Hearthstone Historic House Museum Admission Ticket
Description
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.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Appleton, Wisconsin 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 Henry J. 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. Guided tours through Hearthstone are offered as well as a chance to explore the various educational exhibits. All tours are guided by trained docents who discuss the history of the house, its unique place in history, its architecture, and the families who have lived there for over 100 years. The exhibits you'll see are dedicated to Edison, his inventive legacy, electricity, and the history of hydroelectricity at the Hearthstone.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The first floor and lower level of the mansion are wheelchair accessible via an electric lift. The only means of access to the second floor are stairs, due to the historic nature of the mansion.
Reviews(68)
It was great to arrive 30 mins prior to the tour to experience the museum on the lower floor. The carved woodwork in the house was beautiful- amazing! Loved to get a glimpse of what life was like back then. Lovely home and great tour guides.
Easy online tickets. Great tour guide and tons of interesting history.
We really enjoyed learning the history of this beautiful home. The tour was thorough and our guide very knowledgeable. Definitely worth the time and money.
Our guide, David, was great. He taught us so much history. Difficult to believe that this was the first fully electric house in the world right here in Appleton, WI.
Ask questions about what you see! There are many little things all around and the guide knows all about things.
The experience was fun and informative. Enjoyed learning about Hearthstone and history of Appleton. Recommend everyone should go.
It’s a great tour, beautiful house and so many interesting features. The woodworking is amazing! It’s a definite treat.
This is a beautiful property. Absolutely worth the visit. Very comprehensive tour. Very pleasant, knowledgeable staff.
Our guide was the director and he was great! Full of information and knowledge. He carried the tour for an additional 45 minutes to share all the information he had. You can tell he has done endless research into the Rodger’s family history and Edison’s involvement into their lives. Leaned a lot about Appleton as well. Worth every penny. We highly recommend this tour!
The house was beautiful and very well kept. Our tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. We are senior citizens so the entrance fee was only $9. Well worth the money. We traveled from Milwaukee and we were very impressed with the city of Appleton. The people were very nice and friendly.
