Victorian Village Historic District
Victorian Village Historic District
3.5
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3.5
30 reviews
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8
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7
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13
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2
nbafamily
Indianapolis, IN23 contributions
When we arrived at the W-F House and found the two female "workers/volunteers" locking up for the day. It was 3:25pm. We asked if they were closing early today and we were told that if no one rings the bell by 3:30 pm, they go ahead and leave.
We told them our plight, that we wanted to take the tour as this was our last day in Memphis.
One of the women convinced the other to allow us to take the tour and we all hurried into the house.
How lucky, we thought, to be able to tour the house. However, the way we were treated certainly darkened our visit.
The younger of the women took our money, coldly, without any conversation. The tension could be feltWe were to be given the tour from the older woman, who kept complaining that she was going to have to turn all the lights back on. I understood how she must have felt, to give another tour to another group of tourists. It must have been annoying to her, as she was planning to leave early that day. However, we paid our fee and felt that a proper tour would have been conducted.
The tour guide stated the "tour guide monlogues" as if she was reciting them for the millionth time. She had no enthusiasm or even infliction in her voice. She did not make eye contact with us, looking at the floor instead. She did not hide her annoyance at a couple of questions that we asked. In fact, she was borderline rude to us and we quickly stopped asking questions. Her remarks were to say the least uncalled for.
The house was beautiful, the stories interesting, a step back in time, but a rude one.
We told them our plight, that we wanted to take the tour as this was our last day in Memphis.
One of the women convinced the other to allow us to take the tour and we all hurried into the house.
How lucky, we thought, to be able to tour the house. However, the way we were treated certainly darkened our visit.
The younger of the women took our money, coldly, without any conversation. The tension could be feltWe were to be given the tour from the older woman, who kept complaining that she was going to have to turn all the lights back on. I understood how she must have felt, to give another tour to another group of tourists. It must have been annoying to her, as she was planning to leave early that day. However, we paid our fee and felt that a proper tour would have been conducted.
The tour guide stated the "tour guide monlogues" as if she was reciting them for the millionth time. She had no enthusiasm or even infliction in her voice. She did not make eye contact with us, looking at the floor instead. She did not hide her annoyance at a couple of questions that we asked. In fact, she was borderline rude to us and we quickly stopped asking questions. Her remarks were to say the least uncalled for.
The house was beautiful, the stories interesting, a step back in time, but a rude one.
Written November 5, 2010
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.
busitrav33
Phoenix, AZ74 contributions
Dec 2013 • Couples
The Mallory-Neely House is really an excellent tour, and I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone interested in Victorian Gothic style and architecture--go, go go! Virtually everything in the house is original to the owners of the home which makes it unique from most houses of its kind. Also, our tour guide was incredibly personable and knowledgeable which added a lot to the experience. The Woodruff-Fontaine House has a lot of really incredible, well-preserved old clothing in it, so if you like to see Victorian clothing it would be worth the trip, and there is a nice piece of stained glass on the stairs, but almost nothing in the house is original to the home, so it's really not all that impressive compared to the other home. Also, I was quite offended by the tour guide. She was having a conversation with the others in our group during the tour about the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest being moved because of his relationship to the Ku Klux Klan (he founded it) and she was talking about how outrageous that was and said "They should do the same thing to the statue of Martin Luther King." Then there was a conversation about how the Ku Klux Klan really wasn't that bad of an organization at first, that its real mission was to protect women and children when NBF founded it, etc. Whether or not you believe any of that or not (my purpose in mentioning it is not to start an argument on race relations), I don't think that's appropriate content for a guided tour and it didn't have any relevance whatsoever to the content of the home. It cast a pall on the entire experience of the Victorian Village and made me reconsider wanting to visit any more homes of people who owned slaves.
Written February 6, 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.
DezP13_1
Woodbridge, VA526 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
I dropped by the Victorian Village Historic District and toured the Woodruff-Fontaine and Mallory-Neely Houses. Both offer discount for military personnel, so be sure to ask if this applies to you. (The Woodruff-Fontaine House is $12 for adults, but I think admission is discounted for service members is $10, and the Mallory-Neely House is $9 for adults and no charge for service members.) Considering both are historic homes, they're not completely accessible for handicapped personnel, so be sure to call to ask about accessibility if you or someone you are traveling with has limited mobility.
I visited in the mid-Afternoon on a Saturday, and there were relatively few visitors at either home. They're located next to each other, so when you finish touring one, you can walk right over to the next, which is great considering that parking is available along the street, and you don't have to worry about finding a separate area to park once you arrive. (Note: Parking is metered.) Both homes have restrooms and small gift shops available, but food and drink for purchase are unavailable. Photography is allowed, so be sure to bring your camera if you want to take photos. There are guided tours in each home as well, and the staff was friendly in both places. However, if you only have time to visit one or are limited by cost, I recommend the Mallory-Neely house. It's history is slightly more interesting with the additions to the home, and they change their exhibits on a regular basis. When I visited, the home was dressed in mourning, and the tour guide focused on the yellow fever epidemic of the 1800s that affected Memphis. Also, the Mallory-Neely House, as the staff will tell you, is believed to be one of the most authentic period homes in the US and has been featured on travel specials because of it's authenticity.
Overall, I enjoyed touring both homes and recommend them to those interested in period homes, architecture, history, or the city of Memphis. I'm not sure that youngsters will find them very interesting, so take that into consideration if you're traveling with little ones.
I visited in the mid-Afternoon on a Saturday, and there were relatively few visitors at either home. They're located next to each other, so when you finish touring one, you can walk right over to the next, which is great considering that parking is available along the street, and you don't have to worry about finding a separate area to park once you arrive. (Note: Parking is metered.) Both homes have restrooms and small gift shops available, but food and drink for purchase are unavailable. Photography is allowed, so be sure to bring your camera if you want to take photos. There are guided tours in each home as well, and the staff was friendly in both places. However, if you only have time to visit one or are limited by cost, I recommend the Mallory-Neely house. It's history is slightly more interesting with the additions to the home, and they change their exhibits on a regular basis. When I visited, the home was dressed in mourning, and the tour guide focused on the yellow fever epidemic of the 1800s that affected Memphis. Also, the Mallory-Neely House, as the staff will tell you, is believed to be one of the most authentic period homes in the US and has been featured on travel specials because of it's authenticity.
Overall, I enjoyed touring both homes and recommend them to those interested in period homes, architecture, history, or the city of Memphis. I'm not sure that youngsters will find them very interesting, so take that into consideration if you're traveling with little ones.
Written January 2, 2018
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.
Hazel2006
Pittsburgh36 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
We went to the Victorian Village Historic District to tour several victorian style homes that were built from 1846 into 1890's and found that only one home is open. The other homes haven't been open for quite a long time. The Woodruff- Fontaine House was the only house open and worth the tour. But if you came to see the other houses as well or walk along the street - don't waste your time in this area.
This Millionaire's Row area difinitely does not live up to its name. Everything looks a bit run down, the neighborhood is a bit creepy and we were there on a weekday sunny afternoon. We were wondering if we'd make it out of the neighborhood and not get mugged as we had walked up from the closet trolley stop. We found out this is a bad part of town now a days.
Other than the Woodruff-Fontaine House there is nothing else here.
This Millionaire's Row area difinitely does not live up to its name. Everything looks a bit run down, the neighborhood is a bit creepy and we were there on a weekday sunny afternoon. We were wondering if we'd make it out of the neighborhood and not get mugged as we had walked up from the closet trolley stop. We found out this is a bad part of town now a days.
Other than the Woodruff-Fontaine House there is nothing else here.
Written October 17, 2012
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.
QuickWhitTravel
Washington DC, DC3,761 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
The houses are nice, and it looks like several of them are undergoing renovations, so perhaps more of them will be open to the public in the future! They are beautiful, but hours are limited.
Written August 10, 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.
mmemphis2016
Memphis, TN106 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
Very beautiful homes in one of the few Victorian areas still existing in Memphis. Much of the area has either been restored or is in the process of being restored.
Written April 23, 2016
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.
hope0922
Memphis, TN44 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
The houses are gorgeous and the architecture is incredible. This is a part of Memphis, TN that was known as "Millionaire's Row". The entire district is undergoing renovations & will be incredible once it's all complete. There's rich history in these homes & they are located in a park like atmosphere. The hours to actually tour the homes are limited, so please check with them first if you wish to go through the houses. Several of the local tour companies come through the area too. If you're a history buff or just want to see some incredibly beautiful homes, Victorian Village Historic District is the place to go while visiting Memphis, Tennessee. Stunning!
Written August 23, 2016
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.
Patty L
Nashville, TN4,014 contributions
Feb 2016 • Solo
I always seek out historic architectural districts when traveling. This district rivals, or at least is competitive of other Southern cities. I was so wowed by the peaceful neighborhood. What really made me gawk was the absolutely gorgeous architecture. Many of the homes are museums, but some are still family owned.
Written February 7, 2016
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.
Nickymain88
Portsmouth, UK32 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
Our guide Joyce was very knowledgable and interesting to talk to, we were the only people on the 10.30 tour and we had Joyce's undivided attention. The house is beautiful and we spent an hour on the tour, well worth $7.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Written April 25, 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.
bjdean916
Powell, Tennessee22 contributions
Mar 2016
These are beautiful homes, although I was expecting more than just a few. At least on or two of the homes are ones that can be toured so go during a time they are open.
Written March 20, 2016
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.
Is there an admission fee to tour the house?
Written October 1, 2017
I think most of the houses do charge a fee to go inside.
Written October 2, 2017
Can a person actually tour the inside of the houses? Or is this more a driving tour to just see the outside?? Thank you!
Written October 6, 2016
Yes you can tour inside & I urge you to do so. It's super fun & lots of history in these incredible homes. There are certain days the houses are open & at other times, such as special events. The Mallory Neely House I know is open every Friday at minimum, for tours. Not completely sure about the Fontaine House hours, which may be the same as the aforementioned. To be safe, I'd call ahead of time. Definitely time very well spent.
Written October 6, 2016
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