The most beautiful historic homes in America, their fascinating stories

Grand homes, great history

From homes of the presidents and luxurious mansions of the wealthy to artists' abodes and top architects' greatest achievements, these are no average homes. Easy on the eye and brimming with historic detail and stories of the past, these historic homes offer a glimpse into the American past. Here, we take a look at some of the most beautiful historic homes in the country.

Ca' d'Zan, Sarasota, Florida

One glimpse at this sprawling villa and you might think you’ve been transported to the Mediterranean. This salmon pink and terracotta feat was inspired by some of Venice’s most impressive buildings. It was the vision of the eccentric circus master John Ringling and his wife Mable, and construction began in 1924, led by New York architect Dwight James Baum. Just 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms later glittering Cà d’Zan was born. 

Ca' d'Zan, Sarasota, Florida

The façade is particularly impressive, with intricate cresting and blue-stained glass, while the luxurious interior is fit for the string of celebrity guests that once frequented it. Ringling lived here until his death in 1936, when his beloved state of Florida inherited it. A string of renovations mean it is now as dazzling as ever – visitors can tour the property, before heading over to The Museum of Art, also a project of Ringling’s.

Bishop's Palace, Galveston, Texas

It’s a little small for a palace but this beloved Galveston property is deserving of its name. Built in 1892, it's an impressive example of Victorian architecture, with striking features such as intricate red turrets, gargoyles and bold, circular towers. It was the brainchild of celebrated Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton, who built many of the city’s most beautiful buildings.

Bishop's Palace, Galveston, Texas

Now on the National Register of Historic Places, Bishop’s Palace was constructed for wealthy lawyer Walter Gresham and his family. In 1923, the property was acquired by the Catholic church and became home to Christopher C. E. Byrne, the Bishop of Galveston, giving the property its name. Check availability for self-guided tours here.

The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island

This extravagant country home in Newport was another exquisite property in the wealthy Vanderbilt family's portfolio. Inspired by the 16th-century palaces of Genoa and Turin, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt’s grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, commissioned the renovation of this once-wooden cottage and transformed it into an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo. Its lavishly decorated rooms (think platinum, marble and intricate stonework) are some of the most impressive in all of America.

The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island

The mansion features 70 rooms with a total floor space of 62,484 square feet arranged over five floors. The dazzling Morning Room, for instance, was built by artisans in France, shipped to the US, and assembled on-site, and is adorned with wall panels made from pure platinum. A National Historic Landmark, it's one of 10 Newport Mansions – a collection of the grandest and most historic stately homes in the area.

Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia

Mount Vernon is the historic plantation home of America's First President George Washington. Today, more than 200 years after Washington's death, the estate pulls in visitors with its large grounds, absorbing museum exhibits and the white-and-red mansion, dating to the 1700s. Museum displays, like Lives Bound Together, explore the lives of the enslaved people who once lived and worked on Washington's estate, while tours cover everything from archaeology and farming to 18th-century America and George Washington himself.

Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia

Perched on the banks of the Potomac River, Mount Vernon's 21 rooms are immaculately preserved and restored to look almost exactly like they did when the president resided there. One of the highlights of the tour is visiting Washington's study, a room only few were granted access to back in the day. It was also the most challenging to restore as very few descriptions of it exist due to its secretive nature.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West, Florida

The late American writer Ernest Hemingway lived in this Key West home between 1931 and 1940 and the house remains a tribute to him and his work. It’s a graceful, Spanish-inspired building, with much of the novelist's 17th- and 18th-century furniture on display inside. The study where Hemingway worked is also beautifully preserved, capturing the environment as it was when he penned some of his best work, including the short story classic The Snows of Kilimanjaro and his novel To Have And Have Not.

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The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West, Florida

Back in the day, the house featured several luxuries, like indoor plumbing and a built-in fireplace. It was also the first on the island to have an upstairs bathroom with running water and had the first swimming pool in Key West in the 1930s – the only one within 100 miles. Today the house is also home to around 40-50 descendants of Hemingway's polydactyl cats, meaning they all have six toes. Guests are welcome at the museum daily, but note it's cash-only payments on the door.

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, Vermont

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home was built by Robert Lincoln, the son of President Abraham Lincoln, at the turn of the 20th century. It was primarily used as a summer home and today you can discover it on a guided tour. As well as exploring the main residence, you can take a look around the well-kept gardens, a dairy farm and a 1903 Pullman car.

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, Vermont

The house remained occupied by Lincoln's descendants up to 1975 and today it's almost entirely furnished by only Lincoln family furniture. The 1903 Pullman palace car, another interesting exhibit at Hildene, has been immaculately restored since the time when Robert Lincoln came into possession of it during his tenure as the president of the Pullman Company.

Oheka Castle, Huntington, New York

Oheka Castle in Long Island is certainly a handsome mansion. But it’s the stories surrounding the mansion, built between 1914 and 1919, that really enchant. The second-largest private residence in the US (after the Biltmore Estate), it’s said to be the inspiration behind the glitzy manor in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. Thanks to its grandeur and European-like appearance, it’s also featured in diverse productions from Citizen Kane to a Taylor Swift music video.

Oheka Castle, Huntington, New York

Even the name is fascinating – it’s an acronym of Otto Hermann Kahn, the financier who built the French-style château. He used the estate as a summer home, hosting lavish parties worthy of Jay Gatsby himself in rooms such as the library, richly decorated in jewel shades and luxurious furnishings. It's now a hotel but it's usually possible to visit parts of the mansion and grounds on a tour.

Fallingwater, Mill Run, Pennsylvania

It’s a rare treat to see one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings exactly as he intended. Hovering over cascading waterfalls, the multi-tiered house somehow blends in with its forest surroundings and brings the outside in with numerous terraces, walkways and wall-to-ceiling windows. Built in 1935, the house was originally designed as a weekend home for the family of Liliane and Edgar Kaufmann Sr, owner of Kaufmann's Department Store. It was used by the family until 1963 when Edgar Kaufman Jr donated it to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Fallingwater, Mill Run, Pennsylvania

The stunning house is often regarded as Wright's most accomplished design and it's included in Smithsonian's Life List of 28 Places to See Before You Die. Guided tours focussing on the striking architecture, grounds and interiors are offered, with full details available on the website. 

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

Hyped-up places can so often be disappointing, but Elvis Presley’s mansion is not one of them. The sleek tour of his Memphis mansion allows visitors to wander through the building and zoom in on items with an iPad, revealing extra facts, footage and pictures. Peek into the Jungle Room (Elvis' personal tropical hideaway), pay your respects at the King’s grave and visit Gladys’ Diner for a deep-fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (Elvis’ fave).

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

Fans of the King of Rock 'n' Roll can explore most of the areas of the house as well as the Meditation Garden where Presley and his family are buried. However, the home's second floor, the location of Presley's master suite, remains strictly off limits to all except immediate family members. Of course, this has coated the whole upper level in a thick layer of mystery – some rumors include the fact that the room remains just as Elvis left it. Visitors are encouraged to book tickets in advance.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida

Lovers of the finer things in life will no doubt appreciate this opulent mansion in Miami, once the winter bolthole of millionaire James Deering. The villa was built between 1914 and 1922 and today is a National Historic Landmark. The 32-room home has often been used for special occasions too – President Ronald Reagan received Pope John Paul II on his first visit to Miami here in 1987 and it was the location where Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) was agreed in 1994.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida

Visitors can enjoy the graceful Italianate architecture, the manicured gardens, and Deering’s enviable collection of world artworks. The interiors of the main house are particularly interesting as all the details are focused around central elements like doors or fireplaces. The rooms are all also inspired by different Italian cities like Milan (Music Room), Palermo (Reception Room) and Venice (the Cathay and Espagnolette bedrooms). The house is open for visitors.

Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie, Louisiana

This former sugar plantation is named for the miles of graceful, arching oaks it's so famous for. The historic site is dedicated to educating visitors about its history that's spanned more than 200 years, with a particular focus on the history of slavery both at this plantation and in the US generally. The Slavery at Oak Alley exhibit chronicles the lives of the many people enslaved here and shines a spotlight on what their life was really like after emancipation. There's also an exhibit on the Civil War, recounting the events of the conflict.

Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie, Louisiana

There are several areas to explore at Oak Alley, from the Big House (the name given to plantation mansions) to the blacksmith shop that brings to life the history of metalwork on plantations in Louisiana. There are cottages on the plantation grounds, if you'd like to spend a night and a restaurant offering typical Southern dishes.

Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay, New York

Named after its visionary – affluent hotelier George C. Boldt – Boldt Castle was intended to be a private estate. The castle was a labor of love – literally – as Bolt built the sprawling confection as a show of love for his wife, Louise, who sadly passed away during its construction. Upon her death, bereft Boldt abandoned the project and it stood unfinished on Heart Island until the 1970s.

Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay, New York

In 1977, the property was acquired by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, who showed it some much-needed love. The entire restored castle has six floors, 120 rooms and a beautiful Italianate garden. Some say it was inspired by the imposing fortresses dotting the German swathe of the River Rhine. The castle and gardens can be visited on guided tours.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia

One of America’s most elegant presidential homes, Monticello belonged to the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had a keen interest in architecture and his home was fittingly unique. Although the president was a vocal abolitionist, controversially Monticello was also a plantation and hundreds of enslaved people lived and worked here. Their stories are told through exhibits and on-site tours.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia

Dubbed an "autobiographical masterpiece" of Jefferson, it's known for its unique architectural features, from an octagonal room to the light-filled dome that crowns the property. The grounds include a vegetable garden, forest groves and many blooming flower beds. Monticello is open for visitors, with advance booking recommended.

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

Like something straight out of an English village, this charming house was the family residence of Edsel and Eleanor Ford. The son of Henry Ford, Edsel was an executive at Ford Motor Company and after the couple's travels in the Cotswolds in England, Edsel specifically asked architect Albert Kahn to design a house that resembles a village cottage as closely as possible. The result was a sprawling country estate with sandstone exterior, traditional slate roof and antique wood paneling and fireplaces brought over from England.

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Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

Both Edsel and Eleanor were serious benefactors and lovers of the art and the house's interior reflects that. The extensive art collection was donated to the Detroit Institute of Arts after Eleanor's passing, replicas hung in their places and the house opened to the public as a museum in the 1970s. Since then the house has undergone multiple large-scale, multimillion renovation projects and is normally open to visit.

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

Tipped as America's largest home, the Biltmore Estate is modeled on the elegant stately homes of France's Loire Valley. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, the impressive mansion took six years to complete (1889–1895) and boasts 250 exquisitely decorated rooms. The estate is also home to six restaurants, a winery and several guest accommodations and is still owned by Vanderbilt's descendants. 

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

The estate, opened to the public in the 1930s, is more like a village, albeit the village of dreams with manicured gardens bursting with bright blooms and even an indoor bowling alley. Inside the main château-style house, the rooms range from opulent bedrooms and a medieval-style banqueting hall to the servants’ quarters and kitchens. These can all be explored on tours of the estate.

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Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California

Designed by architect Julia Morgan, this historic landmark, set atop a hill in San Simeon, was the home of media magnate William Randolph Hearst from 1919 to 1947. It's a majestic estate influenced by European architecture and comes complete with ornate swimming pools, manicured grounds and a series of grand rooms in the main residence, Casa Grande. It's typically open to public offering all manner of tours, including art-focused explorations and evening trips.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California

While the lavish estate was born out of Hearst’s imagination, it was the architect Julia Morgan who brought his vision to life, painstakingly creating a majestic property filled with ornate details inspired by European architecture. Each of the 165 rooms – including Hearst’s enormous, book-filled study – is uncompromising in its extravagance. The property sprawls over 127 acres on a hilltop Hearst named La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill), which had its own airport and zoo.

Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii

One of the few real palaces in the USA, Iolani Palace was home to the Hawaiian monarchy in the 19th century. The royal residence was completed in 1882 and was a sumptuous property ahead of its time, complete with electricity and indoor plumbing. Its architectural style is unique, dubbed American Florentine for its blend of traditional Hawaiian and Italian Renaissance features – the elegant columns and bold corner towers are particularly striking.

Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii

The interiors are equally as opulent and the Throne Room is the plushest of them all. Red velvet curtains frame vast windows, chandeliers hang heavy from the ceiling and a pair of gilded thrones sit on a raised platform. King Kalakaua and Queen Kapi‘olani were the first royals to live here, moving in as soon as their regal abode was completed. There are now both guided and self-guided audio tours available to explore this fascinating building.

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