fellow Americans, it’s nice to see you all yet again,” Kelce said. “Uh, I’m not going to lie, President Biden, they told me if I came up here I’d get tased, so I’m going to go back to my spot.”

Travis Kelce’s antics got his older brother’s stamp of approval.

“My fellow Americans,’’’ Jason Kelce said on their podcast. “Trav, you nailed it.”

Travis Kelce said he was already on the wrong side of the Secret Service after  sharing on “New Heights”  following the Chiefs’ 2023 visit to the White House that he was able to gain entry despite having an expired driver’s license.

“The Secret Service that’s all over the White House, they weren’t too happy with me on my second time visiting,” he said on the June 5 episode. “Not just for that, but for the whole, you remember I was talking about how I had an expired ID and I got in the White House. I caught s---- for that.

“Beforehand, I made sure — because of what happened last time and how embarrassed I was for going to the White House with an expired ID — I made sure that I brought my passport this time so that it showed that I was a citizen in Missouri. And I was official, and I was legit, and I was doing things the right way because everyone has to do that at the White House.”

Despite his fear, Travis Kelce enjoyed the team’s latest trip to be celebrated for their Super Bowl title.

“It’s an always an honor to go to the White House,” he said on the podcast. “Any time that I get a chance to get recognized by the president of the United States and get to go with my teammates and a group of men and women that I had success with to the point where we get to get acknowledgement, I’m doing it every single time.

“No matter who’s up there at the helm, no matter what’s going on in this world, I think it’s just such a cool opportunity.”

In his speech, Biden praised the team’s successful season amid its “share of struggles,” including “doubters” during the team’s midseason slump and a  minus-4 degree start to the playoffs in January .

“I don’t think anybody’s doubting you now. You fought hard. You kept the faith,” Biden said, giving a special shoutout to the team’s “comeback king — not kid,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Travis Kelce similarly hammed it up for the crowd at Kansas City’s last visit in June 2023, briefly stepping away from a photo op with Mahomes and Biden to take to the podium.

“So, I’ve been waiting for this —“ he started, before Mahomes pulled the tight end away from the mic.

During that 2023 visit, Mahomes and Travis Kelce gave Biden a Chiefs jersey. This year, the president completed his ensemble, receiving a Chiefs helmet that he promptly put on and wore for the rest of the event.

The Chiefs  defeated the San Francisco 49ers  25-22 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11. The  NFL championship game saw record viewership , likely in part due to the attendance of  Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift .

Swift was not mentioned or present at this year’s White House event,  off the heels of two “Eras Tour” shows in Madrid on May 29 and 30 .

During Biden’s speech, he also honored defensive tackle Chris Jones, as well as  guard Trey Smith and long snapper James Winchester , who helped comfort and protect people after the  fatal Super Bowl parade shooting  in downtown Kansas City on Feb. 14. One person died and at least 25 people were injured in the shooting.

Kicker Harrison Butker was visible behind Biden during the president’s speech, standing among his teammates. The White House visit comes just weeks after Butker’s  controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College  sparked backlash across the country.

Butker criticized abortion, IVF, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s roles in society and Biden himself in his  May 11 speech .

“Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder,” Butker said, in part. “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally.”

A representative for the NFL said  Butker’s speech was given in a “personal capacity.”

“His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger,” the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, Jonathan Beane, said in a statement.

On the May 24 episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Travis Kelce defended Butker’s character while disagreeing with his opinions.

“I cherish him as a teammate,”  he said , later adding, “When it comes down to his views and what he said at Saint Benedict’s commencement speech, those are his. I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.”

Butker  seemingly doubled down on his comments  at a gala in Nashville on May 24, saying, “The more I’ve talked about what I value most, which is my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I have become. It’s a decision I’ve consciously made, and one I do not regret at all.”

Maddie Ellis is a weekend editor at TODAY Digital.

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Travis Kelce Says Secret Service Warned He Might Get Tased at White House If He Touched Podium: 'Weren't Too Happy'

The NFL star spoke about his intimidating experience at the White House on Friday, May 31

Travis Kelce is recalling his latest visit to the White House .

The Kansas City Chiefs star said the Secret Service “weren’t too happy” with him when he visited the Washington, D.C., landmark with his team on Friday, May 31, while discussing the events on the New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast's latest episode.

Kelce, 34, explained the reason for this was due to him having an “expired ID” when he last visited the White House with the Chiefs in June 2023, which he revealed in a previous Instagram Reel.

"I caught s--- for that,” the NFL player shared, adding, “I made sure because of what happened last time and how embarrassed I was for going to the White House, with an expired ID, I made sure that I brought my passport this time so that it showed that I was a citizen in Missouri."

JC Olivera/Getty; Getty

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Kelce continued, “And I was official, and I was legit, and I was doing things the right way because everyone has to do that at the White House.”

Andrew Harnik/Getty

Despite everything being in check, the athlete said the Secret Service still intimidated him upon entering the White House.

“When I walked in, we had about four or five Secret Service members come up to me and tell me, ‘You know, if you go up to that podium, we're authorized to tase you … It is actually an order for us to tase you,’ ” Kelce recalled.

PEOPLE has reached out to a media contact for the Secret Service for comment.

During his previous White House visit in 2023, Kelce made a joking attempt to take over the presidential podium, before his teammate Patrick Mahomes stopped him.

“I’ve always admired, obviously, the president at the podium is iconic, right?” he said during a June 2023 podcast episode . “I shouldn’t have started off with ‘I’ve always wanted to do this.' Pat knew right away I was in over my head. ... Shout-out to Pat for keeping me from embarrassing myself at that podium, man, in front of the whole world."

President Joe Biden then reversely offered for Kelce to speak at the podium — which he politely declined following the Secret Service’s taser warning.

“That's all that was going through my head,” he said on the recent podcast episode . “I had no idea President Biden was gonna ask me to come up and let me have my moment … I felt [a] taser aimed at me when I was up there the whole time. That's why I was up there, ‘Don't make any quick movements. Be cool.’ ”

Despite the nerve-wracking experience, the Chiefs tight end described his second White House visit as “fun” overall.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty

On Friday, the Chiefs were invited to the White House to celebrate their recent 2024 Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers.

During their visit, President Biden, 81, invited Kelce to speak at the podium, which he did briefly before stepping back.

"My fellow Americans, it's nice to see you all yet again," Kelce joked to the crowd and his teammates at the time.

He continued, "I'm not going to lie. President Biden, they told me if I came up here, I'd get tased. I'm going to go back to my spot, all right?”

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McConnell Mansion

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This home is a mixture of the Queen Anne and Eastlake architectural styles, both characteristic of the late 1800s. Architecturally, the McConnell Mansion Museum is important since no other home in the Eastlake style has survived in Idaho. The McConnell Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November of 1974.

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Mansions & Gardens

The breakers.

Built 1895 National Historic Landmark

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age.

Open daily, 10 am - 4 pm

The Breakers is partially accessible with elevator in service.

Marble House

Built 1892 National Historic Landmark

William Vanderbilt built Marble House as a 39th birthday present for his wife, Alva. It was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent Gilded Age mansions.

Marble House is partially accessible with elevator in service

Rosecliff was built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs, who used it to host many fabulous Gilded Age entertainments. Architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles.

Open daily, 10 am - 3 pm

Rosecliff is partially accessible with elevator in service.

Built 1901 National Historic Landmark

The Elms was modeled after an 18th-century French chateau but featured the latest technology of the Gilded Age. It houses an outstanding collection of paintings, statuary and tapestries, and its landscape features formal gardens, terraces, pavilions and fountains.

Elevator is not in service. The Elms is NOT accessible.

Chateau-sur-Mer

Built 1852 National Historic Landmark

Chateau-sur-Mer epitomizes High Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics and stenciling. It was the most palatial residence in Newport until the appearance of the Gilded Age Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s.

Open June 2 – August 29, Sundays through Thursdays

Chateau-sur-Mer is not wheelchair-accessible.

Built 1841 National Historic Landmark

Kingscote is a landmark of the Gothic Revival style in American architecture. Its appearance in Newport marked the beginning of the “cottage boom” that would distinguish the town as a veritable laboratory for the design of picturesque houses throughout the 19th century.

Isaac Bell House

Built 1883 National Historic Landmark

Isaac Bell House is one of the best surviving examples of shingle-style architecture in the country. Its architects and designers drew from a mix of international and American influences to create a unique Gilded Age style.

Closed for the season

Green Animals Topiary Garden

Built c. 1860

Home to more than 80 topiary animals and other figures for more than a century, Green Animals also blazes with colorful flowers from May until October. The 7-acre property overlooks Narragansett Bay.

Reopens May 11

Green Animals is not wheelchair-accessible.

Hunter House

Built c. 1748 National Historic Landmark

Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture from Newport's "golden age" in the mid-18th century. Saving it for posterity was the first act of the Preservation Society in 1945. Guide-led tours only, advance reservations required

Open June 1 – August 31, Fridays and Saturdays only

Chepstow is highly evocative of the taste and collections of a descendant of one of America's founding families, placed in the context of a contemporary Newport summer home.

The Breakers Stable & Carriage House

This site houses the Preservation Society’s collection of historic carriages. The property is open seasonally and for special programs.

Open July 5 – July 27, Fridays and Saturdays only

Get the Newport Mansions app

Download our tour app before your visit and bring your earbuds.

Additional Visitor Info

Map & parking info.

Parking is free onsite at all properties except for Hunter House and The Breakers Stable & Carriage House, where street parking is available.

Answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

Explore the 11 properties under the stewardship of the Preservation Society and open as historic house museums.

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

White   House Announces Juneteenth   Concert

The President and First Lady to Host a Juneteenth Concert on Monday, June 10, 2024

The White House announced today a Juneteenth Concert on Monday, June 10. The South Lawn concert will be a celebration of community, culture and music.

In 2021, President Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as the nation’s newest Federal holiday, so that all Americans can feel the power of this day, learn from our history, celebrate our progress, and recognize and engage in the work that continues.  

Since taking office, President Biden has worked to advance racial equity and ensure the promise of America for Black Americans. See a fact sheet on the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to advance equity and opportunity for Black Americans and communities across the country here .   This concert celebration will also take place during  Black Music Month , where the Biden-Harris Administration will uplift American art forms that sing to the soul of the American experience.

This event is supported by: The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute for Museum and Library Services, STARZ #TakeTheLead Initiative, Adobe, LVMH North America’s Moët & Chandon and Hennessy USA and will feature:

• Raheem DeVaughn
• Kirk Franklin
• Doug E. Fresh
• Anthony Hamilton
• Gladys Knight
• Patti LaBelle
• Patina Miller
• Brittney Spencer
• Trombone Shorty
• Charlie Wilson
• Roy Wood, Jr.
• “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band

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We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

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Visit Victoria Mansion in Portland for free June 19

The historic site is observing the Juneteenth holiday.

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The Victoria Mansion, also known as the Morse-Libby House, is a landmark example of American residential architecture in downtown Portland. Felix Lipov/Shustterstock.com

Victoria Mansion is waving admission fees on Tuesday , June 19,  in observance of Juneteenth, which was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

Juneeteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.

At noon on the lawn of the mansion, the Emancipation Proclamation will be read by local actors. The document was first recited on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas.

The 27 individuals who were enslaved by mansion owners Ruggles and Olive Morse in New Orleans will be honored during the ceremony.

Although admission is free, it’s recommended to make a reservation. Visit victoriamansion.org for complete details.

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