Dowling House
Dowling House
4
Wednesday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
10:45 AM - 2:45 PM
Sunday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
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Address
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Restaurants
61 within 3 miles
Attractions
33 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
228 reviews
Excellent
123
Very good
53
Average
33
Poor
8
Terrible
11
Christina B
Louisiana6,963 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Oldest house is Galena built in 1826, has a great tour guide & dog :) She’s very knowledgeable of its past and brings you along on its journey over time. Outside of the main room downstairs, there’s 2 rooms, a kitchen & eating area on the second floor. It was once a Trading Post along with a residence back in its day. There’s many items relating to its time period along with pottery and other items. Her older dog followed us around to each room and tried to nap.
Written May 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RandyRoss
Ridgetown, Canada12,749 contributions
Jul 2022
We purchased the combined ticket of Belvedere House and Dowling House, thinking that Belvedere would be the gem. We were wrong. The tour of Dowling House was ever so much more interesting. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the tour was very hands on. We even had a cute and friendly dog to pet.
This is the oldest house in Galena, built in 1826 and was originally a trading post on the main level with living quarters upstairs.
This is the oldest house in Galena, built in 1826 and was originally a trading post on the main level with living quarters upstairs.
Written July 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica R
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Family
SUCH a fun experience. You need to go on a Dowling house ghost tour while staying here in Galena. Your guides make the entire trip such a exciting journey. Explore one of the oldest towns in Illinois while hearing scary but fun real ghost stories witnessed where you’re standing.
Written August 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ratazana
Slinger, WI15 contributions
Sep 2021
Don't let the outside or small size deceive you. Tour covers a lot about this founding family's multi-generational contributions to the community. Interesting artefacts from windlasses and lead-mine tools, to furniture (Rope beds!) and household items.
Written September 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz C
Galesburg, IL15 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Waste of money. The house is old, but had previously been refurbished and used as a vacation home. The tour guide spends most of your time/money passing around an ipad of photos with reflections she suggests are ghosts. Major eye-rolling experience.
Written July 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bobwigglesworth
Chicago, IL43 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
The tour was brief but I'm fine with that. I liked the building and prefer a structure like this which isn't ornate in any way. Kind of basic but gives a good idea of how hard life was back in the day.
Written August 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shawna T
4 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
A visit to the Dowling House really gives one a sense of life in the 1800s. We had a fantastic tour guide who clearly loves the house and the people who inhabited it. A step back in the past. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Written September 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OldStuff1944
Rockford2 contributions
Skip the unfriendly Belvedere home. The tour guides at the Dowling house are fantastic and the home is very impressive.
Written May 29, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill H
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States1 contribution
Sep 2014 • Couples
We stopped here at about 11.10am yesterday after it's purported 11am opening. Sign said "open" and the lights were on but the place was locked up tighter than a drum. After waiting around for about 5 minutes we gave up left.
Later we went to the Belvedere Mansion and they wanted to sell us a combo ticket for it and the Dowling House. We explained that we had already tried to see it and declined to buy the combo given the unreliability of the open hours. The docent called over there and found out that someone was a half hour late for work yesterday morning. My suggestion would be to not buy the combo tickets unless you're sure the place is open and ready for business.
Later we went to the Belvedere Mansion and they wanted to sell us a combo ticket for it and the Dowling House. We explained that we had already tried to see it and declined to buy the combo given the unreliability of the open hours. The docent called over there and found out that someone was a half hour late for work yesterday morning. My suggestion would be to not buy the combo tickets unless you're sure the place is open and ready for business.
Written September 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sue7757
Sussex, WI23 contributions
Jul 2011 • Friends
We tour many old homes and still learned things at the Dowling House we have never heard before. The guide was personable, friendly and full of interesting information. I definitely recommend this tour.
Written July 14, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What are the other attractions availible for the combo package?
Written April 17, 2016
The Belvidere mansion is included in the package but not worth the money. It is basically a store house for a rich mans hobby of buying antiques and fancy stuff. The house is way over packed with stuff that has nothing in common with anything else
Written June 11, 2018
Does this museum have tours? If yes how long is each tour?
Thanks for helping me!
Written July 12, 2015
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