This is a great historical gem! The Sewards did not discard the items they owned, they stored them and now the fill the house. The docent that took us on an hour and a half tour made this history come alive. Weve been to many historical homes over the years and I believe this is at the very top. If you get to Auburn, dont miss this opportunity! If this review was helpful, please give it a like.

It’s been years since I was here ( early 2000’s). I was on a bicycle tour in the Adirondacks. A few of us stop and took a tour of the mansion. The guide was not only knowledgeable but interesting. I still remember him talking about Abraham Lincoln and how he didn’t like to take baths and didn’t smell so good.

Oh my lord! William Henry Seward, among his accomplishments, Abraham Lincolns Secretary of State during the American Civil War, almost assassinated like Lincoln, was instrumental in the purchase of Alaska. His accomplishment are an arms length! His Civil War Era Carriage rests in the Garage Building! His house is immaculate and was a thrill to tour with our excellent guide. Weve lived in Virginia for close to 40 years and hold in high esteem the Commonwealths History. We were enamored and felt privileged to have spent a day in Mr. Sewards home. Thank you for allowing us the honor. Mr. Sewards influence on American history should never been forgotten. Please click the like button if you feel my post and the photos I uploaded were helpful.

Wonderful tour guides.....guides are a must. 1.5 he tours. Charismatic guides

Beautiful grounds... I enjoyed seeing the carriage from which Seward had his accident that had him bedridden on the night of his assassination attempt. Fascinating history and the staff were super friendly and knowledgable.

Took a lovely tour today. The tour guide was quite informative. This home is gorgeous. I am in awe of the books housed here! What a collection of memories in the form of art, stories, books, personal items!

Beautiful historic home with an amazing original collection. Docent did a great job on the tour and was very knowledgeable. So much to look at and learn.

Nice rich history in this town! Lots of great people who made this State and Nation came from here or visited regularly. Local schools refuse to teach this anymore only as brief synopsis now. They spend all the they used to teach about the great people whom grew this town, now by promoting Harriett Tubman for the tourism money.As of 2000. the racial makeup of the town was:(with an average 3% drop in the local population every year)98.91% White,0.11% African American,0.03% Native American,0.53% Asian,0.08% from other races,and 0.35% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.

I grew up in Seward, Nebraska, so was particularly interested in going. Nice tour. Look for a chair transformed into a porta-potty.

The Seward Family has left a Treasure Chest that I have enjoyed learning about for many years. Sewards huge globe left an awesome impression on me when I visited his house as a little child with my Mother. Upon seeing Sewards globe again as an adult several years later, it seemed so much smaller...and...William Sewards accomplishments seemed so much greater! There is always something new to discover and love about the Seward Family.~

Beautiful home and museum, tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the family as well as the era. Everything in the home was original with the exception of one copy of a document.

Living history! Tour is lead only ... no gum or water bottles allowed.Learn how Seward was also connected with leaders of abolitionists and womens suffragettes.

Very interesting tour. Weve done several historic home tours and this was one of our favorites. Its a guided tour but not rushed at all and very interesting and informative. Not something I would need to do again but I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy that kind of thing.

William Sewards life in a nutshell with amazing antiques from 4 generations of Sewards. Each docent brings forward new info.

Amazingly informative and detailed tour of the Seward House. Your guide knew an incredible amount of information about each item displayed and about the rooms and the family itself. Highly recommend

Excellent museum portraying not only the political career of Seward but also his family and generations previous and successive. Docent was a young man whose name I missed at the beginning if the tour. He was very knowledgeable and spoke well to the wealth of information he is tasked with. I was particularly impressed with the access for viewing of the personal items to the house. Seldom seen that in todays museums.

Cool and informative museum at the center of the city. Home of one of Auburns most esteemed residents. The grounds are quite lovely and the historic artifacts inside are interesting. Definitely an important stop on any tour of Auburns historic sites.

The history part was great, but the tour was not what I was expecting. Wish the tour was closer to an hour instead of over 2 hours. That way we could have gone to other museums!

Learned so much!!

Like some many others I know, I never seemed to get around to visiting the Seward House in spite of my love of history. It was an absolutely amazing experience! The home/museum is a jewel for those inspired by or interested in American history. The condition of the property is pristine and the fact that most of the furnishing and artifacts are original gives one a connection to the past which is difficult to find. The links between the Seward family and Harriet Tubman as well as the interplay between important and historical figures from the 19th century weaves so many historical stories that its difficult to fathom the importance of William Seward and his legacy. Sewards unlikely friendship with Lincoln and the bond they forged to correct the error of the Founders is another intricate story told by this impressive home tucked away in Central New York.The home itself is impressive but our tour guide was obviously inspired and immersed in the Seward family and William Sewards legacy. She brought the home and the stories to life in a most entertaining and informative way. Its wonderful to spend time with people who love what they are doing and she obviously did.This was one of the most enjoyable history experiences Ive ever had, and I have had many.Thanks to the Seward House staff and especially our guide.

Beautiful museum! The tour guide was great.

Very interesting place. The home is beautifully furnished with practically all original furniture. Great preservation of history

Lots of fun for the family. The people giving tours are real filled with all kinds of information. I will be going back to take a deeper look at the time line and connections ect.

We went to the holiday show here and it was excellent. Well done!

Everyone working and volunteering were so warm and welcoming. The house is beautifully preserved and a joy to tour. All of the pieces were owned by the Seward family which is pretty unique for a historic house turned museum. Usually pieces are from the time period, but not the actual location youre touring. But when youre in the Seward house youre seeing items that were actually used by the Sewards. Highly recommend!

Wonderfully informative, beautifully preserved mansion. We had a private tour as we were there at the end of the day. There is a new display in the basement which is great and I saw an article about that in todays Citizen

A must visit for all. Truth is stranger than fiction. Learn the accurate historical facts of a man of great influence and works in shaping our modern America.

What history, the real story! The folks who took us around knew about every single piece in every room. I have been to a lot of different historical places, I enjoyed this more than any.

This hpme is beautiful and full of history. Everyone was pleasant and was willing to answer questions. Worth a trip

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. So much history to be remembered. Staircase & banister was gorgeous!

Must see NY historic site. The mansion is floor to ceiling artifacts and history

A great place to visit. Lots of history and very knowledgeable guides.

Such a lovely place. The tour was amazing. Shocked at how well kept the place has been over the years. If youre reading this considering a visit, do it. You wont be disappointed. The Seward home is a piece of history.

Absolutely loved it! Such beauty! A must visit for those who love history!

If you’re are in the Finger Lakes Region, this House is definitely worth a visit. Our tour lasted 1 1/2 hours and was very informative. The docent did a wonderful job and provided a lot of facts about Mr. Seward, much of which is probably not known to the general public.

Very good, very informative, very entertaining tour. Great place to spend an hour or two.

As a History major in college I greatly appreciated my visit to the Seward home in Auburn NY, not too long a drive from Syracuse. The Seward family and descendants have served well as stewards of the home and its contents from the time of former NY Governor Seward, who pushed for the purchase of Alaska from Russia. In the house you will see the long dining table, set with cutlery and China upon which Lincoln dined during his visit. Clothing was also preserved from that family, in that era, now draped over mannequins, along with the original furnishings. An exhibit of the toys and childrens amusements used by his children is worth a look. There is also on view the actual carriage rig used by Seward. Truly an authentic look into the world of the mid 19th century. Rarely have I seen such a well preserved and truly representative look at family household function and environment.

A well guided tour and a good learning experience.

Amazing History! Great tour guides! Pleasant people! A MUST GO SEE!!! I Love History! Intriguing for children too! My children (13,12,&11) LOVED it!

We visited on our way across New York. We made it into the last tour of the day, but it was phenomenal. Our small group had elementary school students, high school teachers, professional historians, and regular folks. The tour guide adapted the tour to try to hit everyones interests. He was incredibly knowledgeable, kept the group engaged, v and clearly loved the house, Seward, and his job. The level of detail he knew was really impressive, and he even kept the 8 year old interested. The collection in the house was really something, and nearly all of it is original to the family. Ive done a lot of historic house tours, and this was among the best of them. If youre in the area, this is so very much worthy of your time.

The Seward house offers a great look back on a piece of American history. The museum is able to shed light on a crucial point of time with the assanation of Abraham Lincoln and also the purchase of Alaska. The house is secure to showcase both the political climate of the time as well as lifestyle and architecture. The museum offers free access to part of the house on the first Friday of every month from 5pm to 8pm.

Very historical & informative tour. Interesting.

Wow! So much to learn. So much I didnt know. So close to home. Loved it.

If you havent been to the Tubman house, do so. These homes are intertwined as far as the underground railroad goes. Lots to be learned here for all ages.

If youre a history buff who happens to be in the town of Auburn, definitely go visit this place. Youll learn about Mr. Seward, his long career in public service, and his human rights advocacy (he was quite progressive for his time). And how, along the way, he became associated with notable figures, such as President Lincoln and Harriet Tubman. And notable events, such as the purchase of Alaska from Russia.There is one room in the house that was part of the underground railroad, where enslaved African-Americans sought temporary refuge on their way to freedom in Canada. It was such a sobering experience standing there and imagining all the struggles and hardship they had endured all their lives, and especially at the point in their journey.The only way to visit is by a guided one-hour house tour. Check their website or call ahead to confirm their schedule. The tour leader was knowledgeable and friendly.

Well worth seeing if you like history. House is maintained as it would have looked over 150 years ago. Knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. Reasonable admittance cost.

The historical significance of this place is truly outstanding.

Its an ok museum. They seem to be more active around holidays more so than during the week.

Enthralling, ellegant, and well kept. Ive been twice and would happily go again. My only complaint is that Id like more time to look at and read everything but my understanding is that you can only enter as part of a tour which while extensive doesnt allow much exploring!

Our tour guide (Jeff) was fabulous! He had so much enthusiasm and sooooo much knowledge. Worth every penny.

Making history fun! Definitely worth the stop!

We went on a candlelight tour. They were awesome there. We really enjoyed ourselves.

A gem in disguise. What a wealth of history in Auburn.

Haunted history walk. Hope they do it again next oct.

Excellent. Loved the kitchen & underground railroad

I took my niece over the summer and was utterly amazed at the sheer amount of original artifacts in this meticulously loved home. My niece is 11 yrs old and was fascinated with it all. Our tour guide was an animated and knowledgable story teller. History buffs will be drooling! The staff, the grounds and the family heirlooms make for a lasting, beautiful experience I will not forget.

I enjoyed the tour. Linda & Jude are the best.

Amazing tour guide and such an interesting place

Astounding collection of artifacts to the story of one of the most important Americans of the 19th century. Great tour, too!

Always wanted to visit this significant home. The guide was informative and knowledgeable. But unfortunately we were made to feel like criminals, my husband left immediately and still feels horrible. Areas should be cordoned off if they believe people will steal or damage items. Visitors should be treated as the original owners would like. Respectfully and appreciating the interest in this home. The home was not kept up well. Silver tarnished, grounds not inviting, rugs dinghy and the place depressing. The significance of this famous man was tarnished by the attitude and treatment .Very disappointed .

Amazing history here, beautiful gardens and great community events. Staff is friendly and passionate. I love this place!

Very enjoyable visiting this place and seeing especially all the memorabilia that Seward collected from other heads of State. Lots of artifacts and beautiful paintings in here, including Lincoln signatures and portraits. I only ding them one star because it would be nice to take pictures inside of the home to share it with others.

We used to go to this place once a year for a tour. That was about 10 years ago it has changed management hands and I hear its just not the same

Very interesting and fun to learn the history.

Wonderful place to visit. Packed with preserved historical treasures and his story is fascinating. Well worth the visit

Great history and guides.

Great history, authentic furnishings, knowledgeable staff.

Fun place to learn history

Great place to learn and lovely house. I enjoyed the guides and their knowledge.

The best historical museum that I have every been . A must go.

The tour of this gorgeous house tells the fascinating story of a critical period in US history.

Awsome part of history

Great history,go visit

Beautiful house full of history. Staff extremely knowledgeable and friendly. A must see if youre in Auburn.

Amazing house and displays. Tour guides are very knowledgeable of the Sewards and the history surrounding them. Learned a lot of things I never knew.

Locally owned historic site. Most interior items in the family since 1820s. Some history of the Lincoln conspiracy, Seward attacked. Great place!

There is a wait for the tour, but besides that it is a great place to explore with family.

Very informative tour at the Seward House. I absorbed a ton of history... a field trip should be included for all area schools !!!

Very good. Informative tour. Very well preserved.

Very nice tea party!!

Its fantastic to have such an important part of history nearby.

Great museum full of treasures and where history comes to life.

This is a must see place. The tour was great and I highly reccommend.

Excellent guided tour through this nicely maintained and restored historical gem. Only problem is the parking-- the city parking garage access is all torn up and confusing.

Very interesting tour, highly recommend!

Awesome staff n very knowledgeable about the familys history

Really interesting, the tour takes you through the whole House, not a lot of time to meander and browse on your own.

A great historic treasure with excellent docents

Auburn is a little remote but this gem is worth the trip. Because the home has only been inhabited by the Seward family before being donated as a museum, this house is chock full of interesting items which were actually owned by William Seward. It was an incredibly fascinating tour. The tour is $10 and takes about 1.5 hours. There is parking on the grounds or in an adjacent muni lot. You do not have to pay on weekends. Also, William Seward sold land to Harriet Tubman, so the Harriet Tubman home is also in Auburn. Not sure why someone was told they cant take photos. Photos were no problem. In fact, one of the people taking the tour was kind of annoying because you had to step around his constant picture taking. Really? You can see photos on the internet. LOL.

Excellent tour! Really enjoyed it!

Our tour guide was superb. Many stories are told throughout the tour.

Been there 3 times and learn something new each time

Very enjoyable, informative tour

Great history lesson

Excellent museum

The tour combined Sewards political career and how his life in the house was related.

Tour guides are ok... but great place to learn !!

A must see! Anytime of the year.

Great House Museum and great staff. All furnishings are original--which is unusual nowadays

A must see! this alone would be worth the trip.