This is definitely worth the roughly 90 mins. This is no “cottage” but really a sizable 3-story house with quite amazing details for its time, including a small circular wooden staircase to an incredible 2-story library. The tour guide was so knowledgeable. It’s great to support a group so dedicated to keeping history alive.

Awesome ghost tour! You must check it out. We were able to witness some pretty neat stuff.

Great tour! Stephanie was our guide and was awesome! Our two teenagers loved it too!

What beautiful place to visit. The tour that was provided was very pleasant and the tour guide was very friendly and informative.

Excellent tour given of the house and family who lived there.

This stop is a great piece of Rockford history and Victorian living. The building is meticulously maintained, and chock full of original pieces from the mid/late 1800s. If you are interested in taking a peek in to the wealthy lifestyle of the era, stop by for a tour, and make sure to donate to help keep the cottage going!

This is definitely a hidden gem in Rockford. The octagon shaped room is worth the trip on its own and the other artistry throughout the house has a very European feel. The tour guide spent a long time in each room and gave us ample details about the family. Visit soon!

A gorgeous Victorian house museum located at the founding site of Rockford, IL.

Me and my girlfriend went, it was a really great tour. Loved the experience !

A good guide couldnt explain some of the questions we were asking and wouldnt show us some of the rooms that were closed which left me curious

The museum is way cool, but the tour quality definitely depends on the guide. They are awesome for volunteering so dont write this place off even if the first tour you go on is poorly paced.

This place is amazing! The craftsmanship, love and skill that was put into building it is incredible. Definitely a hidden gem in Rockford!! I will definitely be going back for another tour

This was w ok Meryl and the tour was excellent.

More interesting than anticipated. Visit in February so missed the gardens which I would enjoy.

You will learn something, Ill never forget it, Thank you for the great time, very very interesting.

Went there twice in the last 10 years awesome very good

Havent been here since I was a kid. Definitely a must see...and its haunted too!

A must go every time Im in the area architecture is amazing

A historic preservation worthy of a trip. Excellent place to have a probable paranormal encounter.

The guides were awesome and the house had some beautiful artwork.

If you like colonial Victorian Americana this is it.

I learned so much history about rockford in the 1800s. I had no idea about the first mayor of rockford and all his achievements. It was also very cool how preserved the place was. It also was very cool to see how living would have been back then.

Very informative tour. Interesting spot with original furnishings.

My Cousin Debbie and I went there for one of the ghost tour on a Friday night on (11/01/2013) I was walking around taking pictures. Got home started looking through my pictures I couldnt believe what I saw. I was like. OH MY GOSH!! I called the guy and told him what I seen in my photo . I got in my car and took my phone right over to him. He seen up in the balcony was 2 ghostly figures in the photo I asked who do you think they are, he said the samething I thought who they were. Jessie Dorr and Mr Tinker. I couldnt believe I took that picture. Unbelievable!!

My family and I went to the tinker house hoping to see some paranormal activity and ended up getting what we wanted and more. When we first got there we expected to not see anything but looked in a window and saw and tall dark shadow figure with a long beard pacing back and forth in the room. That scared us quite a bit but we still kept looking. We ended up finding a open door that led up too the front door. We stayed there for a few minutes hoping to see or hear something but nothing happened. Then we left and closed the door and went to the side of the house and there we tried contacting a ghost but instead of hearing a ghost we heard a door squeking. We got suspicious so we went to the door that we just closed and we found the door open. Then we walked over to the guest and while leaving to go to the guest house we heard whispering. It sounded like two people were having a conversation but no one was there. When we got to the guest house there was a glowing red light in one of the rooms. We looked through the window to try and locate where it was coming from but we couldnt figure it out. After going to the guest house we left in total shock at what we had seen and heard. That night will be a night I will always remember.

SO WHAT? ITS AN OLD HOUSE WITH ANTIQUES....... THE ANTIQUES IN MY OWN HOME ARE MUCH NICER............THIS PLACE IS A JOKE!!!!!

Very Beautiful Historical Place Great Tours Friendly Staff

Excellent paranormal investigation

Very interesting

The people were so nice and the home and landscape were so breath taking

Beautiful and peaceful

Had my daughters baby shower there jan. 18th. great space! alix did an awesome job setting up tables and chairs for us;and putting up with us being a little early to set up and a little late to leave.the room was the perfect size,we had 33 people and a gift table and 3 food tables set up no problem.the stone and wood walls make it a warm, inviting space. the small kitchen was a godsend .a good time was had by all;thanks again alix for all your help and patience!! [p.s. that small elevator down to the room is genius!!]

Historical Place, visit at least once

Absolutely wonderful and Samantha is a perfect tour guide!!

Great customer service and rewards program.

Great for ghost hunting

Informative Rockford family home/business

Nice place

Interesting museum, some good ghost folklore

Beautiful place of history

Awesome place for a stroll in the park

Cool place

Spooky fun great tour for October

Fun n educational

Food was not good at all, no flavor and service was awful.

Beautiful home

True history,you will love it

Nice