Reviews of Ulysses S. Grant Home (Tourist Attraction)

Grumpy OleMann

An interesting historical spot to visit in Galena.

John Robbins

General Grant's Galena home.

Wendy Thomas

Our tour guide of the Grant home did an excellent job contrasting and comparing life then and life now. As an example she told us about what the average person weighed much less than now. Great descriptions of items in each room. The upstairs is self guided, ending going down the backstairs to rejoin our guide. Would love to go back.

Douglas Remmey

Truly a treasure.

Selena Carone

Set up very well love the guided tour and so much info. Great place to check out

Leon Moore

Great tour

Scott Bloom

Wonderful place and fantastic tour guide!

Paul Buckingham

Perfectly preserved home of Ulysses S Grant after his presidency. With 95% original furnishings this is a historical site not to be missed when in the Galena area. Excellent tour guides will walk you through a 20-minute tour of the home where you will see original furnishings and paintings the Grant Family.

Reflections of a simple mind

Ulysses Grant residence in Galena is definitely a must visit tourist attraction. Grant was Civil war hero and 18th President Of United States of America, who played a major role in ending slavery. The home tour takes almost 30 mins, with guides giving you ample background and interesting facts about the home, Grants and their lifestyle. The home still have the original furnitures and its a lovely ride through history- and their simple yet productive lifestyle will make you reevaluate yours.

Dianne Boyer

Beautiful old hotel. Restaurants are great. Very clean hotel with big rooms.

Meg Jaskowiak

Great being able to see history

Mike Groenendyk

Very nice piece of U.S. history in a cool little town, but one the tour guides there was very rude to us. Would have given more stars otherwise. FYI dont try an open the door unless someone is standing right there.

Amo Cenare

We went to Ulysses Grant Home last summer. The house itself is not big. There is a guided tour and it’s free. I think it’s about 40mins tour. Very informative. Highly recommend this place to visit if you come to Galena.

Carter Roeske

It was informative if a little dry.

Meghan Hupp

Really cute home in Galena. Nothing really big, but worth visiting.

Iam Murphy

Galena is just a beautiful historic town anyways. A President's house makes it a little better.

Gary Wood

History is always a good stop for me. Guide was informative and the grounds were well kept. A wonderful visit to history

Melissa Seyffer

Visited early on a Saturday morning. Short tour of the home which contains has several examples of period accurate furniture, wallpaper and flooring as well as commissioned and original artwork. Our tour guide was very well versed and gave as interesting of a tour as she could. We were happen to provide a $10 donation to help keep the site operating. There was a large home that had signage that makes it look like the actual museum but on approach we discovered it is the "Future Home of the Ulysses S. Grant Museum". We were slightly confused where we needed to go but figured it our eventually. I was also disappointed the outlying building were not included in the tour because there are several of them.

Rachel Starbuck

This historical house used by U.S. Grant and Julia Grant is being very well maintained by the city. Beautiful historical landmark.

Michael Kurowski

Awesome landmark to see

Kristen G.

Quick 30 minute tour was educational and interesting. You are able to see all the rooms of the home. 2 caution points: They allow 16-20 people in at time so there may be a short wait time and the stairs in the home are a bit steep.

Deborah Guerra

The visit was much better than we expected. Our docent was extremely knowledgeable about the life of President Grant. The home has been well maintained with original furniture that the president's family used. There were some period accessories added, but for the most part everything was family original. There was no bathroom in the home, but I challenge you to find the bathtub. FYI, public restrooms are available next door.

Bill Payne

A lot of facts about President Grant and his wife- family. Interesting

Traven Reid

Very educational experience. It fun learning about how Grant and his family lived back in the 1800's. The house was in magnificent condition and the tour guide was funny, energetic, and knowledgeable about the house and the land. 5 stars hands down.

Stan Iwaszkiewicz

Worth a visit! Check out the spiral staircase leading upstairs to the bedrooms --- people really were smaller back then.

Scott Thompson

Great experience! Best historical home I've been in and the guides are fantastic. Just donate a few bucks and your morning is complete. A must do...

Layne Yager

Nice place very interesting.

Victoria Williams

Our tour guide was amazing. So much information and quite funny! He made sure we saw the bathtub saying "It's not everyday you get to see where a president has bathed." I highly recommend going and make sure to make a donation. A great day outing. The town itself is worth a drive. History perfectly preserved. Beautiful.

HAMMIE

Once I came up to this house I knew it would be exciting. As we wainted, for a little time on the porch, we were able to see the whole U S Grants house. From Grants bedroom, to their luxerity bathtub, you were able to see it all. Overall, five stars. The tour guide was great and she told us all about grant and was able to help is with our questions. The price to come here is free, but the suggested donation for kids is 3 bucks, and 5 for adults.

Lynz P

Katherine was a great tour guide! Only $5 for a very informative tour

Mark Martin

Awesome place. Galena, Illinois is a very historical town.

Rhonda Fitchett

Fantastic tour, lots of great historical information!

Darlene Schroeder

Historical, beautifully preserved home of Ulysses Grant's in Galena, Illinois. The narrator was very informative and friendly. There are 2 staircases to climb, in case you have problems with stairs. Fantastic view of the town from the hill the house sits on.

Wiktor Zelek

Definitively place visitors should see. Its free of charge but you should throw some cash into the donation box. You will get a tour around the entire house. 90% of what you see in 100% authentic and was used/owned by Grant. Wallpapers and carpets are reproductions. Its incredible.

Sanjay Rao

Knowledgeable guide. Nice view into the past

Timothy Tucker

History Frozen in time, with house virtually the same as when Grants were there. Great tour guides, for just a donation.

James neal

really neat place to go if your into history and DETAILS. They have some really cool stuff in there too check out.

Russell Milles

Cool quick tour. If you are in town check it out, but don't go out of your way.

Tim Thunell

Very good tour. Lovely home.

Gary & Nancy Meyer

If you like history, this a good stop. House has most of the original furniture so is a little different than most places. Our volunteer tour guide was very good.

Brandy Phelan

Lots of history & mostly original artifacts

Will W

A very impressive part of US history. There was a good little tour of his house & info on Grant's family.

Cheryl Burk

An interesting place. WISH I could have looked longer. THE tour guide was pushy. I was taking pictures and reading. He told me I had to leave another tour was coming. I wasn't going to be in the way was I. I did enjoy looking wish I had more time.

D.J. Maser

A brief tour of the general's vacation home. Some antique furniture with some historic photos. The home was well kept though.

Aaron McCracken

The tour is about 30 minutes. House interior is very nice. Beware of steep and winding staircases to/from the second floor. Parking both on Highway 20 as well as on surface/city street. No fee, but donations are accepted.

Linda Pluke

Have been here a number of times and enjoy going back.

Adam Charter

Great historic lesson

JDK 319

Tour guide gave detailed info, great place to visit!

jarrett Robinson

Tour guide was detailed and added to the experience. The home was well presented and worth the stop.

Grant Strzelczyk

Very Nice! Almost no wait for the continuously running guided tours. The guides have done their homework and know the Grant family history. The house is not exceeding large, so a half hour or so tour will do the job. Recommend donation is $5.00 for the tour. Ample parking. Family friendly. This is a 19th Century home with narrow stairs. It will be challenging for a mobility limited person.

Michael Floyd

The tours are great. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly

Diana Losurdo

To clear up some confusion I experienced: There is no set admission fee; the house and tour are free. There is, however, a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for children. Also, contrary to the hours listed here, through the month of February, hours are 9AM-4PM. Shout out to our tour guide, Chuck, who really made the experience. He was personable, knowledgeable, and engaging. Tours run about 25-30 minutes and if you have time to spare, I highly suggest stopping by!

Frank Jones

Very interesting and learned a lot. Kids enjoyed the tour as well. Gorgeous property

Daniel Hemauer

Tour was excellent and enjoyed looking at the inside of his home.

Michael Barrett

The tour of the home was interesting and took maybe 30 minutes tops. The stairs in the house was steep and curvy. We went on the winter but the guide said you could walk around the premises of the house and see some good views of the river below. Would only do once.

Rebecca Kraft

Beautiful but unfortunately they seem to make it more about his wife than him. I was very disappointed. Basically the only thing they really covered in the tour was he was chain smoker :/

nathan devermann

We had a fabulous tour this morning. The home and architecture are well kept to the time period.

Tina Olszewski

We had a wonderful experience here. Our guide, Keith, was wonderful! He was very kind and extremely knowledgeable. His tour was very informative and he was excellent at answering everyones questions. The home was furnished with 90% of the original furnishings and was well kept. Your able to tour both stories. That said you'll need to be able to go up and down stairs and they are a bit steep. The admission is a suggested donation of $5.00 per person. It's well worth the price!

Alvin Jonathan

Great place to visit

Paige Wiesend

Such an awesome experience. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and had the voice of an angel. Absolutely would go again

Deeleen Sawyer

Excellent guided tour on the main floor. Upstairs you are on your own to read and experience the information at your own pace. A true walk back in time. Very informative and we saw a lot from this time period.

Ann Baity

Beautiful grounds with great views.

Jon Rowe

Definitely worth a stop when you are in town. So much history and original furniture. You feel like a guest in a family home. They have done such an excellent job preserving the home. Gardens and park nearby are worth a stop as well. Beautiful views of the city, great photo ops as well.

John Zervos

If you go to Galena for the history (and that's probably why you are there) then this is a must stop. The tour isn't too long and any items that are not original to the house are from the proper time period and replace an item that should be there.

JeremyRiS

An important part of history. Most of the items are original to the Grant family. Even the beds are original.

Dan G

Interesting tour. Home was gifted to U.S. Grant by local community. Nice home for its day, amazingly simple and austere today.

Karen Carvell-Hutton

Interesting history in this quaint village of Galena. You will find artists of every sort.

Judy Calsyn

Very interesting tour.

Christy Holden

We had the best time! The staff is extremely knowledgeable and eager to fill you in on the life of one of America’s presidents. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The kids loved seeing a part of American history.

Brian K

Nice tour. Lots of interesting history. Took about an hour to see everything.

Laura Eilers

Great tour. Really interesting. It won't take you long at all. Don't plan your day around it. But definitely stop by when you're in Galena!

Terry Nichols

This old home remains in great condition. Four tour guides explained some history and details of four areas on the main floor. They were knowledgeable! The second floor was self-guided; 5 rooms. The total experience was satisfying.

c Finn

We found parking easily outside the house and waited on the porch for less than a couple minutes for a tour. The tour is free, but there is a suggested donation. The house features almost all the original furniture and art. The kitchen is the only exception, but is period accurate. The tour guide was friendly and very knowledgable. We brought our 4 year-old, who was a bit impatient but did manage to make it thru the tour and he said he had a good time. The upstairs is more of a self guides tour, as well as two outside buildings. Overall, if you are interested in American History, art, or architecture from this period, then this would be a good tour for you. Located in Galena, Ill. and is also several blocks away from a quaint downtown and many additional things to do.

Linda Wright

Great tour and able to take pictures inside the house. Beautiful grounds.

george didur

Great for the history buff

Jana Viano

Worth the trip, the docents were very informative and the house furnishings are all original to the house and family. Since the home was given to the Grant when he returned from the Civil war in 1865 only family has lived in it. It was given with all furnishings to the city after Mrs. Grant's death and several years later given to the state. Several other riverboat captain homes are also in the town. It's hard to imagine the 350' wide navigable river that once ran here 150 years ago.

John Moran

Very nice city and historical place to visit. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

Lois Iversen

Kathryn Walker was an excellent your guide. Would recommend. House needs some repairs and stateiney is scarce

Linda Beintema

Nice place to visit, great tour and nice people.

Josh Beyer

Great place with a lot of history to visit.

Carl Ballinger

This was such a nice treat in the morning before going to work! I am a big history buff and US Grant fan. The house is so well maintained and the majority of the items are original. My tour guide was awesome and we had a nice time talking about the history surrounding Grant. Thank you for preserving this!

Michael Lesniewicz

Great place and staff!!! If you get a chance you have to visit here!!!

Janet Lofstuen

Very good tour guide, interesting tour.

Papa Bear

Excellent place to visit if you're in the area. Very knowledgeable tour guides. I absolutely loved it!

T Remy

Very nice restored house of the 1850-60's. Nice that they have several original furniture pieces of the family too. From outside you wouldn't think it was 5 bedrooms upstairs, but they didn't have King sized beds back then either. No bathroom, but they do have tub off the kitchen that gets pointed out! That meant they had money in those days, plus a nice pantry!! Donation suggested. 3 different tour guides in different rooms to tell you the Grant history of the home. Doesn't take long to go through, depends on size of groups and bus groups going through when you are there. Check out Mrs. Grant's statue...from there nice view of Galena!

Marcus Turner

This is the third presidential home I have visited. Is the smallest bit also the best preserved. Guide was exceptional. Appreciated the donation in lieu of admission charge. Well done.

L. Goodridge

Easy to find with parking on street as well as a lot across from it. Donation accepted for the tour. Tour is about 20 minutes. They pack a lot if information in that time. The house is beautiful with period pieces. Amazing to learn all of these facts about Grant. If you enjoy history, you will enjoy this tour. If you deem this review helpful, please give it a like. Thank you.

Brian Beyer

Only open certain days of the week, looks like a neat place to tour.

Estaban Moreno

Katherine gave us an in-depth tour that was a revelation of history for both my daughter and myself, and we re both history buffs.

Sandi McClure

Really enjoyed visiting Grant's house. The docent started with giving us information about Grant. She was very knowledgeable. We were then left on our own to explore. Fun day.

Wendy Feilen

Guide was very knowledgeable. Wish they had a larger choice selection for the gift shop area.

John Williams

Very well managed historical home. Guides were well versed and answered all questions. Great American hero with little knowledge for business. Highly recommended stop during Autumn Leaves. Plan on staying in town. Wonderful people and interesting history.

Huma Rashid

I loved walking around these parts and learning more about President Grant. I’ve been to his tomb - ironically my first stop on the tour of his illustrious life - in NYC, across from the Airbnb I was staying in that weekend LOL. Our tour guide was super sweet and I loved that part of the tour was guided and part of it was self guided. It’s set up beautifully and I love that 90% of the things here are original to the home. Also the bathrooms are very clean and very nice - don’t hesitate to use them if, like me, you’re in the middle of a road trip and need to go! I made sure to drop a donation in the box because I believe in supporting these historic homes and I hope you, too, will donate what you can. What a great place to visit and learn.

kevin freundt

Great historical sure to visit, the guides are well knowledgeable about the house and family.

Jill Sykes

We enjoyed our visit even more than we thought we would! The view of Galena from outside the home is beautiful. Our tour guide Evelyn was knowledgeable and engaging. Well worth the 45 min stop and $5/person suggested donation.

Emily Sayles

Great tour of the house! Guides were very friendly and answered all of our questions. We went right at 9am and didn’t have to wait at all for a tour. We enjoyed the presidential pets exhibit in a building next to the house.

Ami Mefferd

Love to listen their history

John Page

Nice tour of property with knowledgeable tour guide. Cost 5 Dollar donation per adult

Sandra London

Great attention to historical detail with the actual furnishings used by the Grants.

Patricia Peterson

Beautifully preserved, original furniture and friendly staff. Not open Monday's, holidays.

zak sha

Good place and very informational tour

Danelle Hungerford

Cool place to visit while in Galena. Very knowledgeable tour and a neat little piece of history.

Russell Brewington

We must learn about our past to make a better future .

Kyle Lighthiser

Very educational no charge but tips to keep it running are highly recommended there are tours that go with this

vasiliy pakhnyuk

Love the history and location of this house! Over 90% original furniture.

Bill Zeitz

History and antique buffs will love this tour gorgeous furniture most of which original to the Grant's

Souvik Dey

It was such a wonderful experience. I'd love to see it again.

LeRoy Unruh

It's closed Monday and Tuesday.

Troy Layne

Took the tour & enjoyed the brief walk through the home. Our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. There is a donation box at the start but no actual fee. The hone is state supported do offering a donation is appreciated but not necessarily expected.

Daniel Carter

Travel back to the mid 19th century. Almost all furniture and decide is original!

james gray

Very cool placeand nice view in Galena. The house does need some TLC from outdoor wood rot. There needs to be some work done on it.

Jelene Wilkinson

Such a lovely piece of history!

Frankie Acuna

Great tour. You get to see how they lived back in the days.

Mary Jo noone

Very interesting. People very nice. Enjoyed the tour

Gary Brandt

Great home to visit! I was a little surprised that the family really didn't live there all that much. The original furniture has been well preserved. The house and the grounds are beautiful to visit.

Don Sternberg

Great preservation of the home, with a wonderful/well-informed tour guide. A must see!!

Robert Martin

Undermanned but worth it. Make sure you find out when it is open.

Andy Callens

Arrived after it closed (closes at 445 pm) so didn't get to tour inside. Found the grounds beautifully kept with well-posted information.

Ben Anderson-Dukes

Immaculately maintained, and the local guide there was so friendly and really knowledge!

Rebecca Roth

Well maintained historical home. 90% of the furnishings original to the Grant family. Good tour let by knowledgeable docents. The Grants didn't spend a lot of time in this home; most significantly, Grant stayed here while he was running for President, back when candidates had to seem somewhat uninterested in the campaign and let others manage it. Galena continues to honor the Grants, so make these sights part of your visit to this area.

Anibal Pacheco

I was pleasantly surprised to find this history time capsule right in the middle of sleepy Galena, Illinois. The house tour is a must when traveling through the area if you are a history buff or looking for something different to do during your stay. The tour guides were very knowledgeable about General Grant's life both in the military and during his time as our 18th President of the United States. Moreover, they all have a wealth of knowledge about the city of Galena its history and the surrounding area. Although there is no admission fee, they do accept donations to support the upkeeping of the place. AP Score: Must visit!

Phil Maki

Very interesting to learn more about Grant.

Leszek Saliszewski

You can learn something new about our history , check how people did live in the past and many more ..

Dan Moorehouse

The tour gave us a wonderful insight into the former union general and president. The staff and their narration was fantastic. The house was filled with authentic historic items that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Gargi Shetty

Nice quaint place of US Ex President Ulysses's vacation home

Chris Goodwin

Very cool to see the history. We learned a lot about the Grant family that we had never known before. Free to take the tour but donations are very welcome.

Doc Hollinger

Fabulous for the history buff. Enlightening for the rest of us...

Laura Drexler

What a fascinating and lovely place! Large posters with information about Pres. Grant's life line the walls, and there are display cases underneath with various collections. One set of display cases contains a collection of all the animals that the Presidents have had over the years: a page lists the President and all his animals, while standing around the page are little figurines of the animals he had. Another case contains portraits of all the Presidents and their wives on river rocks. I've never seen anything like it! There are drinks for sale, on the honor system. Bring cash. The grounds are beautiful, and a good place to take a walk if you are passing nearby on a road trip (like we were) and need a break. A great place for kids to walk around and explore, as long as they remember to be respectful.

Chris Valk

Neat little home.

Brian Christ

Excellent free tour (suggested donation of $5) that is one of the better historical home tours I've attended. The tour gave very good historical context and allowed attendees to see every room in the house. You really get the sense that you know what Ulysses S Grant was like and also what life in Galena was like in the 1860s-1880s. Our tour guide Katherine was very knowledgeable and also quite funny.

Ron Chrisman

Very interesting and we had a great your guide!

Jeri

My Brother and I visited Ulysses S. Grant's house. The tour was interesting, the home was nice the wallpaper was little to be desired but a lot of the furniture I liked. Our guide was a nice young man who was very knowledgeable and funny. Looking at the house, you wouldn't think there were 5 bedrooms in it.

Bill Doering

Very cool place to tour through, very historic and the guide was excellent.

henry hudson

Great little tour! Katherine our guide was terrific and very knowledgable. The home is small but it's level of authentic preservation is almost unrivaled. This is due to the fact that the Grants were the first and only owners, and that the various government entities that recieved the deed of the home afterward took care of it like a shrine. BEWARE THE STEEP HILL! DON'T WALK HERE UNLESS YOU ARE VERY FIT! Take the car and park at the top.

Jack John

You'll learn stuff that you never knew.

Rob N

Great tour guide!!! Awesome house.

Cathy Hale

This was a pretty interesting place! It's free, they just ask for a donation so, if you have the opportunity, check it out.

Krishnan S

Great place to visit for all history buffs. Well maintained. 90% of the objects at home since US Grant's time. If you want to contribute or buy some stuff from there, just make sure to carry some cash. They don't accept credit cards. I wish I had known that before

Tom Tait

Enjoyable tour. The house has been kept up well and the guides are knowledgeable.

Craig Claussen

Great piece of history.

Tanya Keppler

Great history here! Beautiful house! Tour guides are very knowledgeable!

Maggie Dicksen

Very informative of our nation's history. Highly recommend.

Dalida Jongsma

Beautiful house, with a great view of the town of Galena. the staff gives a lot of good information on the history of the family and area. Well worth a visit.

Matt Slade

Definitely the place to go if you are interested in history in the civil war or past presidents.

Nanette Marx

Interesting stop in be Galena. Guide was very informative. Well preserved and restored.

Dennis Hueber

Really very interested, he did not live there much, but still interesting.

Sally Schweitzer

Very well preserved home and interior with well informed guides. Gorgeous friends with ample parking.

Jen Degnan

Wonderful tour guide. Ninety percent of the furnishings are original to the time when the Grants lived there. Short tour that's well worth the stop.

Tracie Smith

The setting of the grounds and views just took your breath away. Loved the house and your too.

Martin Daniels

Very nice

Shannon Fr

Someone needs to get Chip & Jo out here cause Grants house is a Fixer Upper... I was honestly worried when I walked up and saw such disrepair. The front doors are wasting away, the eaves are cracked and deteriorated, the small railings on the upper balcony need to be replaced, the inside was well-kept, but if it is a historic home they are going to lose that historic wood really fast. Get on over here & make some donations people!

Paul Liebau

Excellent example of mid-19th century home preserved with all the original furnishings.

shilpa gauba

Kids loved it. We loved it too! My 14 yr old kid is shy and does not share much on social, but loves history. He was buzy listening to the guide taking pics and sharing with friends about the experience he was having in the moment. He was learning about the same time in school..My 10 yr. Old kid was excited ..and turned into one curious George. He had seen the actual restrooms outside for the first time, and also never seen a kitchen without running water :) Imagination was kicking in. We loved the guide..she was humble, kind, knowledgable and patient.

Justin Skiba

Loved this experience. Beautiful home, excellent tour guide, and affordable (suggested donation). The grounds were wonderful and the overall experience made it feel as though you were in the mid-late 1800s.

Kobi Reese

Great Experience for a visit our 18th Presidents home. It was so wonderful to see how people lived in those days. I enjoyed every minute of the tour. U have to take this tour if u are ever in Galena IL.

Cynthia Bavaro

What an interesting tour, house was quite lovely and guide Evelyn was so knowledgeable.

Monique Holtkamp

What a landmark! Also a gorgeous view of Galena, plus a glimpse back in time.

Bruce Venable

Great way to learn about Ulysses S Grant and his family. The house and the tour are well worth it ($5/adult suggested donation) and the guide was very knowledgeable. It is rare to tour a historic house that has so much original furnishings (I think she said 95%).