Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
274 reviews
Excellent
181
Very good
76
Average
11
Poor
4
Terrible
2
Sam Zuo
Los Angeles, CA31 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Free tour! What’s better than this?
I went there on Sunday, after the Capital park tour (another free tour). There were only me and another guy. The staff gave us a 30 min quick tour. She told us a lot about the history of the house which are all quite interesting.
Unfortunately you cannot take photos in the building
I went there on Sunday, after the Capital park tour (another free tour). There were only me and another guy. The staff gave us a 30 min quick tour. She told us a lot about the history of the house which are all quite interesting.
Unfortunately you cannot take photos in the building
Written March 10, 2023
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.
Jacob
1 contribution
Jan 2020
I went there during Martin Luther King's holiday weekend, January 18th. The entrance of the house area does not say you have to go to the visitor center and wait for the hourly tour. It is easy to get misinformed because the visitor center cannot be seen when you enter the premise. So I went to the main door of the house. It was already a bit open, so when I fully opened the door there was a tour guide with long blonde hair yelling at me "No You CAN'T!" and slammed the door at me. I can't believe the tour guide did that to me. It was absolutely inconsiderate because there was no sign on the door saying "Do not enter". She ruined my whole day and I really do not recommend this place to anyone planning to visit Sacramento.
Written February 4, 2020
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.
Foofa B
California307 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
Such a treat... & it doesn't cost a penny!
The tours of this beautiful, historic estate are free and run every half an hour.
We were incredibly fortunate enough to have had Joseph(?) as our tour guide who's knowledge of this place and beyond was very impressive.
The tours of this beautiful, historic estate are free and run every half an hour.
We were incredibly fortunate enough to have had Joseph(?) as our tour guide who's knowledge of this place and beyond was very impressive.
Written September 13, 2021
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.
Mike L
Sacramento, CA2 contributions
Dec 2019
kind of a racist and felt like intimidated if she cannot be understood right away, no sense of hospitality, very rude. She thinks she's better than anybody else there. So sad, the mansion was renovated to entertain people from around the world but she failed to do it locally. I hope she will undergo extensive customer service training or might as well put on a job that is not a frontliner. What a disappointment to a California National Park.
Written January 20, 2020
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.
Brendan S
Arlington, VA2,028 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
This mansion was the home of Leland Stanford, the famous railroad baron, co-founder of Stanford University, US Senator and California Governor while he was governor. He greatly expanded an original house on the site, which has been restored to look like it did when the Stanfords lived here. The house includes many original furnishings and items owned by the Stanfords, and photos of the house allows the restoration to closely resemble its 19th Century appearance. There is a small visitor’s center and a free one hour tour through three floors of the house. It’s an impressive site connected to a family with a prominent place in American history.
Written October 29, 2022
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.
Mok You C
21 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
What a great historical heritage with great architecture, fascinating stories, and above all, offer an excellent guided tour free of charge. Tour starts every hour n takes 1 hr. Its a must go place for all visitor to Sacramento. No advance booking is required.
Written April 2, 2024
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.
Explorer5787
Sacramento, California1 contribution
The Leland Stanford Mansion is now being lovingly and accurately restored, and will be available for tours and events after it is rededicated on September 9, 2005--the 155th anniversary of California statehood.
I remember it as a such a wonderful place that it is sometimes hard to keep in mind that it is simply a place that a family lived in. It has always had a homey feeling, but over the years it was used for so many different things that you had to work to keep that in mind--human beings lived here, including a boisterous little boy named Leland. The restoration has brought that feel back.
The building has a beautiful new roof with miles of wrought iron detail that is historically accurate--that's what was there when Governor (Leland) and Mrs. (Jane) Stanford lived in the house. The landscaping and outbuildings from the era of their residency have been recreated from historical photographs, and yesterday I looked down on the mansion and grounds and watched a new lawn being rolled out. I was happy to note that several Stanford-era fruit trees and traditional landscape trees have been carefully preserved. More landscaping is underway, and since we were not here when many of those plants were originally growing around the home, we will learn what was the common sort of thing people put in their yards back then.
The herringbone brick sidewalks past the home and around the grounds have been repaired (we've been walking on them for many decades, and some had to be replaced), and even the brickmasons have been thrilled about this particular job. The cyclone fencing that protected the construction site is gone, and one may get some really nice photos of the front of the mansion--as long as you don't get in the way of the guy with the bricks.
Even if you come and visit now, two months before it reopens, you will see so much that is lovely and interesting that you will vow to come back in September to see it finished.
I remember it as a such a wonderful place that it is sometimes hard to keep in mind that it is simply a place that a family lived in. It has always had a homey feeling, but over the years it was used for so many different things that you had to work to keep that in mind--human beings lived here, including a boisterous little boy named Leland. The restoration has brought that feel back.
The building has a beautiful new roof with miles of wrought iron detail that is historically accurate--that's what was there when Governor (Leland) and Mrs. (Jane) Stanford lived in the house. The landscaping and outbuildings from the era of their residency have been recreated from historical photographs, and yesterday I looked down on the mansion and grounds and watched a new lawn being rolled out. I was happy to note that several Stanford-era fruit trees and traditional landscape trees have been carefully preserved. More landscaping is underway, and since we were not here when many of those plants were originally growing around the home, we will learn what was the common sort of thing people put in their yards back then.
The herringbone brick sidewalks past the home and around the grounds have been repaired (we've been walking on them for many decades, and some had to be replaced), and even the brickmasons have been thrilled about this particular job. The cyclone fencing that protected the construction site is gone, and one may get some really nice photos of the front of the mansion--as long as you don't get in the way of the guy with the bricks.
Even if you come and visit now, two months before it reopens, you will see so much that is lovely and interesting that you will vow to come back in September to see it finished.
Written July 8, 2005
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.
Edward N
Sacramento, CA42 contributions
Jun 2015
Leland Stanford purchase a modest home two blocks from the state capitol when he became the first governor of California. The Stanford's only had one child and he became ill while on a trip with Mrs. Stanford. At the hospital nuns sat with the sick child night and day taking care of him, unfortunately he succumb to the illness. Mrs. Stanford never forgot the care and attention that was showered on her son while in the hospital. As a result the mansion and many of the contents were was bequeathed to the Archdioceses in Sacramento and it became a children's home. Over the years the homes purpose changed from orphanage to center for troubled children but it was always ran by the catholic church. The church outgrew the home and getting close to 150 years old the house was in need of restoration. The state of California purchased the home as our official location to greet and entertain foreign dignitaries and embarked on a multi year project to restore the house to how it would have looked during the period of time the Stanford's lived in the home. The reason I provided a little bit of the history is that since acquiring the mansion many items from the period of time have been found and gifted back to the house, however there was an even better treasure to discover! During the period of time the sisters where running the orphanage all of the original light fixtures and chandeliers were removed and placed in the attack, after 75 years, while the restoration was underway this treasure trove was discovered!
The mansion is free to visit and rather than immediately joining the tour of the house, visit the visitors center where you will learn about the Stanford's and a short movies is shown telling the story of the amazing feat of architecture (even by todays standards) that added 25,000 square feet of space. If you love history architecture this is a beautiful home that exudes the opulence of the gilded era.
Despite the size and financial influence of California on the worlds economy you may be surprised to find out that we do not have a Governors mansion like most other states.
The mansion is free to visit and rather than immediately joining the tour of the house, visit the visitors center where you will learn about the Stanford's and a short movies is shown telling the story of the amazing feat of architecture (even by todays standards) that added 25,000 square feet of space. If you love history architecture this is a beautiful home that exudes the opulence of the gilded era.
Despite the size and financial influence of California on the worlds economy you may be surprised to find out that we do not have a Governors mansion like most other states.
Written September 14, 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.
juliabemisssmith
Sacramento, CA11 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
On the corner of 8th and N Streets, you will find the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park. This was the home of Governor Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Lathrop. Here, their son was born during one of the happiest periods of their lives. This house evolved, architecturally over time, it began as a brick row house and ended as a sumptuous Renaissance Revival home. With much original furniture and a complete restoration, this house is spectacular and well worth seeing. Just two blocks west of the Capitol, it can be toured daily for free. The stories about the family who lived here and experienced the success of the Gold Rush and the origination of the Central Pacific Railroad are fascinating. It is a story of California and what could happen only in this state.
Written September 3, 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.
MGN777
Modesto, CA403 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
This mansion was the family home of the Leland Stanford family in the 1800s. Leland Stanford was a businessman from New York who moved to California and made his fortune in railroads during the Gold Rush. He was the pro-Union governor of CA for a few years during the Civil War. He also became a U.S. senator. The family founded Stanford University in honor of their only son who died of typhoid fever.
The mansion is available to tour in small groups with a docent. Many sets of stairs are involved, so the tour may be a bit of an effort for someone handicapped. Elevators are available but no one in our group needed to use them. The house is furnished in the Victorian style. What struck me as very interesting is how small and low the furniture are, which is because people two hundred years ago were thinner and shorter. The gift shop has some items for sale that relate to California's history.
The mansion is available to tour in small groups with a docent. Many sets of stairs are involved, so the tour may be a bit of an effort for someone handicapped. Elevators are available but no one in our group needed to use them. The house is furnished in the Victorian style. What struck me as very interesting is how small and low the furniture are, which is because people two hundred years ago were thinner and shorter. The gift shop has some items for sale that relate to California's history.
Written September 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.
How much is a ticket for seniors
Reechard
Sacramento, CA11 contributions
It has been free for many years.
Jose Alcides M
San Jose, Costa Rica24 contributions
How much time did you spend visiting this place?
liz
Redondo Beach, CA194 contributions
We took a tour so we were there about two hours
MandJ82
Kannapolis, NC50 contributions
Is this site open on Sundays for inside tours?
Reechard
Sacramento, CA11 contributions
Open Sundays--except Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's Day. Good idea to call the Visitor Center the day before your visit 916.324.9266 and check if there are any ceremonial events which might limit visitation--but those are rarely scheduled on Sundays.
sargan
Sacramento, CA136 contributions
Would my nine year old granddaughters enjoy this historic site? I was hoping to take them to the Governor's Mansion, but I see it is still closed. Thanks.
Clemente71
Richmond, VA709 contributions
At least parts of it our geared to children-children's room, toys. I also think from my visit that the quality of the interpreters is such that they would have no problem keeping a 7 year old engaged. They seem to be very good at judging their audience and tailoring the tour based upon that.
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