I was fortunate to tour Aston villa 2 or 3 time when they use to have tours. It is a place where you always want to go back to. Of all the historic homes I toured this one was the most intriguing. My daughter felt a presence (spirit) at the top of the stairs and because a little sick and lightheaded. The house is a beautiful monument and a place stuck in TIME!

It very pleasant to be here! Couples can celebrate their wedding, and children can learn about the history of amazing Galveston. I encourage everyone to find out why, how and for whom this beautiful home was built. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY EVEN MORE

Very well maintained historical building with plenty of important Galveston history! Great venue for gatherings once covid is under control!

I WANT TO GO AGAIN, so very much. ID PAY NEAR TO ANY AMOUNT TO EXPERIENCE ASHTON VILLA AGAIN. TRULY!!But I think they are now closed to the public. What a beautiful historical testament to the Strength, Will, Drive, & Fortitude of our ancestors. An Era gone, but not forgotten. A society with more gumption & elbow grease than can be found today. TY Ashton Villa for the visits Ill never forget.ES

It was lovely on the inside. There are a lot of the original features to the house, and it fits a small wedding nicely. The road noise makes Ashton Villas outside venue less than desirable if you dont have the right equipment. Also, not a lot of lighting, as most of their outside lights did not function at the time of the wedding I attended.

I love to come here to chill out. There is a lot of history in this park. You either know it or ya dont lol.

I love the place! To bad they dont used it as museum no more. The only way you can go is if is someone having a social event there that you know. The way I find out about this place was because they did the Maritime ball there. It is really nice for any event.

This was listed as open for tours on a (very old) website so when we fronted up we were sorry that that is no longer the case. Theres a tourist information office in the building to the right and the staff were friendly and helpful, including giving us a brochure with a $1 discount to entry of the Bishops Palace and some other local tips. It would have been nice to see the house though. We peeked through the windows and it was all set up for an event - a wedding by the looks of it - so that seems to be the main use these days.

Saw the building from the outside during an evening ghost tour, which was put on quite well by Brittany. The history of the Villa, the people who lived at there at the time, and all of the stories behind this fantastic home made the walk and the information very intriguing to my wife and I. It holds a place in history about the emancipation proclamation, the civil war, and various hurricanes where water marks are seen on the outside of the home. An adjacent botanical garden is quite unique as well. I would suggest a visit if youre in the area and would like to learn about Galveston history.

Great spot if you like old Galveston architecture and history. I came here on a ghost tour at about 2 AM so I did not get to appreciate the outdoor setting.

Nice venue!

There was ants, but the wedding was 5 stars.

This is the building where they proclaimed the Emancipation Proclamation from, which Galvestonians celebrate on June 19, or Juneteenth.And every Tuesday during the Summer, behind this building in the gazebo, at 7:30pm, the City of Galveston sponsors a FREE 20 piece big brass band concert that plays music from as far back as the Roaring Twenties. Patriotic, historical, and family-oriented.

We went to Galveston to enjoy the history. We stopped at Ashton Villa first. The associates there were very friendly, pleasant and helpful (especially Ginny). We were given lots of information we could use on our visit and to share with family, friends and students.

Great historical place in Galveston to have an event or social event. They no longer have tours.

Ashton Villa was built by James Moreau Brown, in 1859. He was born in New York on September 22, 1821. He was the youngest of 16 children. After running away from home, he was apprenticed to a brick mason. He left New York around 1838, arriving in Galveston sometime in the mid 1840s where he opened a hardware business and became quite prosperous. In 1855 he purchased a slave named Alek, who was a brick mason. In 1859 he began to build the house. Brown purchased the lots on Broadway for $4,000. The design was that of an Italianate villa.Five children were raised by James Brown and his wife Rebecca Ashton Stoddart Brown. They were John Stoddart (1848), Moreau Roberts (1853), Rebecca Ashton, known as Bettie (1855), Charles Rhodes (1862) and Mathilda Ella (1865).In this house, the most dominant figures are the daughters, Bettie and Mathilda. Bettie was a rather independent woman for her generation. She never married and was a rather accomplished amateur artist at a time when women were allowed to dabble in painting china, but were not to cross over that line to actually paint seriously. Much of her artwork is on display in the house.Mathilda was the youngest child and came back to Ashton Villa in 1896 after she divorced her husband Thomas Sweeney. She returned to live in the house with her three children.Mr. Brown lived in the house until his death on Christmas Day, 1895 at age 74. Mrs. Brown died in 1907. The house went to Bettie, who lived here until her death in 1920. Mathilda inherited, leaving it to her daughter Alice in 1926. The house was sold to the Shriners, who used it as offices until 1970, when the museum property was taken over by the Galveston Historical Foundation, who opened it to the public in 1974.

Went to the Ghost Tour at Ashton Villa. The house is nice to visit and has an interesting history but the tour was short only about 1 hour and cost $30.

I just love this venue! It is unique and beautifully built in 1859! You have to see it!

Pop band concert on Tuesday night was awesome

Passed by this home while at a galveston historic ghost tour.

Beautiful building. Only open for events currently

1st time doing a ghost tour

Beautiful venue!

Went for a historical tour, amazing mansion

Cool history. Beautiful house

Good tour

So beautiful! A must see

Stopped by to look at, not as cool of a view as the other places you can tour. I imagine the garden is pretty during summertime.

Beautifully stunning.

Had a great time at a wedding here!

Great was there for fam wedding and reception

Beautiful wedding space

Was included on haunted ghost tour

Beautiful place

Love I

Can be rented for events

Cool museum

Interesting

Beautiful place to have a wedding

Beautiful

Beautiful location for a wedding!

This place is so pretty

Great place for a date!

Beautiful gardens

Ok

Creepy. I liked it!!

Beautiful garden