Hearthstone Historic House Museum
Hearthstone Historic House Museum
4.5
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Hearthstone is a large, beautifully restored Queen Anne Victorian Style home built in 1882 by Henry J. Rogers, Superintendent of the Appleton Paper and Pulp Mill. On September 30, 1882, Hearthstone was the first house in the world to be lit by an Edison central hydroelectric power station. The house retains many unique, genuine features, including the original Thomas Edison electroliers and light switches. Appleton was one of the first three cities in the world to be lit by an Edison central power station, the other two being New York and London. This was all due to Mr. Rogers, who decided to invest in Edison’s power station in order to light two paper mills and his home. Since it became a museum in 1987, Hearthstone’s focus is to preserve the house and its artifacts to re-create a historical experience based on its Thomas A. Edison heritage for the cultural enjoyment and educational benefit of the public through its many exhibits and programs.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
176 reviews
Excellent
135
Very good
33
Average
5
Poor
2
Terrible
1
that1travelmama
Appleton, WI318 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
I toured the Heathstone a while back and it was interesting. I loved the architecture of the home. My tour guide was great, too - I loved the story about the owners of the house - that definitely added charm. The tour guide told a story of the daughter who got engaged while living in the home a long time ago. Her fiancé had her etch her initials in the window with her diamond to prove it was real and to demonstrate his love. The initials are still there on the first floor window facing the Memorial Bridge. Just a unique feature - but the house is amazing. It's definitely full of history and a great must-see in Appleton.
Written March 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane Z
Green Bay, WI39 contributions
Apr 2014 • Friends
If you like touring historical homes don't miss this one. The design and architectural grace of this home is outstanding. Great way to spend a few hours.
Written April 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wordtraveler66
Wisconsin4 contributions
We toured this museum over the Christmas break. It is a Queen Anne Victorian mansion built in the 1880. It is the first house in the world with electricity from a hydroelectric power station. The house has been restored to 1880 elegance - beautiful handcarved woodwork throughout, decorative painted ceilings, 9 fireplaces with decorative tiles and period antiques. Hard to believe that until 20 years ago there was still families living in this huge home. There is a hands-on area in the basement, great for kids or kids at heart. The tourguide was very informative - spotlighting the early electrical history, local history of Appleton, Victorian history and customs and architecture of the home. A must see for only 5 dollars. Good for children over 8. They are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-3:30pm. Tours last about 45 minutes. After your visit go down by the Fox River and watch for bald eagles - we saw 4 flying overhead. Fratellos restaurant and Atlas Coffehouse both great places for viewing the waterfront.
Written January 4, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chelsea42
Northern California550 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
We were lucky to arrive at Hearthstone on the 135th anniversary of the house, the first in the world to use hydroelectric power for lighting. The evening tour featured docents dressed in period costumes as well as the original lighting. The house is beautifully furnished and splendidly restored and the docents explained each room's characteristics as well as the history of the house. A must-see in Appleton. Open for tours almost daily.
Written September 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diana M
Appleton, WI10 contributions
May 2015
This is a lovely Victorian home that is a pleasure to tour. Plan more time for your visit since the tour group before you could take a while and you have to wait for them to clear before you can go on. One of the guides is a lovely gentleman who has been connected with the house for 30 years. He lead us through the first floor and then the upstairs area to the family's "den" and bedrooms. He asked if we thought any of the bedrooms had a ghost. I knew immediately that it was there was not a ghost in the mother or daughters' rooms, but there was a quiet presence in the father's bedroom.That was just my sense. In any event, the home is interesting and cool and worthy of a hour or so of your time. (Just to correct this on TripAdvisor, this is NOT a hotel. It is only a museum.)
Written April 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidi aka: Goodie Bandit
Appleton, WI908 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
They should turn this place into a B & B or apartments and get some actual use out of it...since its falling apart and they don't have funding to repair things. Ive visited a few times and the staff is not friendly - and they are constantly following you like a child ....sickening.... since were in our 40s and this is not the Luvre in Paris folks. Its just an old home..plain and simple. Appleton needs to step it up!
Written January 6, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane E
Appleton, WI5 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
Loved the Victorian architecture and use of beautiful carved and inlaid woods throughout. Great information about the paper baron families that made this area so prosperous, plus fun little museum for kids to have a hands-on experience regarding this being the first home in US to be wired by Thomas Edison himself.
Written July 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul C
Peoria Heights, IL75 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
Excellent tour around a little known historic gem.
Our guide (I missed her name but she did have a distinctive Germanic accent) was great ...informative, knowledgeable, and amusing.
The house is only partially restored due to financial constraints but those open to the public are a joy to behold ...amazingly well preserved.
Well worth a visit
Our guide (I missed her name but she did have a distinctive Germanic accent) was great ...informative, knowledgeable, and amusing.
The house is only partially restored due to financial constraints but those open to the public are a joy to behold ...amazingly well preserved.
Well worth a visit
Written July 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
F00lishTraveler
Savannah, GA275 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
Not much to add - you'll see rooms on two (of the three) floors of the house. Our tour guide presented things in a relaxed, conversational way. There are things about the house that the Friends organization just does not know, so they say so rather than making up some hokey story. Highlight for us (as for many) was the amazing woodcarving, mostly by a Dutch kid who was only 20 years old at the time.
Written July 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca S
Denmark48 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
I loved the incredible detail of this historic house. Our guide brought us through most of the house and explained about every room. The only downside is that you don't get to see the entire house. I wish I could have seen it all, whether it was decorated or in shabby conditions I would want to see it anyway.
It was a small entrance fee. You had to ring the doorbell, and they answer the door.
I can't wait for my mom to visit from NY so I can bring her!
Loved all the fireplaces and hand carved woodwork. The hand painted tiles were also very cool.
They do not allow photography inside.
It was a small entrance fee. You had to ring the doorbell, and they answer the door.
I can't wait for my mom to visit from NY so I can bring her!
Loved all the fireplaces and hand carved woodwork. The hand painted tiles were also very cool.
They do not allow photography inside.
Written February 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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