The Victorian Mansion overall was amazing. My husband and I travel to Galena every year for our anniversary and every year we stay at a different B&B (this was our 7th!). This place was among the best in terms of the ambience and sheer beauty of the house. The gardens were beautiful, the secluded hot tub/gazebo was very relaxing and our room - the Jackson - was very large. The shower and toilet were each placed in what had at one time been closets. Although the shower/toilet were both in very tight quarters, I was amazed at the creativity of it all. The breakfasts each morning were delicious - homemade waffles, freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh smoothies - everything tasted great. They also offered a simple wine and cheese hour every afternoon. Also, if you are a history buff this is the place for you. Ulysses S. Grant spent a lot of time in the house, so much that he had his own room there. He also gave his farewell speech to Galena on the second floor balcony of the house right before he left for Washington D.C. to become president. The woman who lives and works there with her husband (a family member owns the house) gives a nice little history talk during breakfast each morning which is a nice touch. The wrap-around porches were a treat and we enjoyed sitting outside and relaxing on them. The one complaint I had was what happened when we first arrived. When we first walked through the door the woman working there immediately said, "How are you going to be paying for this?" It just came across as very abrupt, as though we had to prove that we had the money up front before we could be warmly welcomed. Like I said, we have stayed at many B&Bs and different owners handle the bill differently, but it was immediate, abrupt and not very friendly. It could have been handled a little more tactifully. The husband and wife team overall were friendly enough, but didn't seem as outgoing and as comfortable as some of the other people that run B&Bs in the area. Nothing against them - it's probably just their personality. Overall, though, I would recommend the mansion for its beauty and relaxing environment.











