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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.

Virtual Open House

Mansion Global's virtual home tours allow for the viewing of our luxury houses from anywhere.

• Bagpath, Gloucestershire, U.K.
• $4.45 million Knight Frank
• Lyford Cay, Bahamas
• $12.5 million HG Christie
• Glanvilles Wootton, Dorset, U.K.
• Strutt & Parker
• Montecito, California
• $7.5 million Sotheby's International Realty
• Midtown Manhattan, N.Y.
• $29.5 million Douglas Elliman
• Palm Beach, Florida
• $5.2 million Sotheby's International Realty
• Henderson, Nevada
• $13.75 million Luxury Estates International
• Southwest Harbor, Maine
• $5.95 million RE/MAX By the Bay / Knowles Co.
• Ballito, South Africa
• $3.7 million Seeff Zimbali
• Clio, California
• $25 million Sierra Sotheby's International Realty

Virtual Tours

The breakers virtual tour, daily virtual.

Visit The Breakers from the comfort of your own home

Marble House Virtual Tour

Visit Marble House from the comfort of your own home

The Elms Virtual Tour

Visit The Elms from the comfort of your own home

Chateau-sur-Mer Virtual Tour

Visit Chateau-sur-Mer from the comfort of your own home

Kingscote Virtual Tour

Visit Kingscote from the comfort of your own home

Brayton House Virtual Tour

Visit Brayton House from the comfort of your own home

Hunter House Virtual Tour

Visit Hunter House from the comfort of your own home

Chepstow Virtual Tour

Visit Chepstow from the comfort of your own home

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.

Mansions & Gardens

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

Partners in Preservation

Plan Your Visit

Tours & tickets, frequently asked questions, directions & parking, accessibility.

Explore Lyndhurst, a majestic estate on the banks of the magnificent Hudson River, where every visitor can experience firsthand an American icon of architecture and landscape. Located in the Lower Hudson Valley, Lyndhurst’s proximity to New York City makes it an easily accessible day trip by train or car. Whether you are a first-time visitor or returning guest there is always something new to discover.

Lyndhurst Mansion can be experienced through multiple guided tour options.  Perfect for first-time guests, our one-hour Classic Mansion tour explores Lyndhurst’s sumptuously decorated first and second floors and includes entry to occasional special exhibitions. The Upstairs/Downstairs tour visits unique mansion spaces such as the observation tower, kitchen, laundry building, and servant spaces.  Landscape tour options highlight our restored lower landscape ,  with fountains, views of the Hudson River, and entry to the c.1894 Bowling Alley. Occasionally specialty tours visit the Rose Garden, Greenhouse Frame, and the c. 1911 Swimming Pool building. No large bags, backpacks, or strollers allowed in the mansion.

If you prefer to spend the day outdoors and stroll through the beautiful grounds, a Daily Grounds Pass will allow you to explore the Lyndhurst property on your own.

¡Hay visitas en español disponibles! Comuníquese con nosotros a  [email protected]  para preguntar sobre las opciones.

Explore our Tour Options

Explore the Grounds

Spend a day outdoors exploring the 67-acres of magnificent grounds at Lyndhurst. Discover the restored Civil War-era pathways, sit on one of three viewing platforms perched on rock outcroppings, and enjoy unparalleled views of the widest point of the Hudson River. There are also fountains, specialty gardens, and numerous outbuildings.

Lyndhurst’s grounds are open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (last entry at 3:30 PM) April through December. A Daily Grounds Pass is required for entry by vehicle. We require purchasing a Daily Grounds Pass in advance as quantities are limited each day, and there are no on-site sales. Walkers may enter Lyndhurst via the Old Croton Aqueduct State Park trail or the Westchester RiverWalk. Restrooms are available seven days a week from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Bowling Alley (seasonally May through November. Restrooms are also available at the Welcome Center on days that we are open for tours. At the Welcome Center, you will also find the museum gift shop. Please use this PDF map provided for site orientation .

Download Site Map

Lyndhurst visitors assume their own risk while on property. Please note our posted guidelines and restrictions, which are designed to keep our visitors and property safe.

• Dogs are welcome on leashes only. Please clean up after them!
• Lyndhurst is a smoke/vape-free property .
• Please park in designated areas only.
• Drones are prohibited on the property.
• Special Event Photography (engagement, graduation, wedding, baby, family, etc.) is not allowed anywhere on the grounds.
• Carry-in/carry-out picnicking is allowed. No BBQ grills or open flames are allowed on the grounds.
• Please no alcohol.
• Skateboarding and rollerblading are prohibited.
• Bicycles must stay on paved or gravel roads and should not ride across the lawns or on the restored pathways.
• Please support Lyndhurst’s conservation efforts by refraining from climbing our historic trees, inside or on our fountains, or on any of our landscape structures.
• The site may be closed during inclement weather or due to private events; please check the website before arriving to confirm daily admission information.

Purchase Your Grounds Pass

Museum Shop

The Museum Shop is located at the Welcome Center, in the former Carriage House building. Originally used as a tack room for saddles, harnesses, and other horse equipment, this space has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Open the same hours as guided tours, the Shop offers a variety of items unique to Lyndhurst, including seasonal items, local merchandise, decorative apparel, jewelry, and accessories, as well as a strong selection of local history books.

Photography

Personal, casual, non-flash photography is permitted inside the mansion during tours at your guide’s discretion. Due to capacity limitations, interior photography may not be allowed during October and December. Photography is not permitted inside the mansion during special events or theater performances. Video, filming, selfies, tripods, or other external equipment is not permitted in the mansion at any time. All special event photography, including wedding and engagement, is prohibited. The use of aerial vehicles or drones while on Lyndhurst property is prohibited.

Upon entering the property, you grant to Lyndhurst and its employees, agents and assigns the right to photograph you and your dependent(s) for use in Lyndhurst print, electronic, digital media, and publications.

Back to Top

Lyndhurst is open seasonally from April through December, seven days a week from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (last entry at 3:30 pm) for grounds visitation. For those not taking a tour, Daily Grounds Passes are available seven days per week and must be purchased, online in advance, to access the property by car.

Tours are offered seasonally from April through December, please check our events calendar for tour times and tickets. The mansion is closed for the first three weeks in November in order to prepare for seasonal tours and events. Lyndhurst is also closed on the following major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Lyndhurst is closed entirely, January through March, except for special theater events.

Always check our events calendar to see what is happening!

Tours & Tickets

Lyndhurst Mansion is accessible by ticketed entry only. Our Classic Mansion Tours are perfect for first-time visitors who cover the house’s history and visit the main two floors. If you’d like to see it all, you can take our Upstairs/Downstairs tour, which covers the main two floors, tower, and service spaces. If you’d like to explore the Mansion and the Bowling Alley, you can take our Inside/Outside Tour .

Our landscape tour for this season is the expanded Lyndhurst Ramble ! Usually only offered in October, it is now offered this spring and early summer to take advantage of the popularity of hearing about the evolution of our grounds and the auxiliary buildings.

Please visit our  EVENTS CALENDAR to help plan your visit!

Pre-arranged group and private tours are also offered throughout the season.

We offer tours in Spanish! Please reach out to us to set up a tour!

¡Hay visitas en español disponibles! Comuníquese con nosotros a [email protected] para preguntar sobre las opciones.

Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended, tours do sell out. Guests without tickets may be accommodated depending on availability. To purchase tickets by phone, call 1(888)718-4253  and choose option 1.

Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

You can find our current tour and ticket offerings on our events page:

Current Tours and Ticketing

Please visit our EVENTS CALENDAR to help plan your visit!

When is Lyndhurst open?

Lyndhurst is open seasonally from April through December. The property is open seven days a week from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm for grounds visitation during our open season.

Are pets allowed? What about service animals?

Yes, leashed pets are welcome on Lyndhurst’s grounds; please pick-up waste. Service animals are allowed inside public buildings as defined by ADA; dogs individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

Does Lyndhurst offer Tours in other languages?

At this time Lyndhurst has tour options in Spanish. Please reach out to us to set up a tour!

Is picnicking allowed? Can I bring outside food and drink?

Yes, and yes! Please carry out what you carry in. Please do not use any open flame or barbeque while visiting. Alcohol is not permitted on the property.

Can I take photos?

Casual outdoor photography is allowed. Drones are strictly prohibited. Indoor non-professional photography is allowed at your tour guide’s discretion. Special Event photography (engagement, wedding, graduation, family, etc.) is not allowed.

Is Lyndhurst an appropriate place for children?

Lyndhurst is absolutely enjoyable for all ages! Those visiting the grounds will find plenty of space for outdoor family time. If you are interested in attending our events or taking a tour, please read the individual event pages for recommended ages. Please contact us in advance if you have any questions about programs suitable for children.

Are vehicles allowed on the property? Where can I park?

Those arriving by vehicle must pre-purchase either a Daily Grounds Pass or one of our guided tour tickets. On-site parking is available in designated parking areas only. Please do not park along our driveways, on the lawns, under our historic trees, and in non-designated parking areas. Please do not park on the street adjacent to the property. Please do not park on the Old Croton Aqueduct State Park trail. ADA accessible parking is available at our Welcome Center Parking lot and next to our ADA accessible path to the rockeries.

Download a site map here to familiarize yourself with our various parking areas:

Where are the local accommodations and dining?

There are many accommodations and restaurants located in Tarrytown and Irvington, please check out the Visit Sleepy Hollow website below for a comprehensive list of local businesses.

Visit Sleepy Hollow

Does Lyndhurst host private events/weddings?

Yes, please visit our wedding page to contact Great Performances!

Weddings at Lyndhurst

What can I bring in the mansion with me?

No large bags, backpacks, or strollers are allowed in the mansion.

Parking is available in designated parking areas on the property. Please do not park along the driveways, pull off onto lawns, or park in front of the mansion. There is NO additional charge for parking to pre-paid tour or event ticket holders. Ticket holders will be required to show their tickets at the Lyndhurst entry booth to avoid making any additional payment upon entry.

For those who only wish to explore our 67-acre estate and not take a tour, please purchase a Daily Grounds Pass. The Daily Grounds Pass fee can be credited towards guided tour tickets, when available, which can be purchased at the Lyndhurst Welcome Center.

Please note, that there is no available off-site parking in the residential neighborhoods near Lyndhurst. Please do not park on side streets and walk into the grounds.

Lyndhurst is located at 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591, one-half mile south of the Mario Cuomo Bridge on Route 9. Lyndhurst is approximately 24 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. All tours begin at the Welcome Center.

Get Directions from Google Maps

Step-By-Step Directions

Taxi and other ride services Please notify your Taxi, Lyft, or Uber driver to drop you off at the Welcome Center within the Lyndhurst property. The Welcome Center is located a half-mile from the main entrance. Please note taxi service during busy summer and fall seasons may be limited. If you are relying on a car service for drop-off and pick-up, consider scheduling in advance, as availability may be limited.

From Westbound 287 (from Eastern Westchester/Connecticut) : Take 287 west/87 North to the last exit before the Tappan Zee Bridge, exit 9 off of the NY State Thruway, marked Route 9 Tarrytown. Take a left onto 119 at the first stoplight and a left (south) onto Route 9 at the second stoplight. The Lyndhurst gates are ½ mile on the right-hand (river) side of the road.

From Eastbound 287 (from Rockland/New Jersey): Take 287 east across the Tappan Zee Bridge. Immediately after the toll booth, take the first exit, Exit 9. Turn left (south) onto Route 9 and proceed ½ mile to the Lyndhurst gates on the right-hand (river) side of the road.

From New York City’s East Side: Drive north on the East River Drive, across the Willis Avenue Bridge onto the Major Deegan Expressway North. Follow the Deegan to the NY State Thruway (I-87) to Westbound 287 (Tappan Zee Bridge). Follow westbound 287 directions above.

From New York City’s West Side: Drive North on the West Side Highway to the Henry Hudson north to the Saw Mill Parkway north to the NY State Thruway (I-87) North to 287 West (Tappan Zee Bridge). Follow westbound 287 directions above.

From Connecticut: Take either I-95, I-684, or the Merritt Parkway south to 287 West (to the Tappan Zee Bridge). Follow westbound 287 directions above.

From Long Island: Take either: The Whitestone or Throgs Neck Bridge to the New England Thruway (I-95). Take Exit 21 onto 287 west (to the Tappan Zee Bridge). Follow westbound 287 directions above. –OR– The Triboro Bridge to the Major Deegan north and the NY State Thruway (I-87) to 287 West (to the Tappan Zee Bridge). Follow westbound 287 directions above.

From Grand Central Terminal in New York City: Take the Metro-North – Hudson Line north to Tarrytown. Taxis are available at the train station. Please notify your Taxi, Lyft, or Uber driver to drop you off at the Welcome Center within the Lyndhurst property. The Welcome Center is a half-mile from the main entrance.

Lyndhurst offers some accessible options for visitors, particularly in its landscape. An ADA-accessible pathway with an adjacent parking area can be visited in our lower landscape, offering majestic views of the Hudson River. Our Classic Mansion tour visits two floors of the mansion. The mansion’s ground floor is fully accessible, with an alternative experience to view rooms on the second floor of the mansion. ADA bathrooms are available at our Welcome Center and in the Bowling Alley.

Certain tours and programs are not recommended for all audiences, particularly those that require climbing multiple flights of stairs or traversing uneven terrain. The Upstairs/Downstairs and Landscape Tours are physically demanding and are not recommended for individuals with limited mobility or small children.

Explore Lyndhurst’s 67-acre Estate

Purchase a Daily Grounds Pass to explore Lyndhurst’s majestic Hudson River setting at your own pace.

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A local real estate agent can answer questions, give guidance, and schedule home tours.

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How To Tour a House Today: Tips To Make the Most of Virtual or In-Person Showings

Touring a house is like going on a first date: It’s your chance to get a sense of whether this home is the one. Can you envision baking cookies in that kitchen, or cracking a beer on that back deck?

But in this day and age, with so many houses to see and so little time before they get snapped up, the prospect of finding this dream home in the real estate haystack can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. Add in the coronavirus pandemic, and the idea of checking out houses all around town might feel unsafe, too.

But here’s the good news: The rules on how to tour a house have changed in ways that can save time, lower your exposure to COVID-19, and curb your workload and stress levels, too. Here’s what you need to know to ace your house-hunting game for the modern day.

How to schedule a home tour

Most home buyers start their house hunt online—that’s a given. But once you spot a home you love, what’s next?

In the olden days of real estate, a home tour would kick off with several rounds of phone/email tag. You’d call your real estate agent, who would then contact the home’s listing agent, and once they’d talked you’d get looped in to when you can finally see the house. Talk about complicated! And that’s for just one house; most home buyers are juggling multiple home tours.

But today, the process is much simpler. For one, many real estate listings have a button you can click on to learn more about a property, sans the annoying phone games. On some listings, you can schedule a tour simply by clicking on your preferred day and time to visit. (See the Schedule a Tour  option on the right side of the sample listing below.)

In short, the process of scheduling a tour can now happen in a few seconds, no harder than ordering lunch on Seamless. After you submit your information, you’ll be assigned a local real estate agent, who will reach out to you directly to confirm your tour time and format. (More on your options there next.)

(Realtor.com)

Should I schedule a virtual tour or visit in person?

It wasn’t long ago when the only way to tour a house would be to visit in person. But today, you also have the option to take a virtual tour. You just schedule a tour as you usually would, but request a virtual home showing where a real estate agent shows you around the house via a live video stream on Google Hangouts, FaceTime, Zoom, or other app.

So should you opt for a virtual tour, or go for the real thing? According to many real estate experts, a virtual tour is the faster, easier, and safest place to start. While buying a home “sight unseen” as they say is a risky move few are willing to take (although it is done now more than ever), virtual tours are still a great way to whittle down your options and spend less time running around town.

“Virtual tours can act as a clearinghouse for buyers to narrow down their search,” says Jack Smith , a real estate agent with Shorewest Realtors in Milwaukee. From there, if you like what you see, you can proceed to an in-person tour to get a closer look.

What to look for on a home tour

Whether you’re conducting a virtual or in-person tour, it’s important to get to know every nook and cranny of the property. Breezing from room to room is not enough—particularly if you’re doing a remote tour where small details might be out of view.

As such, you’ll want to check out some less obvious features to make sure the house is in good shape. Here are some areas to home in on that many buyers might miss:

• The HVAC and hot water systems:  The age and quality of these big-ticket systems can make or break your budget, so while they’re not quite as fun as that gigantic kitchen island or the bonus room above the garage, they should be top priorities during your tour, even if you plan to hire an experienced home inspector.
• The exterior:  Don’t limit your tour to the house itself. Be sure to check out the garage, front and back yards, and any structures on the property such as swimming pools or gardening sheds.
• The neighborhood at large: You’re not just buying a home, but the neighborhood. Try to see the homes surrounding the one for sale to get a sense of what your life there would be like. Tons of traffic whizzing by might be a deterrent if you have kids or a dog; nearby restaurants and bars might be nice but will add to ambient noise. To get to know this area better, check out local neighborhood apps like Nextdoor.com.

What role does a real estate agent play in a home tour?

A real estate agent can serve as an excellent sounding board when touring a house. Plus, if you’re conducting a virtual tour, your agent may be able to visit the property on your behalf and answer any lingering questions you have, says Tony Mariotti , a real estate agent with RubyHome in Los Angeles.

“Buyers have asked us to check the number of electrical outlets and data ports in a room they intend to use as an office,” Mariotti says. “We’ve also measured and ‘reality checked’ rooms that looked big in listing photos due to wide-angle lenses.”

What to ask when touring houses

During a home tour, you’ll want to delve deeper by asking your real estate agent questions about the house. Here are some topics to hit.

• How old is the home? How old are the various systems and structural elements, like the roof and the water heater?
• Has any renovation work been done? If so, were the proper permits pulled and can I see them? Was the work performed by a licensed contractor, electrician, plumber, etc.?
• Are there any previous insurance claims that could affect insurability? Are there any special insurance policies required for the home?
• What were the average costs of utilities (water, electric, gas, sewer, and trash) over the past 12 months?
• What is the home’s listing history, including any price reductions or contracts that fell through? Why did the seller drop the price? Why did the home fall out of contract?
• Are there homeowners association fees? If so, what do they cover? How are the fees billed?

How home buyers can make the most out of touring homes

When touring bunches of homes, it can be hard to remember which house had that spa bathroom or sunroom you adored. To keep one home tour from blurring with the next, keep a notebook where you can make notes and reminders to help keep all the homes straight. Give each house a name if that helps you, and be sure to highlight any important concerns that jumped out during the tour.

And lest you get swept up swooning over home features that won’t really matter that much in the long run (e.g., that outdoor hot tub is nice but not all that necessary), it may help to write down a list of your top house-hunting priorities.

“Buyers should have a list of their ‘must haves,’ their ‘like to haves,’ and things they are willing to compromise on in a property,” says Cara Ameer , a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in California and Florida.

Similar to dating, you should probably just accept that you can’t have it all, and that some flexibility will be needed if you want your house hunt to end anytime soon.

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Colorado.

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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

Experience peak luxury and elegance at these stunning properties.

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: From $29 for adults; $10 for youths 6 to 12

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 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.

View & Book Tickets: The Breakers | Viator | GetYourGuide

Marble House

Price: From $25 for adults; $10 for youths 6 to 12

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 $35 extra, tour ticket holders to Marble House 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 square 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 on location 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.

View & Book Tickets: Marble House | Viator | GetYourGuide

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.

View & Book Tickets: The Elms | GetYourGuide

Tips on Trips and Expert Picks

Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

Rough Point

Price: 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 footage of Doris Duke at the home as well as behind-the-scenes videos. 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.

View & Book Tickets: Rough Point | GetYourGuide

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, which features dinners, events and seminars with wines and other libations from around the world.

View & Book Tickets: Rosecliff | Viator

Chateau-sur-Mer

Standout perk: A new 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.

View & Book Tickets: Chateau-sur-Mer | GetYourGuide

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, Lucy's Cafe & Bakery 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 Lounge at The Chanler

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

Tags: Travel , Tours

World's Best Places To Visit

• # 1 South Island, New Zealand
• # 4 Bora Bora

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This Super-Colorful Historic Mansion Is a Mood

How Michelle Gage turned a centuries-old Philadelphia property into Pinterest gold.

Originally, the couple enlisted Gage for what they thought would be the small and simple task of renovating a sizable primary bathroom on an upper floor of the home. "Doing a third-floor bathroom renovation in an old urban home is no easy feat, so we asked if they would be open to expanding their scope," Gage explains. "In addition to what became a full gut renovation of the bathroom, we also ended up adding decor and cosmetic upgrades of the living room, bedroom, den, and dining room." The final result? A 19th-century home elegantly escorted into the 21st century with an abundance of bohemian prints, rich palettes, and whimsical furnishings.

As is often the case when updating any older property , however, Gage and her team sought to preserve as many of the oldest surviving architectural elements as possible. She says, "In the upstairs den, there was no way we were touching that fireplace. Same with the one in the living room. Both were added to the house in the early 1900s, so we didn't do much with them. We simply had their grout lines cleaned up some, and that's it." And when the original elements were too damaged or dated to use, the design team did their best to honor them with style. "In the primary bathroom that was fully renovated, we had the original window casing profile replicated and applied to the linen closet and main door," Nicole Flynn Mullany, one of Gage's interior designers, explains. "We also offered a subtle nod to the Rittenhouse neighborhood's iconic brickwork with the tiles in the primary bath's shower." Though the rest of the home employs a selection of rich, vivid hues, Gage took an abrupt left turn with the shower, which is a glossy jet black.

Such bold and unexpected design decisions have always functioned as the driving force behind her creative approach. "Our style has employed many names over the years but always winds up returning to 'eclectic,'" Gage says. "In this project, we brought in a sense of wonder and quirk, which keeps your eye moving around each room."

"This fireplace hearth and surround would likely have been added in the first decade of the 20th century, which also fits with the style of the mantle. At that time, it was popular to have Neo-Federalist architectural lines with handmade materials from the Arts & Crafts movement in residential spaces," Flynn Mullany says. Sofa: Rowe . Photograph: Slim Aarons. Vintage typewriter: Clients' own. Ceiling wallpaper: " A secret source in New York," Gage says.

Dining Room

"The clients had already commissioned the table from a local woodworker named Nat Fry . It's a gorgeous table, so we let that be the catalyst for bringing in other pieces that made for a balanced space." Wallpaper: House of Hackney . Chairs: Clients' own.

Living Room

Pictured above.

"We went through a few rounds of brainstorming on this room, as the clients wanted to get it just right. The wife shared a Beata Heuman image that had both these teal and emerald velvets present, so we drew inspiration from that palette and filled in the rest with the couple's own art, a sculptural chandelier, and a unique mirror. We also layered new and vintage rugs with a bone inlay coffee table on top to soften the space," Gage explains. Coffee table: Made Goods . Pendant: Visual Comfort . Piano: Clients' own. Rug: Jaipur Living .

In addition to the furniture and textiles, Gage decided to incorporate a cool color in one more place: the ceiling. Here, she opted for Rose Embroidery by Sherwin-Williams . As for the decorative furniture in this space, the vintage brass piece, which was repurposed as a game table, makes for an interesting detail. Gage says, "It's an Italian brass and glass vintage side table. It adds a vintage element and quirk with the duck-shaped creatures." It pairs perfectly with the ornate Jaipur Living rug.

"Our clients have long loved classic Fornasetti wallpaper, and we do too!" Gage says. "They originally wanted to leave their bedroom as they had it (painted black), but it was just screaming for wallpaper. We paired it with a more vibrant vintage rug of a plummy hue, leaving this room soft and sophisticated." Wallpaper: Fornasetti for Cole & Son . Bed: Clients' own. Nightstand: Four Hands .

Gage says, "We actually designed the entire room in this black, white, and grayscale—and then selected the rug last. It speaks to the colors in the adjoined bathroom." Dresser: Made Goods . Table l amp: West Elm . Rug: Local rug dealer.

"Our client loved the look of a console sink, and there's a decent-sized linen closet in the room that handles their storage needs," Gage says. Mirrors: Custom. Sconces: Visual Comfort . Hardware: House of Rohl .

Gage says, "The clients joked that it was a prison bathroom as it was very large but also very unappealing aesthetically. It didn't look original to the home—more so like someone did a bad renovation in the 1980s."

"This is the den, as we call it. It's an upstairs living space that they use as a home office. And as for the greenery, they have loads of plants in their living room as well. Really cool ones!" Gage says. Table lamp: Regina Andrew . Chair: Clients' own, in Schumacher fabric.

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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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VIRTUAL HOME TOURS

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It’s the next best thing to being there in person. In fact, it’s better because within a matter of minutes, you can take virtual walking tours of dozens of incredible home designs. Explore houses room by room, and find the perfect design for you.

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George Mason's Gunston Hall

Historic mansion tours in fairfax county.

Nothing will give you a taste of history more than this Virginia historic homes tour. Visit famous homes that were occupied by George Washington, George Mason, and more and see all the best architecture Fairfax County has to offer. The suggestions below will get you started on your tour of the most historic estates in the DC area.  

Estates, Mansions, and More

• George Washington's Mount Vernon and the Donald W. Reynolds Educational Center  
• Mount Vernon Inn
• George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill
• Woodlawn Historic Site
• Pope-Leighey House
• Pohick Church
• Gunston Hall  

Soak up a little history on this Northern Virginia historic homes tour. Start your tour at our nation's first Presidential Estate. George Washington built his famous home along the Potomac River in Fairfax County, and today it remains as the #1 most visited historic estate in the United States, with more than one million visitors per year. You'll trace George Washington's steps as you learn about his life, his work, his passions, and his military history. Run your hand down the original bannister in the entry way of the home, peek into the living quarters where Martha Washington's daughter gave birth to their first grandchild, stroll into Washington's library where you'll find his original desk chair that he used while President, and then explore the incredible gardens on the property by the greenhouse. While on the grounds, keep a look out for George and Martha themselves, as they sometimes are seen going about their work. Don't forget to explore the stunning Donald W. Reynolds Educational Center & Museum, where you'll find interactive exhibits, hands-on activities for children, movies, original housewares, and so much more. After an informative morning at the Estate, be sure to stop by for lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn - a restaurant that serves up dishes from Washington's lifetime, including Virginia's famous peanut soup recipe and a really delicious pot pie! On your next stop, only a few short miles from Mount Vernon Estate, you'll find Washington's other passion project - and his most successful business endeavor - at his Distillery and Gristmill. While the original structure was destroyed in a fire, this recreation is identical to its predecessor. Learn from the master distiller how Washington made his famous rye whiskey. The whiskey is still made today on property, using the exact method Washington employed years ago. If you're lucky, you can still buy bottles of the unaged rye whiskey during certain times of year - so make sure to check with the gift shop on your way out. George Washington's Distillery & Gristmill is the only site in North America that can demonstrate 18th-century distilling from seed to barrel. The distillery and museum serve as the gateway to the American Whiskey Trail.

On Day 2 of your Historical Homes of Southern Fairfax County tour, you will learn how George Washington's roots stretch from his own Mount Vernon Estate to other areas of Southern Fairfax. Built between 1800 and 1805, Woodlawn Estate served as the home of Eleanor "Nellie" Custis and Lawrence Lewis, Martha Washington's granddaughter and George Washington's nephew, respectively. At Washington's behest, the Estate was designed by the architect of the first U.S. Capitol, Dr. William Thornton and was constructed by slaves from bricks fired in a kiln on the property. Today, you can see many Washington and Lewis family heirlooms and furnishings on display. In 1951, Woodlawn Estate became the first site named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Next on your tour, you won't have to go far. Also on the property of Woodlawn, you'll find Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian architecture masterpiece, the Pope-Leighey House. Originally built in Falls Church, Virginia, the home was moved to avoid demolition due to highway construction. Commissioned in 1939 by Loren Pope, its style intended to be both affordable and distinctly American. Its second owner, Marjorie Leighey, donated the home to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1964. For your last stop, you will visit Pohick Church. Built in 1774, and supervised by vestrymen George Washington, George Mason, and George William Fairfax, the construction was completed just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Both before and after the war, Washington was a faithful attendant at the church. During the Civil War, occupying Union forces stripped the building's interior for souvenirs of "Washington's Church" and used its worship space as a stable. Soldiers scrawled their names on the inside walls, carved graffiti onto the doorposts, and pockmarked the exterior with bullet holes. The interior damage can be seen from an iconic 1862 Mathew Brady photo, while the outside markings can still be viewed today.

On Day 3 of exploring these famous homes in Virginia, you will find yourself at Gunston Hall, the home of another Founding Father - George Mason. George Mason played an equally important a role in the early history of the United States. A delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Mason chose not to sign the document because it did not include an individual bill of rights. It may have cost him his friendship with George Washington, and certainly relegated him to lesser-known status among the Founding Fathers. At Mason's home, Gunston Hall, you'll learn all about his life, his work, and his family. Tour his home, an 18th century Georgian Mansion, and learn about the building's design and architecture. Stroll the massive central Boxwood allee, or hike down from the house to the banks of the Potomac, where the Masons and their children might have frolicked. Take a garden walk, play "Plantation Sleuth," learn the art of hearth-cooking, or experience the rigors of daily life at a military encampment during special events at the Estate. (Check their event calendar before visiting to find out details.) After your visit at Gunston Hall, head out to Mason Neck State Park, Fairfax County's only Virginia State Park. Located on a peninsula formed by Pohick Bay, Belmont Bay and the Potomac River, the park is an active heron rookery, and also attracts several other migrating and non-migrating species of birds, including whistling swans and several species of duck. The park boasts several hundred acres of hardwood forests consisting of oaks, holly, hickory and other species of trees, and several wetland areas. Opportunities for boating, fishing, biking, hiking, and picnicking are all available in the park. Don't forget to also make a trip to nearby Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge, the United States' first preservation refuge for bald eagles. Your last stop is Pohick Bay Regional Park, a water-oriented park that occupies a spectacular bayside setting on the historic Mason Neck peninsula in Fairfax County. In early times, George Washington visited the area frequently. Today the park features an 18-hole golf course, camping, an outdoor swimming pool, sailboat, pedal boat, canoe and sea kayak rentals, boating and fishing, miniature and Frisbee golf, four miles of bridle paths, nature trails, and a complete water park perfect for the kiddos.

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Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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LA Times Today: Behind the scenes at the Pasadena Showcase House of Design

Watch l.a. times today at 7 p.m. on spectrum news 1 on channel 1 or live stream on the spectrum news app. palos verdes peninsula and orange county viewers can watch on cox systems on channel 99..

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Michael S. Smith’s Latest Project Is a Masterclass in Indoor-Outdoor Living

Walls disappear, art reflects nature, and old-growth olive trees whisper of old Hollywood.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Veranda editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

The prime three-acre property, which feels deeply private yet has choice views over Los Angeles, was home to several Hollywood legends over the course of the 20th century. The present 14,000-square-foot home was designed by architect Howard Backen, pioneer of the modern American farmhouse aesthetic. Drawn to what Smith characterizes as the home’s “spare, reductive series of volumes,” his clients brought in landscape designer Christine London to rethink the garden, expanding the views across the property and through the house.

“The goal was to create cohesion for the family’s full use of the property so that the rhythm of the garden balances open and enclosed spaces, wood and glass, private retreats and larger gathering spaces, all in response to both the architecture and the land,” says London, who also oversaw the transplanting of beloved white crape myrtle trees, bonsai boxwoods, and other prized plantings from the family’s former garden.

Indoors, Smith wanted to respect the home’s luxe rusticity, which he summed up as “comfortably proportioned and well edited, like something you’d see in a Nancy Meyers film,” while also reflecting the sophisticated taste and passions of his clients. “They are significant art collectors with wide-ranging interests, and their homes need to match that level of refinement to be engaging for them.”

Perhaps no room reveals more clearly the balance struck by Smith’s urbane decorating and the home’s casual, open design than the kitchen and great room. Clad, as the rest of the house, in simple bleached walnut planks, the room opens to the outdoors on two sides through vast doors that seem to disappear into the walls. It has the distinctive (perhaps intentional) feel of a small barn or shed that’s been upgraded to be part of the house. In this case, the upgrade includes a museum-caliber painting by Kenneth Noland, a vintage rosewood cabinet, and stylish Swedish ceramics.

By contrast, the grandly proportioned dining room—which has its own large glass wall opening to the garden—is decidedly more polished and cosmopolitan. Here, an elegant suite of klismoses from Saridis in Athens, Greece, surrounds a custom marble and gilt-bronze dining table by French designer Hervé Van der Straeten. Gesso and silver leaf panels by Nancy Lorenz appear as a folding screen and open to reveal a glamorous built-in bar.

Throughout, Smith has deftly deployed the couple’s stellar art collection as yet another way of bringing the outdoors in. Beyond landscapes, there are tropical beaches, swimming pools, and even a tightly focused composition of dense foliage, as is the case of a work by Nigerian-born Njideka Akunyili Crosby in the great room.

Even with its impressive Pagani Studio ceiling lamp in the husband’s study, Smith says: “The clear focal point of the room, what catches your eye immediately, is the intense blues of David Hockney’s Paper Pool: Diving Board,” created with Tyler Graphics. In the wife’s dressing room, Lorenz camouflaged the closet doors with a forest of branches created in lacquer and mother-of-pearl, again echoing the quiet luxury of Japanese screens.

For all the nature brought into the home through the windows and artworks, there are also multiple outdoor “rooms” in the garden. Among the most popular for family and guests is the sprawling courtyard lounge anchored by a monumental concrete fireplace, a signature Backen home feature, that provides a cozy sense of shelter and wonderment beneath the stars. And of course there’s art, including a steel sculpture by Bernar Venet at the culmination of an evergreen allée. “The house and the garden blend so well to provide moments for reflection and appreciation of nature,” says Smith. “Add in Hockney’s wonderful pool iconography, and it’s the perfect summation of idyllic California living.”

A wisteria-​covered bronze pergola shades a terrace with seating from Sutherland .

Living Room

Country Club by English painter Hurvin Anderson brings the garden views inside the living room. Chaise, Atelier Viollet . Coffee tables, Alexander Lamont . Antique rug, Mansour

A marble sculpture, Déméter by Jean Arp, graces the hall’s garden entry.

Kenneth Noland’s Mexican Camino bathes the kitchen in serene color. Range, Wolf . Pen­dant fixtures, Philippe Anthonioz

An original Mark Rothko brings shades of sea and sky into the Venetian plaster-wrapped South Hall. The rug is by Woven Accents , and the table is by Philippe Anthonioz .

Primary Bedroom

In the primary bedroom, soft textiles—a Swedish-style rug ( Mansour ), a striped headboard on the canopy bed ( Holly Hunt ), and shearling-covered seating ( Roman Thomas )—lend comfortable contrast to the bleached walnut walls. Hurvin Anderson’s Audition adds a splash of electric color

Dressing Room

In the wife’s dressing room, Nancy Lorenz embellished closet door panels with flowering branches in lacquer and mother-of-pearl.

Primary Bathroom

A bronze chandelier by Claude Lalanne illuminates a floating tub (fixtures, Lefroy Brooks ) in the wife’s bathroom.

Guest Bedroom

A 19th-century English mahogany bed (upholstery, Robert Kime ) anchors the guest bedroom. Rug, Patterson Flynn . Table lamps, SCDS . Chandelier, Philippe Anthonioz . Painting, Hurvin Anderson

Family Guest Room

David Hockney’s House Palm and Pool paintings bring California’s spirit of cool into the family guest bedroom. Chandelier, Atelier de Troupe . Sofa fabric, Penny Morrison . Ottoman, Nickey Kehoe

Lavender Bedroom

Airy curtains (fabric, Soie de Lune ) cocoon the lithe canopy bed, whose frame is dressed in a geometric Fortuny fabric. Nightstand, L’Artigiano Studio . Lamps, Liz O’Brien . Rug, Beauvais

Indigenous oak and a grove of multitrunk sycamores frame the path to the pool, where reclaimed Belgique Blue limestone is arranged in a random ashlar pattern.

Dining Garden

Beneath a teak pergola, woven Sutherland dining chairs gather around an expansive

L’Artigiano Studio table on the limestone-clad terrace.

VERANDA Magazine

Featured in our May/June 2024 issue. Interior Design by Michael S. Smith; Architecture by Howard Backen; Landscape Design by Christine London; P hotography by Michael Mundy; Styling by Rachael Burrow and Liz Strong; Written by Andrew Ferren.

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Inside a Barn-Inspired House So Pristine, It Could Be an Art Museum

“The energy of this house is extremely calm.”

The home was designed by Bates Masi + Architects and completed in 2022, with interiors previously overseen by David Kleinberg Design Associates . “I almost declined, because I usually only do projects from the start,” says Weingort. “But then the clients mentioned it was built by Bates Masi, whom I already knew and loved.” She was given carte blanche to reimagine the living spaces for the family-oriented, art-collecting couple.

What followed was a crash course in some of the finest midcentury furniture the market has to offer. “They had just started to develop this newfound love for modernist and midcentury pieces, which of course aligns with my aesthetic,” says Weingort. “They are passionate art collectors and wanted to bring that approach to their furniture.”

The house is made up of three barnlike volumes containing separate living quarters—one for the parents and one for each of their adult children—linked by long hallways. “The idea of displaying the art is what organized the architecture and relationships of spaces,” says Paul Masi, principal at Bates Masi. There is also an “art cube” that works as a gallery and a much-used poolhouse and terrace. “Paul calls it an heirloom home,” says Weingort. “It was built to last forever, for their kids and future grandkids.”

Tour This Exceptional Long Island Retreat

The architecture responds sensitively to Wainscott’s historic vernacular with cedar siding that mimics the classic New England saltbox . Light enters through bronze-plated clerestory windows, while a limited palette of hard-wearing materials like limestone appears inside and out. Oak and gypsum plaster dominate each interior volume. The deceptively simple workings of the structure disappear further once inside, allowing Weingort’s work to truly shine. Now, complementing important artworks by Dan Flavin, Wayne Thiebaud, John McCracken, and Lucy Dodd are prime examples of midcentury design of her choosing.

.css-12zwr2e{font-family:Sabon,Sabon-styleitalic-roboto,Sabon-styleitalic-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-size:1.625rem;font-style:italic;letter-spacing:-0.0225rem;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-12zwr2e{font-size:1.9375rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-12zwr2e{font-size:1.9375rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-12zwr2e{font-size:2.75rem;line-height:1.1;}}.css-12zwr2e b,.css-12zwr2e strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-12zwr2e em,.css-12zwr2e i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;}.css-12zwr2e i,.css-12zwr2e em{font-style:italic;font-family:Sabon,Sabon-styleitalic-roboto,Sabon-styleitalic-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;} “They are passionate art collectors and wanted to bring that approach to their furniture.”

Alex Glauber, president of the Association of Professional Art Advisors and founder and principal of AWG Art Advisory, has worked with the family on their extensive art collection since 2017. “The collecting journey is an experiential one, the culmination [of which] is getting to live with the work,” says Glauber.

Guests are given a decidedly blue-chip welcome in the entry, where Alex Katz’s The Yellow House, picked up at Sotheby’s, presides over a Pierre Jeanneret table from 1954, a 1973 Pierre Chapo chair, and a George Nakashima stool. In the family room hangs another exceptional work, Alice Neel’s Pregnant Nude. A warm orange sofa and chairs designed by Jeanneret in the 1950s flank the painting as well as the custom stone fireplace that supports it.

At the room’s other end, an ocean-blue Pierre Yovanovitch sofa seems the perfect answer to McCracken’s nearby wall sculptures in complementary hues. At first glance, the arrangement seems casual, which is just as Weingort intended: Everything was placed to encourage conversation and, per the client’s directive, to keep the focus on the art.

The family room and dining area see the most foot traffic and thus were designed with function top of mind. “It was important for [Weingort] to understand how we live, how we party, how we relax—how we do it all,” says the wife. The open-plan dining area includes a full kitchen (a “morning and happy-hour hub”), a bar around which 30 guests huddle during the holidays, and a dining table that seats at least 10. “The energy of this house is extremely calm,” Weingort says. “You can really feel the quietness when you are here alone and the warmth when it is filled.”

Weingort is looking forward to working with the family on a ground-up project in Mexico, where they recently purchased land. “She’s a perfectionist like I’ve never seen, and an amazing collaborator,” says the wife. “She truly knocked this project out of the park.”

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Moscow Metro Tour - With Ratings

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Moscow Metro Tour

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Tour Information

Key Details

• Free Cancellation
• Duration: 1 Hr 30 Mins
• Language: English
• Departure Details : Get to the Biblioteka imeni Lenina (Lenin's Library, Red Line) or Alexandrovsky Sad (Alexander Garden, Light Blue Line) metro station. Use any exit. Find the Kutafia Tower of the Kremlin. The guide .. read more

The Moscow Metro has a long history to it. Also, the city has an extremely beautiful subway. It is very well maintained and is also extremely decorated. Each station and spot has a different artistic aspect to it. On this tour, experience the efficiency of Moscow Metro.

• Roam around the Revolution Square, with magnificent sculptures of the Soviet people
• Visit the Kurskaya Station Lobby, the Hall of Fame of the WWII
• Be awestruck at the Komsomolskaya , with impressive mural mosaics of Russian glorious victories
• See the artistic side of Novoslobodskaya , with the stained glass, although under the ground.

Know More about this tour

Take our Moscow Metro Tour and discover why our subway is recognized as the most beautiful in the world!

"They used to have palaces for kings, we are going to build palaces for the people!" said one of the main architects of the Soviet subway.

With us you will see the most beautiful metro stations in Moscow built under Stalin: Komsomolskaya, Revolution square, Novoslobodskaya, Mayakovskaya. Our guide will tell fascinating stories and secrets hidden underground, urban legends and funny stories.

How many babies were born on the Moscow metro? Where is the secret Metro 2? How deep is the Moscow metro? And where did Stalin give his speech in November 1941? Join out Metro tour and find out!

• Metro ticket

Cancellation Policy

• If you cancel between 0 hrs To 24 hrs before scheduled tour departure, the cancellation charge will be 100%
• If you cancel between 1 days To 180 days before scheduled tour departure, the cancellation charge will be 0%
• Please note that in case of No show, the cancellation charge will be 100% of the listed tour fare.
• Please note tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
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StarTribune

St. cloud house vies for ugliest house in america.

Having an ugly house can be a good thing — if the prize is a dream renovation from a celebrity designer.

That's the incentive for homeowners who nominate their homes to be on HGTV's "Ugliest House in America." And when Season 5 rolls out on Monday, a Minnesota home will be a contender for most hideous house.

According to the network, a St. Cloud abode will be one of 15 houses featured in the lighthearted series that's all about fun and problem-solving rather than poking fun. Saddled with a home that has a nonsensical layout or outlandish decor, homeowners nominate their places because they don't know where to begin and are seeking design help from the pros.

In each episode, the host — comedian/actress Retta (NBC's "Parks and Rec" and "Good Girls") — takes viewers inside the homes of three finalists in a region (Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Northern and Northeast). Ultimately, one of the homes will be crowned the Ugliest House in America and receive a $150,000 dream renovation from HGTV's Alison Victoria unveiled in a finale episode.

Season 5 begins Monday. Minnesota falls under the Northern region and, according to hgtv.com , that episode is slated to air on May 6.

"Ugliest House in America" Season 5 debuts at 8 p.m. Monday on HGTV. The show can also be streamed on Max, available the same days and times HGTV episodes are released.

Nancy Ngo is the Star Tribune Home & Garden Editor and contributor to the Variety section.

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© 2024 StarTribune. All rights reserved.

Ultimate Rockies tour featuring Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons parks to be hosted by Theresa Bryant

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Holiday Vacations and KWQC-TV6 have partnered to invite viewers to embark on the ultimate Rockies vacation, featuring awe-inspiring natural beauty in three famous national parks from Aug. 12 to 21 to be hosted by Theresa Bryant.

The Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons tour is a 10-day getaway (including airfare and 14 meals) that begins in Montana and ends in Salt Lake City, UT.

For more details about Holiday Vacations and this tour, visit here. Travelers can save $100 on booking this trip or another in the future by watching this online travel show (click link).

Holiday Vacations guided tours include airfare from more than 100 conveniently located U.S. airports, great hotels, delightful meals and interesting sights. The company is one of America’s most reputable tour companies, producing unparalleled travel experiences since 1973.

Copyright 2024 KWQC. All rights reserved.

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Green Bay, Brown County optimistic about chances coal piles will move as White House official tours site

GREEN BAY - The Port of Green Bay applied for a $25 million federal grant to cover higher-than-expected costs to build a new port facility, a project key to ongoing community efforts to relocate the coal piles out of the central city.

The port in February applied for a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE Discretionary Grant to close a budget gap in a plan to develop a new multipurpose port facility on the former Pulliam Power Plant site at the mouth of the Fox River. Cost estimates last fall showed improvements and infrastructure work on the site would cost about $48.7 million , about $19 million more than originally expected.

The RAISE grant program has about $1.5 billion to award in 2024.

Port Director Dean Haen said the community's application included letters of support from 40 businesses, legislators and Gov. Tony Evers that "make our case why it's very important to Green Bay." He said the grant is necessary to ensure construction starts in 2025 on the new port facility along the west shore at the mouth of the Fox River.

Senior aide to President Joe Biden tours Green Bay coal piles site

The port won't find out until summer whether it receives the grant, but a senior White House official toured the coal piles site during a visit to Green Bay on Thursday , giving local officials the opportunity to drive the point home that the city, county, and C. Reiss Coal Co. are "all aligned," said Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich.

The tour, as much as the guest of honor, carried some import in itself — It was the first time C. Reiss Coal Co. representatives joined city of Green Bay and Brown County officials to tour the site and publicly discuss the relocation since the community first identified an opportunity to relocate the coal yard in 2021.

Keith Haselhoff, CEO of C. Reiss Coal Co. , met with senior adviser to President Joe Biden and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez, Genrich, Haen and other city and county officials. Perez also toured City East Center , a city- and state-funded affordable housing development and new home of the Brown County United Way .

Perez said the collaborative work of the city, county, business community, and C. Reiss Coal is often a key to securing grants, though he personally does not judge any applications.

"I see potential, remarkable potential," Perez said after touring the C. Reiss site. "There's obviously leadership here."

'We're optimistic this can be a success'

Haselhoff said C. Reiss continues to take its cues from the city and county as they pursue the money necessary to pull off the port expansion, relocation of C. Reiss and redevelopment of the coal yard site. But he said the company is optimistic at this point and continues to discuss its operational needs with the community partners.

"We're optimistic this can be a success," Haselhoff said. "New beginnings are always exciting."

The company has not said much publicly, but that does not mean it hasn't been closely involved, Genrich said. He called the company a "constructive partner" since the county and city got serious.

"They've never said, 'No, we're not interested,'" Genrich said. "They've been at the table figuring out how to make it work for themselves and the community."

Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach said the community and company efforts to date have positioned the region to, after 25 years of talks, "reimagine what the next 100 years will look like" for the riverfront site.

After 4 years of work, Green Bay, Brown County, C. Reiss have community close to plan to relocate coal piles

Brown County in 2021 paid $2.7 million to Wisconsin Public Service Corp. for the former J.P. Pulliam power plant site. WPS generated electricity on the 43.7-acre site from 1927 until 2018 when WPS shut down the two coal-fired power plants and began demolishing them.

The county saw the property as an opportunity to expand port operations in an industrial area of Green Bay on a site with room to relocate the coal piles, a goal community leaders have pursued for decades now. The riverfront site has been a coal yard since 1900, C. Reiss officials said.

Genrich has called the relocation a "once-in-a-city's-lifetime" transformation of the community's waterfront.

But first, the port expansion site needs a lot of costly work and port officials have so far secured about $30.8 million in funding:

• $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars via Gov. Tony Evers .
• $10.1 million federal Port Infrastructure Development Program Grant .
• $500,000 Idle Sites Grant  from Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to help buy the property.
• $3.2 million in Brown County American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
• $2.1 million in WisDOT Harbor Assistance Grants.

The funding and engineering work to design the port expansion enabled the community to accelerate discussions with C. Reiss Coal Co. about relocating the coal piles.

In Depth: A port, a power plant and partnerships: How Green Bay and Brown County could finally relocate the coal piles

What's the Port of Green Bay expansion project?

The site needs improvements and upgrades on land and in the Fox River in order to potentially facilitate a variety of maritime deliveries and pickups. This site would be publicly owned in contrast to the 14 current port terminals that are privately owned and operated. The new port facility on its own could bolster the port's economic impact by as much as $87 million.

A major component of the project would involve dredging along the site and installation of a steel dock wall to enable ships to dock at the site. Construction plans include:

• Dredge the Fox River along the site and install a steel dock wall to enable ships to access the site.
• Construct a rail spur.
• Fill in the docking slip on the Pulliam site.
• Build a stormwater detention basin.
• Add mooring facilities and crane pads for port operations.
• Repair the sea wall.

While some road and infrastructure construction could start still this year, Haen said the community needs to win a RAISE Grant if it wants to start construction on the port-specific improvements in 2025.

Coal piles site could become housing, port site and ... Green Bay's Amtrak station?

City and county officials envision a port/industrial operation, housing and, possibly, an Amtrak station on the coal piles current site. The overall goal would be to activate the riverfront and develop a mix of uses that complements the Shipyard Redevelopment Area housing and recreational amenities coming together just north of the Mason Street bridge.

The northern 10 acres of the site, closest to Mason Street, would be marketed to housing developers.

The southern 20-plus acres would be used to create a new port site to facilitate some industrial uses in order to further bolster the port's current $217 million economic impact .

And with northeastern Wisconsin being awarded $500,000 to study passenger rail expansion from Milwaukee north to Green Bay , Genrich also pitched the coal piles site as a potential location for a new Amtrak terminal. He touted the site as well-located between downtown Green Bay and the rapidly developing Lambeau Field stadium and entertainment district.

"(A train station) can a lot of times be a pretty catalytic presence. We'd love to have a station located here as well," Genrich said.

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier .

Founder of women's support network visits OKC's new Magdalene House: 'Love is the sole force for change'

National women's support network founder tours new okc residential program site.

A new Oklahoma City residential program for women will succeed if it is adequately funded, leaders are committed and supporters look for all the ways they can help those in need of hope and second chances.

But the Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of Magdalene House Nashville and the national Thistle Farms network, said all of these factors contributing to favorable outcomes for the new Magdalene House OKC will need an important ingredient to enhance its mission: love.

"Love is the sole force for change," she said.

More: Newly purchased Oklahoma house has a special purpose: as a safe home for women in need

Stevens, 60, an Episcopal priest, author and chaplain at St. Augustine's Episcopal Chapel at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, recently shared her recipe for the local program's success at a spring luncheon held to raise awareness and additional funds for Magdalene House OKC.

The new social enterprise was founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma as a nonprofit organization offering a residential program with recovery and healing support for women who have experienced abuse, sexual exploitation, addiction or incarceration.

The Oklahoma City program is part of Stevens' Thistle Farms support network for women. During her recent visit to the metro area, she toured the residential home where the program's first three participants are currently living. She said the home was "beautiful" and praised Magdalene House OKC leaders' efforts to make it an inviting haven for program participants.

"You have no idea there's so many people, in so many cities who are trying this, and they would just love to have what you've built here. It is stunning," Stevens said.

"I love that you and I together have helped grow a large network. Seventy-five communities are open with over 600 beds."

Magdalene House OKC leaders, like the Rev. Tim Baer and the Rev. Dana Orwig, have said the local program is based on Steven's Magdalene House Nashville that she opened in 1997 with five women who had experienced addiction, trafficking and violence as the first residents.

Baer, the Magdalene House OKC board chairman and rector of Yukon's Grace Episcopal Church, and Orwig, a Magdalene House OKC board member and deacon at Grace Church, said women may live at Magdalene House OKC at no cost for up to two years as they pursue sobriety, self-worth, health and financial independence.

Baer said the first program participant arrived in January. He said two of the three current participants entered the Magdalene House OKC program after leaving prison, and the third participant, who had been incarcerated, arrived after participating in a sobriety program.

The priest said program was prepared to welcome its first residents once key staff members were hired, particularly Shannon Hartsock, the program's executive director, and Lakitia Bates, who serves as program director. He and other Magdalene House OKC leaders have said Oklahoma's high female incarceration rate was one of the reasons for starting the residential program because there is an ongoing need for programs offering aid to women after they get out of prison.

'Love letter to God'

Stevens told the Oklahoma luncheon crowd not to wait to be inspired to help women and others in need of love, hope and support. She said offering such aid should be a commitment.

"That is what love is, to do the work," Stevens said.

The money or commerce to operate the program will be part of what she described as the "love economy." Finally, she encouraged Magdalene House OKC supporters to be curious about how they can best help women in need of care. And she said it will be important to help the women become the "heroes" of their own stories as they seek better lives.

When the residential program leaders and supporters do all these things, "you can live this life as a love letter to God," Stevens said.

More: Oklahoma to join national network for survivors with Magdalene House OKC

She said she has heard the stories of women coming from horrible situations and difficult circumstances who need love and care of the church and surrounding communities.

"I've heard this story told in 27 different languages about the toll this takes on women's lives," Stevens said.

"When you invest in women, you heal whole communities."

How to help

For more information about Magdalene House OKC, go to https://magdaleneokc.org/ . For information about the Thistle Farms network, go to https://thistlefarms.org/ .