washburne house state historic site

I love the Greek Revival Architecture of this home. A very good time period snapshot since Elihue Washburne played such an important part in early Galena history. The docent we had was a very knowledgeable and friendly woman and we really enjoyed our tour of this mansion. Several of the "privately Owned "Mansions" in the area were really not authentic and not worth the cost, but this was well worth the small donation.

Only open on Fridays. Thank goodness for volunteers. Donations accepted. Gives you a view of the politics and successful business owners in the time of U.S. Grant.

Very interesting ! We toured the home with our 12 year old son and his two teen age cousins.They also found the tour interesting.( made them leave electronic devices at vacation house)Only open on Fridays ! Donation suggested

This was a great tour site with knowledgeable guides. Only opened on Fridays which is a scheduling problem, but not impossible. Great interior and exterior with a wonderful family story of the Washburnes and the Washburns. Yes, two names and a great story. A must go to and learn.

I'm a sucker for just about any historic home tour but when the majority of the contents are original to the home itself, it makes the experience all the more satisfying. I had never heard of E.B. Washburne prior to my visit and appreciate the care that local historians are taking to preserve it. The home is only open on Fridays during limited hours by the volunteers who staff it, so I considered it good fortune that I got to experience it. If you enjoy antiquities and older homes that have been lovingly preserved, stop in for the 30 minute tour on a Friday; you'll be glad you did.

The ladies that were the docents were very knowledgeable about the home and the history of the family that lived there. Great personality and made the family come to life!

Elihu B. Washburne's house in Galena, Illinois, is open to the public only on Friday, which makes it difficult for some tourists to get an opportunity to tour the building. That's a shame because the two-story brick Greek Revival home, which was built in 1843 with additions in 1859 and 1860, is worth a visit. In 1973, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors are given guided tours of rooms on the first floor and two second-floor bedrooms, emphasizing the life of Washburne and his Civil War-era friendships with U.S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln. The story of Washburne's wife, Adele Gratiot, provides insights on the Galena region's French and Native American cultures. Washburne was a U.S. Congressman from 1853 to 1869. He was an associate of Lincoln and a wartime "sponsor" of Grant, a fellow Galenian, who learned of his election as president of the United States in 1868 while following election returns in Washburne's library. Washburne also served as Grant's Minister to France from 1869 to 1877 and was considered for the Republican presidential nomination in 1879. The restored home features an entry hall, parlor, sitting room, library, dining room and kitchen with adjoining pantries. All are decorated and furnished to depict the lifestyle of a well-to-do Midwestern professional, which Washburne certainly was. It is interesting to contrast Washburne's home with Grant's home nearby.

Never having heard of Washburne, this was educational. Lots of history and interesting items to see here. The volunteer docents are friendly and informative. Only open on Fridays, so plan accordingly. Cost is a donation of your choosing.

This is an awesome house. There is no charge to tour and a volunteer leads the tour with some interesting information. We learned that Grant and Washburne were close friends but had a falling out in the later years. When Grant was on his deathbed, Washburne went to visit him but Grant would not see him. Interesting.

This tour only runs on Fridays and my husband and I luckily had just enough time to get in on one if the last tours of the day. This tour is run by a group of volunteers. The tour guides were great and had lots of information to share. This is definitely one of the best houses to visit in the Galena area.

The Historical Society volunteers had just opened the house for a limited time while we were in town. Superb restoration of the house.The stories the volunteers told added to the warmth of the house and made this tour all the better. A must see for visitors to Galena.

This tour was only open on Friday, but was very good. The house told us a lot about the history and our tour guide was wonderful!

Regretfully, the building is only open on Friday. Fortunately, since it was a highlight for us, our trip included Friday. The tour guides, volunteers from Questers, were well informed and shared lots of good information about this American statesman. Wish we could have viewed more of the house. But what we saw was well presented & well kept.

The story of Washburne and his influence in Washington, across the country, and shaping the GAR in the Civil War is very interesting. Galena once held the power that later moved to Chicago.

We visited the Washburne House only open on Friday afternoons, which is too bad. So plan accordingly. There is no cost, only donations for the tour. But the house is beautiful and to learn about the Washburne family is so interesting. They put a lot of effort and money into restoring this historic home and it's well worth the visit. It would be worth your time to learn about Elihu Washburne and his 6 brothers and the impact this family has had on our nation in politics as well as business. Elihu is probably responsible for Lincoln becoming president and he brought Lincoln and Grant together. There would definitely not be a President Grant without Elihu Washburne.