Visit the Mansion

Previously called the General Tour

Up to ten guests are guided through the Main and part of the Ground Floors of the Mansion. You’ll see rooms that have been restored as well as rooms in their original state, including the recently restored parquet floors on the main level. In addition, you’ll also hear stories about the family that lived in the home and the legacy they left.

This tour lasts about an hour, and the cost is $20 per adult, $18 per senior/student. Veterans and Active- Duty Military are free of charge. Children under 5 may accompany an adult free of charge.

*Tickets are non-refundable

Only available in August and September

Interested in learning more about the Mansion this summer? Then join our new "More to the Story: Writers and Workers Tour"!

As we continue to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Mansion we want to invite you behind the scenes! This exciting, guided tour takes visitors through the Main Level, Ground Level, Gymnasium, and around the exterior of the Mansion (weather permitting) covering public areas of the home where guests, Open Court writers, and generations of workers contributed to the legacy of the Mansion. See where the family hosted guests, business partners, and where the magic happened behind the scenes while learning about the history of M & H Zinc Company, Open Court Publishing Company, the architecture and interior design of the Mansion, and the workers that kept the Mansion going.

This tour is approximately 1.5 hours in duration. Tickets are $80 per person with a limited capacity per tour. If you have a larger party, please contact us directly to schedule a private timeslot. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your tour.

*Tickets are non-refundable.

Available by Private Reservation only. Must call (815) 712-4180.

Are you interested in exploring more of the Mansion? Then the “Cover to Cover” Tour is right for you. Our most popular tour, this is a guided adventure begins in the Reception Room, covering areas of the home both public and private, all the way to the 7th floor Cupola, immersed among the Mansion’s impressive architecture and artifacts.

This tour is approximately 2.5 hours in duration and features walking breaks. It is priced at $115 per person with a maximum capacity of ten (If your group is larger, please contact us directly to schedule a private tour).

*Tickets are non-refundable

Annual Memberships are only a few dollars more. Ask us how you can upgrade after your tour!

Description Digging up the history of the dead! In this fully immersive experience, the macabre aspects of death in the Victorian era will come back to life!

As you move through the Main Floor, costumed guides will entangle you in a web of customs and superstitions unique to the Gilded Age. Was being buried alive a real cause for fear? Who might you find lurking about in a Victorian cemetery?

Appropriate Victorian dress for guests is encouraged but not required (no heels). This is approximately a 1-hour tour. Tickets are $40 per person/4 Pack - $140.

Persons under 18 are allowed with an adult, but please note that the content is related to Victorian Funeral and Halloween traditions and may be a bit macabre for some audiences.

Tour Dates: October 22, 23, and 24, 5- 9pm

*Tour starts every 20 minutes and are filled on a first come/first serve basis upon arrival

*Tickets are non-refundable

We're digging deeper and coming up with more curious tales of the morbid and macabre aspects of death in the Victorian era .

On this brand new tour, move through the Main Level, Second Level, Attic, Second Attic, and Cupola as costumed guides entangle you in a web of customs and superstitions unique to the Hegeler Carus Mansion and Gilded Age. Where does Trick-or-Treating come from? And how is running water connected to ghosts and hauntings?

Appropriate Victorian dress for guests is encouraged but not required (no heels). This is approximately a 2.5-hour tour. Tickets are $125 per person with a limited capacity per tour. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your tour.

Please note that the content is related to Victorian Funeral and Halloween traditions and may be a bit unsettling for some audiences. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Tour Dates: October 22, 23, and 24, 6pm

*Tickets are non-refundable.