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A Mass. historical home tour just ranked the best in the U.S.
The mansion inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 classic novel.
For those who enjoy stepping back in time, a Massachusetts mansion offers the ultimate touring experience, according to Newsweek.
The publication released a list of the 10 best historical house tours in the U.S., part of its Readers’ Choice Awards, and the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion in Salem, known as The House of the Seven Gables, topped the list.
The House of the Seven Gables was the inspiration behind the 1851 novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne of the same name. It was built in 1668 for seafaring merchant John Turner and was owned for three generations by the Turner family before Susannah Ingersoll became the owner for much of the 19th century. Hawthorne was Ingersoll’s cousin and would visit the home.
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Here’s what Newsweek wrote about the house:
Over 350 years old, this mansion by the sea brims with history: the House of the Seven Gables is one of the country’s largest timber mansions still on its original foundation. The home features prominently in a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel, adding to its fame. When you’re not perusing the Georgian splendor inside or treating your little historian to kid-friendly activities, check out the mansion’s events, including spooky bashes in October.
The mansion, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007, welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually. Visitors walk through time on the 45-minute tour, exploring rooms such as the 1668 kitchen, the 1840s Cent Shop from the novel, and the 1950s Settlement Worker’s Bedroom.
The historical home tour is always evolving, according to Dakota Russell, executive director of The House of the Seven Gables.
“It is important that we tell stories that speak to all our visitors,” said Russell, in a statement. “Over the past few years, we have worked hard to highlight the histories of the women who lived here, and of the house’s indentured and enslaved laborers. We also try to give voice to the Indigenous people who were here first, and to the immigrant communities who came to call Salem home.”
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For the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards, nominees are chosen by a panel of travel experts and determined by Newsweek editors before readers vote on the final list.
The admission price for The House of the Seven Gables tours is $25 in September and $30 in October and children under age 5 are free.
Check out Newsweek‘s list of the 10 best historical house tours in the U.S.
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