Top 10 Most Visited Historic Homes in the United States — Tennessee Real Estate (2024)

The United States is home to many beautiful houses that have become historic sites. These historic homes give nature and history lovers an excellent experience. Each mansion possesses unique features that are an essential part of American history. Here are some of the most notable US historic homes.

Hearst Castle

Hearst castle is among the most popular mansions globally. The stunningly beautiful estate, situated in central California, is a well-known tourist destination. The mansion was built for media mogul William Randolph Hearst.

Hearst named the hilltop complex "La Cuesta Encantada," a Spanish name referring to Enchanted Hill. The estate includes the main building with twin towers, terraced gardens, pools, and fountains. The beautiful historic home offers an opportunity for people to experience what life was like as a guest of William Randolph Hearst. Individuals and groups get to explore his collection of artworks.

George Washington's Mount Vernon

George Washington's Mount Vernon is one of the most visited sites in the US. Located in Virginia, the site is the iconic estate of the USA's first president, George Washington, and his wife, Martha.

The estate includes an 18th-century plantation and a mansion with 21 rooms well preserved and restored to reflect the President's daily life and legacy. A great book on George Washington can be found on Amazon HERE 📚

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Monticello was the primary plantation of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. He inherited the land from his father. The historic home was built between 1768 and 1809. Monticello was constructed in the early Classical Revival style and was recognized as a World Heritage site in 1987 by UNESCO.

The site is a three-story brick and frame mansion comprising 35 rooms. Monticello reflects Thomas Jefferson's life, including his many passions: philosophy, music, science, literature, architecture, food, and art.

For a deeper dive into Monticello, check out the BOOK The Road to Monticello: The Life and Mind of Thomas Jeffersonby clicking on this LINK 📚

Elvis Presley’s Graceland

Graceland was home for Elvis Presley from March 1957 until he died in 1977. It is located ten miles south of downtown Memphis, Tennessee.

The home was opened to the public in 1982, and people can access the living room, TV room, kitchen, Jungle room, pool room, and the trophy building. Fans can also view Elvis' artifacts and photos in Graceland archives, including his memorabilia from his films and a collection of platinum and gold records.

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The House of the Seven Gables

The House of the Seven Gables was built by a merchant and shipowner, John Turner I, and his wife, Elizabeth Robinson Turner, in 1668. It is located in the National Landmark District of Salem, Massachusetts. Initially, it was known as Turner House and later got its new name from Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of the novel “The House of the Seven Gables.” The house ran through a succession of different owners till 1908, when a wealthy philanthropist Caroline Emmerton bought it, renovating it to its current seven-gable glory.

The historic home is open to the public as a Museum and Research Library containing many books, periodicals, and documents.

The Breakers

The Breakers was constructed by a millionaire of the Gilded Age, Cornelius Vanderbilt II. It was built in 1895 in place of another house that was destroyed by fire. To minimize the risk of another fire, Cornelius and his wife Alice hired a top architect of the Gilded Age to build the new house with brick, steel, and limestone.

The Breakers was marked as a National Historic Landmark in 1994. It has entertained many prominent people over the years, including presidents.

Ernest Hemingway House

Ernest Hemingway’s Key West House is a lovely home where author Ernest Hemingway lived and worked for over ten years. Although Hemingway lived in many places, this home was important for his personal life and his work as a writer, as it was where he wrote some of his novels. People regularly come from across the world to visit Hemingway’s home in Key West and to see the descendants of Hemingway’s own polydactyl cat, Snow White.

Fallingwater

Fallingwater is one of the most popular houses constructed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The home is located in Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania, and was built as a vacation spot for the Kaufmann family. If you love architecture and nature, Fallingwater is a perfect destination. The house stands over a waterfall and is designed to look like a diving board.

People were allowed access to Fallingwater in 1964, and since then, it has attracted millions of visitors. The home is surrounded by 5,000 acres, referred to as Bear Run Nature Reserve.

Abraham Lincoln Home

The sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, lived here with his family from 1844 to 1861. Abraham and Mary Lincoln purchased the house for 1,200 US dollars. The Greek Revival-style home has two floors and twelve rooms.

Lincoln's historic home offers a plethora of exhibits, including a panoramic model of 1860s Springfield and a bronze casting of the President's hand and face.

Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Estate is a Gilded Age mansion constructed by the Vanderbilt family. Built between 1889 and 1895, Biltmore Estate is the biggest privately owned home in the United States. The mansion occupies a space of 178,926 square feet featuring 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The Vanderbilts still own the house, and the land it sits upon which now boasts a winery.

The Biltmore house still has all its original furnishings, art, and artifacts. It also features a library, a Grand Banquet Hall, and an indoor pool.

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Works Cited: “Tell me about USA Historic Homes” prompt. Chat GPT ChatBox AI, 14 March version, Open AI, 22 August 2023, chat.openai.com. Copyright © 2023 FLORATE LIMITED (App Developer)