Frances Willard House Museum
Frances Willard House Museum
4.5
About
The Frances Willard House is the 1865 Gothic Revival home of the famed 19th century reformer and women's rights advocate. A museum since 1900, the collection of Frances Willard's furniture and belongings is largely intact. Head of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Willard organized and led the largest mass movement of women in the country.
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SydneyCrawford
New York, New York, United States10 contributions
Feb 2017 • Family
When you enter Francis Willairds study, you can feel her presence in the room. She was a movershaker
Written January 12, 2018
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.
Luclle
Hong Kong, China51 contributions
Aug 2019
It was interesting to learn about the story and the many accomplishments of Frances Willard, whom I've never heard of before this visit. She was an ardent supporter of women's rights and education and was a woman who's very much ahead of her time. You can see the awesome bicycle, lovingly named "Gladys" which she learned to ride when she was 53, her messy writing desk, her collection of books and beautiful antique furniture--no single chair was the same! Some rooms underwent recent restoration in 2016, the wallpapers were made to match the original ones in the photos. I'm amazed at how everything was so well-preserved and not replicas.
Written August 8, 2019
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.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,474 contributions
Mar 2019
The Frances Willard House in Evanston, Illinois, is the former home of the founder of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and formerly the longtime headquarters of the organization. Willard referred to the house as Rest Cottage because it became a place for her to rest in between her tours and WCTU activities. Located at 1730 Chicago Avenue, it was built in 1865 by Willard's father. Frances moved into the house in 1871 when she accepted a position as Dean of the Women's College at Northwestern University. Three years later, she resigned and began to focus on the study of temperance. In 1974, she helped to found the WCTU. Later, she turned her house into an informal headquarters for the WCTU. When she died in 1898, she left the entire house to the WCTU. Two years later, the WCTU made the house its national headquarters and turned it into a museum dedicated to Willard. In 1965, the house was designated at National Historic Landmark. In 1966, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The two-story house is in the Carpenter Gothic style. It is painted pearl grey with white trim. The front of the house has two columned porches. The second floor has a balcony on the rear. There are 17 rooms in the house, most with oak and walnut flooring. Museum tours are offered to the public on the first and third Sundays of every month.
Written March 16, 2019
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.
prolfes
Evanston, Il5 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
I recently toured this wonderful historical house museum where Frances Willard lived, with my mom and sister in law. Frances was the president of the WCTU, which was the largest organization of women in the late 1800s and a leader of a mass women's movement. Kate, our tour guide, was knowledgeable and shared stories of Frances' family life and career. The house has remained mostly intact since her death in 1898, with rooms showing where she worked and lived. There are loads of original books, letters and furnishings on display in the house. Anyone, even mildly interested in women's history, would enjoy this tour!
Written November 8, 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.
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