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Best Historical Home Tour

By Readers' Choice On 7/17/25 at 12:00 PM EDT

If you're looking for design inspiration before renovating your den or simply love the intersection of history and architecture, then a historical home tour may be your cup of tea. From impressive manors built to display wealth and dazzle guests (think HBO's The Gilded Age) to humble abodes that inspired world-famous works of art, each house on our list has been frozen in time, giving you a view of what life was like for some of America's most successful citizens. Check out the grand places we've included below—which one will have you running to your local antique store for an early 1900s Tiffany lamp?

These 10 historical home tours were selected by our featured panelists and contributors and voted on by readers as the best of the best.

1. The House of the Seven Gables | Salem, MA

The House of the Seven Gables

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Over 350 years old, this mansion by the sea brims with history: the House of the Seven Gables is one of the country's largest timber mansions still on its original foundation. The home features prominently in a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel, adding to its fame. When you're not perusing the Georgian splendor inside or treating your little historian to kid-friendly activities, check out the mansion's events, including spooky bashes in October.

2. Winchester Mystery House | San Jose, CA

Winchester Mystery House

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The infamous Winchester Mystery House took 36 years to build, starting as an eight-room farmhouse and ending as a sprawling 160-room mansion. Filled with 19th-century curiosities, architectural oddities and paranormal activities, this bizarre home is a place of intrigue that's drawn millions of visitors over the decades. Each fall, the house comes to life during Festival Fright Nights with food, entertainment and special tours that might leave you haunted.

3. Biltmore Estate | Asheville, NC

Biltmore Estate

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Hidden in Western North Carolina's mountains is the majestic Biltmore Estate, America's largest privately owned home. You can explore its 8,000 acres of pristine gardens, greenhouses and forest trails after a tour of the 250-room Gilded Age mansion (which covers 4 acres) or a tasting at the award-winning winery. The house has more than just period furnishings; world-class art from masters like Albrecht Dürer and Claude Monet graces the walls.

4. Andrew Low House Museum | Savannah, GA

Andrew Low House Museum

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Once owned by Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, the Andrew Low House Museum preserves the rich and complicated heritage of an 1850s Southern seaport city. Throughout, you'll see the family's prized possessions, from 18th-century porcelain to a rosewood writing desk often used by the Lows' famous visitors. And you can stroll through one of Savannah's only remaining antebellum gardens before relaxing under the shade of the Natchez crape myrtles.

5. Molly Brown House Museum | Denver, CO

Molly Brown House Museum

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Beautifully eclectic and Victorian, the charming Molly Brown House Museum celebrates the life of the Unsinkable Molly Brown, who became world famous for surviving the Titanic shipwreck. Once you pass the giant lions and sphinx that guard the entrance, you'll be ushered inside to see Molly's collections (almost 10,000 items!) from her years as a world traveler—including a library that's stacked from floor to ceiling with books and souvenirs.

6. Georgia O'Keeffe Home & Studio | Abiquiú, NM

Georgia O'Keeffe Home & Studio

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The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum invites you to tour the home of the famous American painter for a glimpse of what inspired her work. You'll see the studio where O'Keeffe prepared canvases, her wardrobe still hanging in the closet, and the lovely garden and patio where more than two dozen of her artistic ideas sprang to life. Even if you're not an art aficionado, the Southwest-meets-mid-century-modern furnishings are worth a visit.

7. Hearst Castle | San Simeon, CA

Hearst Castle

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You may forget you're in California and not the European countryside as you take in the grandeur of Hearst Castle. Spanish ceilings from the early 1400s, ancient Egyptian and Greek art, the brilliant blue Neptune Pool—there's so much art and architecture to admire. There's a tour for every taste, whether you want to see the mansion's luxurious rooms, the cozy kitchen and guest cottages, or the moonlit sculpture gardens.

8. Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum | Key West, FL

Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum

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See what inspired one of the 20th century's most influential American writers inside the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, from the massive in-ground pool—the first ever built in Key West—to the famous cat population that has descended from Hemingway's favorite cat, Snow White. Want to channel the creative spirit of Hemingway? The Evening Writing Experience lets you freely wander the grounds and writing studio to hunt for your own inspiration.

9. Pabst Mansion | Milwaukee, WI

Pabst Mansion

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Take a trip back to the Gilded Age at the Pabst Mansion, where the family's famous brewery and love for European art shine. On Sundays, you can sip champagne as you wander the elegant home (Blue Ribbon beer tours are available too) and take in its music room that hosted the late 19th century's most popular musicians. All three floors are fully accessible, so everybody can admire the ornate decor.

10. Gamble House | Pasadena, CA

Gamble House

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Stained glass windows, hand-carved wood at every turn, custom architecture that seamlessly blends into nature: the Gamble House is an icon of the American craftsman style. This 1908 artistic wonder offers all kinds of tours, including one-hour walks through rooms with original furnishings, behind-the-scenes looks at the house's exquisite craftsmanship, guided rambles through the gardens and in-depth explorations with a glass artist

About Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards

Our nominees are editorially driven with contributions from a panel of travel experts. The final list is determined by Newsweek editors. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For more details, read our terms and conditions. For any questions, please see our FAQs or email us at readerschoice@newsweek.com.

Our Featured Panelists

Susan Lanier-Graham

Susan Lanier-Graham is founder and publisher of Wander With Wonder, an award-winning online travel journalism magazine. She has authored more than 75 books and hundreds of magazine articles while traveling the world over the past three decades. Susan's work has appeared in a variety of publications, including various AAA publications, TravelandLeisure.com, Hotels.com, Modern Luxury, WHERE publications, Fairmont.com, Marriott.com and more. Susan is a member of Society of American Travel Writers, International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association, and North American Travel Journalists Association. She is also a Certified California Wine Appellation Specialist.

Penny Sadler

Penny Sadler is a freelance writer covering wine, food, travel and lifestyle topics. Currently residing in the Lone Star State, her glass is always full, preferably of something white and sparkling. Her work has appeared in Culture Cheese Magazine, Cheese Professor, Matador Network, Inside Hook, Alcohol Professor, Vintner Project, and elsewhere. Penny has appeared on numerous broadcasts as an expert on topics ranging from wine tourism to skin cancer to packing for international travel. She is a Wine Spirits Education Trust certified wine specialist and a member of SATW. Read more at www.adventuresofacarryon.com.

Elaine Warner headshot square

Elaine Warner

In pursuit of her stories, Elaine Warner has flown in helicopters, hot-air balloons, and even a glider. She has eaten her way through St. Louis (and a number of other places) and descended at night to the bottom of a canyon to see dismalites—tiny, glowing larvae of fungus gnats. She draws the line at bungee jumping and hang gliding and her idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn without a Holidome. Learn more about Elaine's adventures at okietravel.com or follow her on Instagram.