Reviews of Bellamy Mansion Museum (Museum)

Rosemarie Dalby

Beautiful restoration. First visit was in 2002 as a newcomer. What a difference. Christmas decorations are lovely and docents answered many of my questions.

Bobby Dobyns

Fantastic tour guide and house. Highly recommend.

Jessica Fedoruk

Very beautiful house, great restoration work over time. Take the guided tour first then go through afterwards on your own, to learn all the information about the architecture

Robert Prettyman

Beautifully restored antebellum mansion that offers both docent and self-guided tours. The exhibit on Urban Slavery is of particular interest and importance in preserving and telling the story of enslaved artisans who constructed the mansion and served the Bellamy family. Free parking is available in a side lot off Market Street.

Vanessa Mueller

Love the tour. Our tour guide was wonderful. So interesting.

John Sleboda

Just an empty Mansion. No furniture on the inside. Not worth the $12

Charlotte Wall

Informative tour of this beautiful Southern mansion. Felt like a visit to the 1800’s.

Eric Miller

Great venue for a Valentine's Day party!

JC Print

Takes you back in time. A must see experience... Super friendly staff..

Sal Carrera Jr

Beautiful mansion. Always has great events going on.

Pat Marquis

Loaded with history. Stunning architecture. Recommended!

Jennifer Crowley

A Belvedere, YES! DREAM as BIG as you want!!!

Tracy Taylor

Very beautiful to see.

Jeanne Lacombe

Informative tour in a beautiful mansion. Highly recommend.

P J Hanley

We were self touring and could not open front door.

Lynn Dahle

Great tour. The ac had gone out the day we toured but our tour guide suffered through the heat with us and gave us our tour. There are a lot of step stairs so if you have a hard time with stairs I would stick with the video. The grounds are beautiful as well.

DeAnne Frazier

Beautiful grounds and they have different "affairs" there from beer tastings to movies to music.

brian enoch

A beautiful home with incredible history. Our guide was well informed and very personable. Some parts of the tour actually gave me chills just thinking about what some people endured. My wife, son and daughter also loved it, an amazing learning experience!

Warren Beck

Well taken care of, beautifully set, great location. Educational. Kids found it interesting as well. Well worth some of your time when in town.

Teresa Cecere

Nice house and history

Julian Springer

Loved the tour, very informative, professional and knowledgeable.

rz bjB

Fantastic guide. Very knowledgeable. Loved the tour. Place is amazing

Janice Long

Wonderful tour guide. Thank you Kathleen. I will read those books. Will be back for Christmas.

Steve Boschen

Beautiful and, historically, very interesting place to visit. Our tour guide was very well informed.

Marlene Mcnaught

It was awesome. Ann was a wonderful docent and historian and brought the back story to life. I feel like I got to know the time and people so much better.

Richard Hepburn

Great visit

Jeff Strahler

You will need about two hours to enjoy everything this property has to offer. The visit started with a short 10 minute video about the history of the property. This was a nice primer to provide a good background to truly enjoy the tour and historical information provided by the guide. The guide was very knowledgeable and seemed very passionate about the house. This made the tour even more interesting and he always had very interesting facts about the various periods of the home occupancy. Do not expect to find a lot of period furniture in this house. Most of the original furniture is no longer in the house. What the house lacks in furniture it makes up for with architecture, art, and historical stories. It is well worth 2 hours of your time to see this marvelous house.

Eric Furlong

Really interesting part of pre war history. It was really awesome that Bellamy focused on the names and histories of the enslaved artisans and freemen who helped to build this impressive structure. Most often this dark part of American history is glossed over.

Tina Douglas

Great way to step back in time and imagine what it was like back then!

Babe Ruth

Great historic site which allows a visitor to experience life of both the rich and the enslaved at the time of the Civil War. Excellent guided tour.

Omayra Bracero

I have fun and a great time at the family open house. My little one had so much fun.

Valerie Dedmon

Nice place!! Self guided tour was a great choice to go with. At our pace.

Steve Sherwood

Love this museum the art show through me off in the rooms and wish they told you it was in there. Did not care for that part.

Dj Helmes

Nice house, the toilet was out of order

Janett V

Really nice

Tim King

Very cool and informative. Be prepared for an hour guided tour with lots of historical information.

Matthew Hooker

Beautiful wedding venue.

Keepsake Memories

Great place for traditional bridal portraits! Our classic bride wanted a location that was full of Southern Charm that was located in downtown Wilmington, NC.

Harley.plays 101

The Mansion is amazing. The details in the chandeliers are very pretty. The history behind the Mansion is really interesting to learn about. I would recommend going to if you are into history, art and design. It can get rather hot in the Mansion especially on the upper floors. There are multiple flights of steep stairs. If you do not do well with stairs I would not recommend.

Maude Bogus

Good tour. Interesting stories about the family and architecture. It is not just walking along a roped off path looking at antique furniture.

Bob Gomperts

Awesome, I like the art display, interesting lecture on porches

Brie-Brenda B

The tour of this house was interesting. The docent had a lot of knowledge.

Rachel S

Very cute, historical, and slightly romantic. Would love to visit again the next time I'm in town.

Alex Symeonides-Tsatsos

Jesse is so knowledgeable and an amazing tour guide! Shes really made the house came to life!

W Newcomb

I love learning our local history. The home is beautiful and the tour guides are very knowledgeable. I felt their love for the home and property.

Shawn Hughes

Great place to see history and see how ahead of their time they were in building this awesome house

Tom Nunez

Nice bit of town history. Very interesting. Will come back to visit

Teddy Anderson

The main mansion is so gorgeous and the entire grounds is so fantastically historic. I'm glad I spent my day in Wilmington here

Mary Nori

Our tour guide Bill was fantastic. So much history in this place, you can almost feel it when you walk around! Awesome tour!

Ross Pitman

Beautiful home even after the hurricane came thru. Everyone should check it out. Lots of history and beautiful architecture.

Latonya Evans

It was a nice big mansion from days past, but I think the historical people need to be a little more sympathetic about the role slavery played during this time. On the tour it's presented like "oh yeah this is where the slaves were at" w/o any disclaimer that it was wrong, but just how the times were. I think that's why alot of minorities don't take tours like this because of the reminder of bad times long ago and how so many people looked at slavery as being ok when it is mever ok to own another human being. The tour did provide alot of fascinating info about how richer individuals were able to survive the era when poorer individuals may not have.

Nick Dize

Tour was so cool

Mikiko Boyle

I recommend visiting this place if you are in Wilmington. It'll take about 1 hour or so to tour the museum.

Lynn Hensley

We enjoyed the tour and the guide was most informative.

Tenaya D

Amazing house with a variety of tour options. Those with physical disabilities may have a difficult time as there are only stairs and no elevators, however there are many places to sit down almost on every level. The staff is very nice and the grounds are well kept.

William Brewer

Really worth seeing. Craftsmanship is outstanding.

Melanie Unwin

Yes, the mansion is air conditioned! Guide Ken was awesome! So knowlegable and thorough! Tour was about 2 hours long, including a 14 minute video. The house is about 10,000 square feet, and about 75 stairs to climb, so wear your comfy shoes. Not wheelchair accessible. Have a cute gift shop of postcards books and knicknacks. Highly recommend!

Virginia Sopata

Self guided tours or a guided tour, they offer both. Their docents are a wealth of information.

John Scanlon

Great look into his6

Andrea Schmidt

Unique and historically interesting place to visit. The beautiful house and grounds can be casually walked via self-tour in about an hour or so

Jenn Alberti

Beth C. did an excellent job providing historical info and details about the Bellamy family. The guided tour was the best way to go, as she was able to share different snippets and also answer questions. This gave a great view of the urban life of the elite class in the Civil.War Era. It also was interesting to learn about how strongly the Old South Ways and ideas flowed even into the middle 1900s! Excellent tour guide and 2 hour activity. Group was children through elderly.

Carrie Dean

Beautiful place. A must stop if your in the area. We made it a point to stop while on vacation.

J T VB

More like 4.5 stars. Very interesting and a worthwhile tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. If you like history, architecture, and have an eye for detail, you will like this.

Sara Walker

Cool but would've been better furnished, although they did explain that. That's what I always look forward to the most, though. The architecture was stunning and the gardens small but lovely.

Phillip Harden

Very great tour. The tour guide was very informative. Only regret I have is I wish I would have taken pictures. Word of advice... make sure your 2 year old has had a nap before going on this tour.

Gerry Renner

Take the guided tour! Learned stuff that we weren't taught in history class. Worth the time and $$

Kyle Pentz

Fun way to explore a bit of history. If you dont mind reading, take a self guided tour or call ahead to find out when guided tours are led. Give yourself a few hours to fully enjoy the property.

Melinda Waller

I enjoyed the various stories about the family and the house. The house for the slaves is in excellent condition.

Michael Hagler

Very interesting Antebellum mansion. A docent wasn't available for a tour so we use the free headphones and listen to a recorded tour. It was very informative and interesting. Entire tour takes about an hour and starts with a 10 minute film.

ren clark

Cool place to visit.

Christa Evans

Oh, it's beautiful! I absolutely enjoyed touring the house, although I thought I would melt from the heat

bonnie sam

Loved the house all decked out for Christmas

Connie Lassiter

The tour was wonderful, the staff very knowledgeable and the home beautiful

Josh Goodson

Awesome piece of local history. Loved the tour and our tour guide.

Javier Solis

Christina was an awesome tour guide, very knowledgeable about every aspect of the house and how Wilmington was linked to many firsts during the civil war times.

Anna Francesca Baric

The place is full of history and well maintained for it's age. The tour guide is lovely and very enthusiastic.

Gayle Blinsmon

Interesting. But it would have been better if the docent had been more knowledgeable.

Tracie Sites

My family recently moved to Wilmington and had not had the chance to do many family outings to explore the richness this city has to offer. So the holiday tour of the Bellamy Mansion was the perfect opportunity. My son absolutely loved and into history. My 14 yr old daughter thought it was going to be boring but she loved it too. The tour volunteers were awesome.

Irma Welch

We had a great time at the Bellamy Mansion last night. The atmosphere at the mansion was very conducive to this elegant, fun and interesting event. The jazz group was wonderful, playing all evening. The food was especially good “New Orleans cuisine”, featuring jambalaya, Cajun spiced shrimp, andouille sausage and more.The casino games were great fun. The staff and volunteers did a wonderful job.If you have an opportunity to attend an event at the Bellamy while you are in town, don’t miss it.

Allie Renard

This was a fantastic find for an afternoon in Downtown Wilmington! It was a very intimate historical site, where the staff were knowledgeable and so personable and, due to the family records and memoirs, the past feels very tangible here!

Germany X

The black history facts were pretty mediocre. I would consider this more of a architectural museum . But still a neat place to visit.

Richard Jacob

Very good take the tour alot of info regarding history of mansion and people of those days

charles talton

Beautiful old house with lots of history. Took the guided tour and worth it for all the stories that go with the house. Beth C . was great guide.

Stacey Crutchfield

Great stop while walking around downtown. The tour guide was knowledgeable and the tour was the perfect length.

Victoria Kirkman

Beautiful place!

mark miller

House is nice and worth the visit self guided tour is a little lacking we missed the last guided one.

Mary R.

Very graceful view of the past. Lovely gardens and place for public concerts. They kept the slave quarters...so the testimony is there!

Carol carol-pgrm@yahoo.com.

It was awesome. Enjoyed my time with my sister and friends.

Nicole Williams

Great historical site

Kelli Newlin

Loved the experience of viewing the house & grounds. Enjoyed reading the book & the memoir afterwards. So much history in the entire downtown of Wilimgton. Staff exceptionally helpful & knowledgeable.

Marival Tanner

Fun, beautiful old mansion

William Jones

Cool place if you have an extra hour or two you should go

L. Claire Appling

Knowledgeable and wonderful staff and museum!! I've been there for a community event and for a tour and both times have been enriching. Leslie, the operations manager, stopped what she was doing during what I'm sure is a really hectic role and gave us the most comprehensive history of Wilmington in under 15 minutes. She is passionate, well spoken, and an asset to the community. Please continue to do partnerships with other companies & organizations for the community, Thank you!

Donna Lanier

Very friendly and helpful. Wonderful home.

Stephanie Strahler

Alot of great information!

Patrice Sweet

Very interesting story of this historical property. We did a self guided tour in lieu of waiting for the next available tour. The 13 minute video was an informative overview. House is not fully furnished, but still a nice tour.

Pipi head

Very good historical place to visit with friends.

Andrew Bolduc

An excellent tour with knowledgeable staff. Overall this was worth the time to visit. Especially if you are into historic l as landmarks.

Sam Bowen

Tour guide was very knowledgeable.

Thanh Ngo

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and did a great job. Lots of history here

Peter Hansen

Excellent tour guide made the visit

Eleanor Wagner

Tours are often best remembered by the guide who brings the place and the people alive. Ours was enhanced by the enthusiasm and personal footnotes of our guide who herself was a more recent northern transplant.

Bob Cowman

We were there for a wedding common not the history. It is a very impressive mansion but we did not see a large number of period type artifacts, furniture, and cetera. However we only visited the main floor. There is a lower floor and 2 floors above the main floor. Not good if you have trouble with steps.

Amy Fisher

This was a great museum to visit. Everyone wants to be able to see into an amazing plantation house you could only dream to live in! Cheap price--$10 for being a college student and she didn't fret when I said I didn't have my ID on me. We did the audio tour, which kinda sucked. I wished we had done a tour with someone so we could tailor the tour to us and ask questions. Either way, it was a great piece of history to visit.

Jessica Collins

I love the history of this building! The volunteers are awesome and so is the tour. This is one of my favorite places in Wilmington! The only thing is that this tour is not wheelchair accessible and there are many floors. Just an FYI for individuals who are elderly or use wheelchairs in their daily life.

Elizabeth Mayott-Scharf

Absolutely beautiful! Tour guides are amazing. Very much worth hearing

Meredith Batchelor

The Bellamy Mansion is a great place to visit in Wilmington! The staff is friendly and so knowledgeable. It truly is an incredible place to see, I would definitely opt for the guided tour over the self-guided tour.

Ce turner jr.

Liked history.

Kelly Colwell

Love to visit this beautiful mansion. The tours give you so much information. It is a must if ever in Wilmington area.

Teresa Hash

If you love history, then the Bellamy Mansion Museum is a must see. We spent several hours there touring and plan to return this summer.

Micky Harling

Beautiful home with lots of history. Great guided tour, very informative. Such a grand old home built just before the Civil War.

Lizarith Art

Really unique place, learning about it's history was very interesting!

Megan Drotleff

Very fun and interesting! Our tour guide was excellent. We really enjoyed how thorough the tour was around the gardens and in the house and slave quarters. It was great that after the tour, we were free to roam the property as much as we wanted in detail. Learning the history of the family was our favorite part.

Edith Eoman

so nice

J-R Drapeau

Very informative ! Our tour guide was amazing, a must see for the entire family. The tour and the mansion greatly exceeded our expectations.

Ella K

Super knowledgeable tour guide and beautiful home. Great visit on a rainy day!

Rose Raymond

Great historical home.

Katie Hill

So much history and magnificent in person. It's air conditioned so not bad at all in the summer. There are a good amount of stairs. But worth the trip.

lynda french

This place is very impressive. It's beautiful and very well preserved and redone. The volunteers are knowledgable about the home and the family. The history is amazing and provides insight into our country's past.

Jill Thomas

Beautiful old historical mansion. Love the grounds and house but I was a little disappointed in the interior. I thought the rooms would have more antiques representing the era of the building. The history is fascinating. We did the self guided tour through a cell phone which allows you to go at your own pace.

Christian Chesley

Amazing antebellum mansion that is in the process of being restored. Highly recommend you visit. Proceeds go towards the rennovation. The guided tour was very entertaining and educational. This is a gem in the middle of Wilmington. It should be on everyone's itenerary while visiting this wonderful place.

Amy

We went on a tour of the mansion, with Wade for our guide. Wade was amazing, he knew every single thing there is to know about the mansion and it’s history. The mansion itself was very interesting, being able to learn about the occupants and slaves who lived and worked there was great

MacRae Vallery

Beautiful setting for a gallery

Deb Reed

Enjoyed a jazz show..they have several events

Gloria Gibson

So interesting, went with family that was visiting me. They all loved it!

Mary & Frank Bradley

Perfect spot for a party!!!

joe love

The people were nice and the atmosphere was great. It wasn't hard to find parking

Evilpig07

I dont like historical stuff

Elizabeth Jenkins

Toured the house on a Friday morning recently and had a lovely time completing the self-guided tour. The cost was $12 for adults and $10 for seniors (62+) and they give you the password to an audio tour you can do on your phone. We only listened to a couple of the rooms but it was informative with interviews from family who had lived in the house. The salve quarters were open and there was a gift shop in the carriage house. The small garden was pretty and well labeled. We got there right at opening and had the house to ourselves. It took about 45 minutes to see the house and gardens.

A J Johnson

Well kept facility. Took several field trips here growing up

Matthew Woodle

Great place. Fantastic restoration

Laural Coffey

Great community events and informative history tours. Great for locals and tourists.

Kelly Boyd

Absolutely beautiful!

Susan Moore

Beautiful antebellum mansion in downtown Wilmington. Built in what was country - now it stands proudly on Market Street. Fire destroyed some areas in 1972 but it has been painstakingly restored to its former glory. Watch the introductory video. Take the guided tour. Senior and military discounts.

Anthony Edwards

This house itself is a wonderful museum. The docent did a great job of explaining how it was an architectural wonder of 1861. I enjoyed the walking tour and learning about 1861 and the years before it and the years after it from the perspective of the Bellamy family, the slaves of the Bellamy family, and the construction crew of the house. This is truly a treasure of Wilmington.

Domonique Terrell

I had a great time

Richard B

Really excellent tour of this interesting house. Ken was extremely knowledgeable and went to great lengths to give us a good understanding of the history of the house and it's owners and occupants. The house itself is quite an extraordinary building, solidly built but beautifully balanced and light and airy inside. The whole story gives a great insight into this turbulent time in America's history and how it played out in Wilmington. A real gem in a beautiful town. Thank you Ken for your courtesy, expertise and time.

Jim McNeely

Beautiful old mansion in Wilmington, wonderful place to visit.

Belinda Hegarty

A must go to in the Wilmington area. If you are a history buff or just a person that enjoys beautiful homes and a quiet afternoon this is a place to go. It is gorgeous and there is much to see. Take it all in

Valerie Sparrow

I especially enjoyed the information on the enslaved population as well as African-Americans that have helped restore the buildings on the site!!! Very impressive!!!!

Brenda Flores

Loved it the tour was fantastic. The mansion was amazing

Debi Ballou

Very Interesting and beautiful. History, good and bad, at it's finest. A little expensive.

C Johnson

We've visited twice and learned something new each time. The staff is excellent!

cathy mccarthy

Loved our visit. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. Even if you aren't a history buff this place is an interesting place to see. We were there in winter but I bet it is outstanding in the Spring and Summer with the flowers blooming.

Marie Cadell

Every visit I have made to the Bellamy Mansion Museum has been a very pleasant experience. The staff is friendly, the grounds excellently maintained, and each individual room is beautifully preserved. The museum as a whole just gives you a great sense of what life used to be like at the mansion. Also, the bathrooms were very clean whenever I was at the Bellamy, which I very much appreciate. I highly recommend doing the tour or attending an event at the Bellamy Mansion Museum. Fun times!

Melissa Ellison

Very educational and a must see.

Rosa Maria Carranza Alvarado

Very interesting place to visit

Keilah R

Staff is very knowledgeable. The mansion is well kept. Worth checking out.