The Mansion on O
The Mansion on O
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Downtown
How to get there
- Dupont Circle • 4 min walk
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1,898 within 3 miles
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588 within 6 miles
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
104 reviews
Excellent
55
Very good
22
Average
15
Poor
6
Terrible
6
Tettiee
3 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
I cannot wrap my head around what kind of person would rate this amazing place negatively. I feel sad for them! Did they not visit the website to get an idea of what this mansion was like? Proceeds of admission go to help artists of all kinds! How can anyone complain about that?
This is an amazing, one-of-a-kind whimsical place! So much amazing history too! I honestly did not expect to spend 2 hours there. The mansion is a delightful place to explore. I have been to DC many times, yet never heard of the mansion until I was recently searching for fun things to do. I am so happy I discovered it. My teens loved it!
The employees were kind and very knowledgeable. I will be returning sometime to stay overnight. Something that utterly amazed me was how clean it was. I admit I looked for dust, lol but did not find any.
Thank you for a most enjoyable visit!
This is an amazing, one-of-a-kind whimsical place! So much amazing history too! I honestly did not expect to spend 2 hours there. The mansion is a delightful place to explore. I have been to DC many times, yet never heard of the mansion until I was recently searching for fun things to do. I am so happy I discovered it. My teens loved it!
The employees were kind and very knowledgeable. I will be returning sometime to stay overnight. Something that utterly amazed me was how clean it was. I admit I looked for dust, lol but did not find any.
Thank you for a most enjoyable visit!
Written March 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
charliespal2
Palm Harbor, FL530 contributions
Aug 2021
A unique experience. The Mansion is 5 connected row houses originally build in 1892 but 'reimaagined' in the 1990s. They claim that there are over 70 secret doors (bookcases that open, mirrors that are doors etc) but we were only able to find 13. There are over 100 rooms and each room is packed full of 'stuff'...from very expensive collectibles (autographed baseballs, photos, musical instruments, etc.) and lots of 'junk' mixed in...there is something everywhere you look, floor, walls, ceilings. There are different tours and packages you can buy or you can wander on your own. The only shortcoming is that they they don't give you any hints to where all the doors are. There's so much to look at it can be overwhelming. A fun and different way to spend a few hours in DC. Everything you see is for sale and proceeds go partly to supporting artists. Oh and it's also one of the 4 best hotesl in DC with rooms costing over $10,000/night to $385/night.
Written August 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lena H
Bowie, MD309 contributions
Jan 2020
There are allegedly 100 rooms and 86 hidden doors. We spent 2 hours and only found 5 doors max. By the end of our 2 hour exploration session my head was spinning from the tightness of this place, all the things that jump at you, and effort to find a hidden door. I thought I would pass out.
Also, be prepared to pay $30 per person, including a 1 year old baby. They will charge for a newborn also - we were told it's the policy.
I also thought it was a little unsanitary. You can rent a room in this place, but they let people roam about in these rooms to try to find the hidden doors. Can you imagine staying at a place where everything has been touched by multiple visitors of the museum?
Also, be prepared to pay $30 per person, including a 1 year old baby. They will charge for a newborn also - we were told it's the policy.
I also thought it was a little unsanitary. You can rent a room in this place, but they let people roam about in these rooms to try to find the hidden doors. Can you imagine staying at a place where everything has been touched by multiple visitors of the museum?
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Matty A
Kitchener, Canada18 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We purposely drove from Arlington VA to Dupont circle to go see the mansion. There is very little parking in the area. To our surprise (should have done the research) there always a $30 tour charge each. Umm....nope. Donations i could see but $30 USD is a little outrageous.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kristi Z
6 contributions
Oct 2022
What a scam!!! We paid buckets of money to a hoarder! We felt like we were trapped in an insane hoarder nightmare. The "themed" rooms weren't themed. Too many "hidden doors" had signs saying: "Hidden door but do not open." What a waste of time and money.....and I feel totally duped! We left with headaches and disgust.
Written October 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Connie H
Ajijic, Mexico37 contributions
Aug 2020
So much of Washingto DC is closed due to COVID but that did not stop us from having fun on our vacation there. No matter how much time is allocated to doing a Treasure Hunt at the Mansion on O, you will wish that you had more. Looking for the secret passage doors was my favorite,however I did not find a single one, but my sister spotted 7! Each room is decorated differently from the next; we ooohed and ahhhed our way thru the Mansion. Highly recommended if you adore quirky places.
Written August 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Roger S
2 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
My wife and I have had the opportunity to visit a d stay at The Mansion on O St. in Washington DC on several occasions. The best part is that our visits are never the same. Each time you visit you are certain to find something new. The Mansion is a museum, a library, a hotel, a restaurant, the list goes on and on. I highly recommend The Mansion. It’s DC’s best kept secret.
Written April 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jill N
Easton, PA140 contributions
Jul 2021
With much of DC shut down on Mondays and Tuesdays due to Covid, we found this gem. You wander around this mansion (group of connected brownstones in the DuPont Circle area) and check out the memorabilia while also searching for over 70 secret doors and rooms. It was great fun and unlike anything I ever did before. It is much less frustrating than an escape room and there is something new to see and discover in each room. Lots of famous people stayed here and donated items. Rosa Parks lived here off and on for about 10 years. Well worth a few hours as long as you have some patience.
Written August 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JAMES L
New York City, NY11 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
It’s room after overstuffed room of, what I would call, largely thrift store items. The interesting stuff is few and far between. Yes, there are hidden doors but that didn’t hold my interest, nor did it for the 14 year old in our group. The entry price was far too much as far as I’m concerned.
Written September 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MatthewHarp
Fort Worth, TX33 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
My wife and I did the hidden door search after a bartender highly recommended it. We thought it sounded really neat but were highly underwhelmed. What I envisioned would be a historic gothic mansion with trap doors turned out to be a large ugly house that was owned by an eccentric hoarder. The house was smelly, dirty, and full of clutter. The only thing that made finding hidden doors a challenge was the fact that there is so much crap everywhere. I don’t really know what I was expecting with the hidden doors but they were very underwhelming - many are more like cabinets than actual doors that led to rooms. With so many amazing museums in DC we felt ripped off, both from a money and time perspective.
Written August 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
fatalinda
Washington DC, DC56 contributions
They offer lots of tours. Which is the best for two people with an hour or so to spare?
tabbyw
Ka'anapali, HI76 contributions
Is there a lot of climbing stairs involved? My mom can take occasional stairs but if it's a lot of up, down, up, down, that might be too much
RandomTraveler76
Laurel, MD714 contributions
You can take an elevator up to a few floors, but that only gives you limited access. Most of what you will see and do is accessed by stairs.
How long does it take to tour the whole museum?
Mary W
Fenton, MI35 contributions
We Did it in 2-3 hours.
The Mansion on O (Washington DC) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about The Mansion on O
- Hotels near The Mansion on O:
- (0.01 mi) The Mansion on O Street
- (0.06 mi) Hotel Madera
- (0.12 mi) Residence Inn Washington, DC/Dupont Circle
- (0.13 mi) The Royal Sonesta Washington DC Dupont Circle
- (0.18 mi) The Concordia
- Restaurants near The Mansion on O:
- (0.03 mi) The Mansion on O Street
- (0.09 mi) Pizzeria Paradiso
- (0.08 mi) Al Tiramisu
- (0.07 mi) Firefly
- (0.09 mi) Obelisk