hegeler carus mansion

I have to admit first of all that I am a docent here and prejudice, BUT, if you like old things, and I am not talking about myself necessarily, you will love this place! Two Victorian families, both packrats (it was the Victorian mentality) lived in this 7-story, 16,000 square foot mansion. They left it all for us to see. It is a wonder! The builder of this mansion and his family were innovators, geniuses and free-thinkers. Come meet them with all their virtues and their faults. See what they began and what they have become. It is a truly worthwhile hour or so.

We are thrilled that you loved the Hegeler Carus Mansion as much as we do and will be sure to pass your compliments along to Tricia, your tour guide. Like many historic house museums, we do have rules to protect the house. We allow interior photos to be taken by appointment, but not during regular tour times. If you are interested in taking photos, please give us a call and we will be happy to make arrangements. Thank you again for visiting and for your positive review. We hope to see you again soon.

Very impressive mansion and tour. The guide was excellent--very informative but not overbearing. The mansion has not been totally restored yet, so it feels very old in a good way (very historic). I highly recommend this!

$10 tour for an hour was great as the guide was very knowledgeable. It is is under renovation and the third floor is not accessible. But woodwork and fireplaces are beautiful. Many 1893 exposition items intertwined in the mansion. I would say renovation is 50% complete so be prepared to see a few rooms needing work. The size is amazing compared to other historical houses.

I grew up in La Salle and never knew this place existed. The history of the German-American family is a fascinating part of history. The mansion is being restored and its beauty cannot be underestimated. The one-hour tour is very informative - I have taken several and each tour guide has a special perspective to share.

It is a work in progress.it does get better every year.it does lend some insight to the areas buisness

Thank you for visiting the Hegeler Carus Mansion and for you review. We appreciate that you are telling others about our work, and about Tricia Kelly, our tour director. She is a storyteller by trade, and has tremendous passion for the Mansion. I will be sure to pass your compliments along to her. Thanks again for your visit. We hope to see you again!

I've always wanted to see this mansion. With a $10. donation per person, you can see one floor of the mansion which is amazing! You can become a member and schedule to see the upstairs which I would like to do sometime. The home needs much restoration yet, but when it's complete, it will be beautiful! So if you love old word work and architecture, then this mansion is a must see!

We saw rooms on 2 floors of a 7 floor house. They are slowly restoring it. All of the owners belongings are still in the house. But the beauty the house had was still very evident. Tricia our guide was wonderful and really cared for the house. Very enthusiastic in her presentation. Definitely a must see for people who love very old mansions.

Thank you for your kind words! We are very please that you enjoyed your visit to the Hegeler Carus Mansion. All of our docents love to share the house stories with guests. I will be sure to let Denise, (your tour guide) know that you wrote. She will be thrilled that you mentioned her! Please come visit us again soon! Thank you for letting others know that you enjoyed your tour.Kelly Klobucher, Executive Director, Hegeler Carus Foundation

A beautiful, unique and historically significant building in LaSalle Illinois. It is the former home of the Hegeler-Carus family built in the late 19th century with architectural style and technology that were new for the time and are still beautiful and interesting today as it has been and continues to be restored to its original excellence. More than that, it was the place of origin of the Open Court Publishing Company, started by Edward Hegeler who with Dr. Paul Carus made it a center of literature sand learning focusing n the philosophy of science and religion. The mansion continues to be a center of thought in these areas, hosting frequent conferences and seminars for scholars in these fields. The staff now operating the mansion and leading the way in restoration efforts do so with skill and endless enthusiasm for their mission. Tours of the mansion are available to the public and are fascinating. Not to be missed!

This is a must see if you are interested in history and antiques. The mansion was beautiful, the history was very interesting, there were many antiques in excellent condition, and the tour guide was very knowledgable to the historical facts surrounding the family, the mansion, costs, construction, the factory, ect. We will definitely be back!

we were only allowed on the first and sub floor becuase of fire codes, but all in all this place is beautiful, very historic and ya might see some things that your parents use to use back in the day...the kitchen was the coolest.

The tour was an hour long step back into the history of the area and family that built the mansion. I could have easily spent much more time there looking at all of the details in each of the rooms we were able to tour. Knowledgable tour guide and enjoyable experience!

Have been going to this mansion for over a decade. It has been great to see the changes it has gone through during it's restoration. If you love history and architecture, this is the place for you. Some of the built-in furniture was designed and built by architects, which is rare for the time period. This is a great tour to take kids on, they find it very interesting and love the staircase.