House of Broel's Victorian Mansion and Doll House Museum
House of Broel's Victorian Mansion and Doll House Museum
House of Broel's Victorian Mansion and Doll House Museum
4.5
Monday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Garden District
Head to the Garden District for the full-on New Orleans experience replete with quaintly clanking streetcars, proudly grandiose antebellum mansions, picture perfect avenues lined with live oaks loaded down with Spanish moss, and a wealth of beautiful churches and many more architectural marvels. Even a brief excursion here makes plain why it’s called the Garden District. So, when you visit be sure to give yourself ample time for admiration at a languidly slow pace befitting such gentile strand of riverside living and to allow you to maximize each opportunity to stop and smell the roses – and whichever other blooms you might come across. While taking it all in, you’d do well to dine at one of the city’s most beloved destinations for regional cuisine. Gourmands from far and wide (and right round the corner) swear the age-old Commander’s Palace is the best restaurant in town – and have been doing so since it opened back in 1880.
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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
4.5
34 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
2
Average
4
Poor
3
Terrible
1
felisdeco
Los Angeles117 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
This is one of the quirkiest museums I've seen. It's really a museum of the owner's life, and she has had an amazing one. Bonnie Broel's father was a Russian count, who moved to New Orleans and started a business raising frogs. She was a fashion designer and twice queen of Mardi Gras, so the top floor is dedicated to her clothes. The bottom floor of the St. Charles mansion is a wedding chapel with a lovely garden area. In between are more dollhouses than you would believe one woman could build!
Written October 9, 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.
Rose N
1 contribution
May 2016 • Couples
My husband and I were looking for a very unique place to hold our wedding ceremony in New Orleans, since he proposed there, it held a special place in our heart. I did lots of research of different places until I came across House of Broel. I loved everything about Bonnie’s immaculate home. Living out of state, we actually had an opportunity to visit her house, at such time she showed us around. Bonnie from the minute we met her was so nice and professional! She showed us the different options as to where the ceremony could be performed, inside, or outside by her beautiful garden. We really wanted to get married outside by her garden area. When we arrived on our wedding day, Bonnie showed great care and concern for making our day very memorable, special and exactly the way we wanted. From the minute we got there, it felt like we were family, although the only people present were the two of us, since we decided on a private ceremony! Bonnie paid attention to every detail from being very attentive in the gorgeous bridal room to the cutting of our cake. Our day was so memorable thanks to Bonnie and her staff! Our loved ones love the pictures that were taken of our ceremony and are consistently saying how happy we look in our pictures! She and her staff made us feel like their main goal was to make our day as special and beautiful as it could be. The icing on the cake was seeing how happy Bonnie was being a part of our ceremony and how much she truly loves doing this!
Written May 22, 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.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,479 contributions
Feb 2019
The House of Broel is a magnificent columned mansion in New Orleans that is architecturally unique in that it was built in two periods: antebellum and high Victorian. It also is unique because Bonnie Broel, a local fashion artist, purchased the sadly neglected 1850s mansion and turned it into a showplace and museum where she could host weddings and special events and display her private collection of 60 miniature dollhouses. She also had room for an exhibit dedicated to frog farming, an industry that her father became deeply involved with after his creation of the Louisiana Frog Farm. Located at 2220 St. Charles Avenue in the historic Garden District, the House of Broel is a three-story structure that is surrounded by lush gardens and a courtyard that includes a majestic pavilion, perfect for outdoor weddings and photo shoots. The interior oozes with southern charm with crystal chandeliers, lavish decor and exquisite antiques adding to the romantic atmosphere. The second and third floors were built in 1850 by George Washington Squires. In 1884, William Renaud had the entire house elevated to accommodate a grand floor for entertaining, complete with a splendid ballroom and sumptuous parlors. The center hall showcases an enormous mirror that was added by Simon Hernsheim when he owed the house in the 1880s. The original gasolier hangs in the hall. On the second floor, the centerpiece of the dollhouse collection is the 10-foot-tall Russian Palace, with over 28 built-to-scale rooms complete with all the royal furnishings and embellishments. Ascending a graceful curving stairway to the third floor Fashion Museum, visitors are enveloped in the glamorous world of Haute Couture, Celebrity Party and Vintage Mardi Gras Gowns. This staggering collection of exquisite designer wear reads like a Who's Who of New Orleans society, from Bonnie Broel's first wedding gown to auther Anne Rice's Gothic attire to Broel's other outstanding creations designed during her reign as a leader in the southern fashion industry. And what about the collection of antiques? It includes a magnificent French desk made for the Duke of Dresden in 1850, a piece of linen from Egypt that is over 2,000 years old, a chandelier with hand-blown grapes cascading from its arms and the display of Broel's father's frog farm. As if she isn't involved enough in the activities of the House of Broel, Bonnie Broel is an ordained interfaith ministers. Upon request, she performs wedding ceremonies in the chapel.
Written February 17, 2019
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.
WOW Taylor! You get an A+ 100% You really paid attention on our tour. It is wonderful to see that you found everything as fascinating as we do. Thank you for doing this very well thought out and detailed review. I absolutely appreciate your enthusiasm. Love and light, Bonnie Broel
Written March 8, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Danielg922
San Jose, CA70 contributions
Nov 2013 • Couples
This gorgeous interior is basically redecorated for parties and weddings. Some of the house appears to be from the late 19th century so its beautiful with a lot of old wood fixtures and artifacts.
We walked in for the $10 tour and were lucky that a family of 6 had just gotten there for the same reason. The tour guide was a 35ish man, sandy brown hair, suave, and someone you might imagine was of French descent. He took our money and then rushed us through the doll houses as if he were late for something. Most of the time we strolled by the intricate doll houses, rarely stopping for 20-30 seconds. In a real museum, I would have spent 2-5 minutes on many of the doll houses. I'm guessing there were 10-20 miniature houses. While his commentary was enlightening and interesting, I walked out of this place thinking I was rushed and barely saw the doll houses. We should at least been allowed to stop and study 2-3 of the houses but we didn't. This isn't a museum -- its a party house that runs quick grab-the-tourist's-money tours.
We walked in for the $10 tour and were lucky that a family of 6 had just gotten there for the same reason. The tour guide was a 35ish man, sandy brown hair, suave, and someone you might imagine was of French descent. He took our money and then rushed us through the doll houses as if he were late for something. Most of the time we strolled by the intricate doll houses, rarely stopping for 20-30 seconds. In a real museum, I would have spent 2-5 minutes on many of the doll houses. I'm guessing there were 10-20 miniature houses. While his commentary was enlightening and interesting, I walked out of this place thinking I was rushed and barely saw the doll houses. We should at least been allowed to stop and study 2-3 of the houses but we didn't. This isn't a museum -- its a party house that runs quick grab-the-tourist's-money tours.
Written December 1, 2013
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.
Sortie S
Houston, TX1 contribution
Mar 2014 • Family
I enjoyed looking at all the different dollhouses but also felt a bit rushed. Next time I will tell them to give me more time to look at the doll houses specially since I paid an entrance fee. Very nice dollhouses though and the house itself was interesting!
Written March 26, 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.
iamamyk
Brooklyn, NY6 contributions
Dec 2019
The space is clearly revered by people with a certain aesthetic - if you want to feel like you've entered a slightly off-kilter Victorian dollhouse (with the second floor dedicated to actual dollhouses), then you've come to the right place. The back yard is quite beautiful - make sure you get to take a peek.
The folks working there were nice enough - clearly loyal to Ms. Broel's vision - but we did have an awkward experience where we'd just explained to the tour guide that my husband was Jewish when she turned around about ten minutes later and described how she'd "jew'd them down" when negotiating the price of an item she'd purchased for Ms. Broel's frog collection. It made my husband very uncomfortable and eager to cut the tour short and leave.
The folks working there were nice enough - clearly loyal to Ms. Broel's vision - but we did have an awkward experience where we'd just explained to the tour guide that my husband was Jewish when she turned around about ten minutes later and described how she'd "jew'd them down" when negotiating the price of an item she'd purchased for Ms. Broel's frog collection. It made my husband very uncomfortable and eager to cut the tour short and leave.
Written December 29, 2019
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.
tumbleweedchris
Richland, WA1,018 contributions
Sep 2017 • Solo
I see some reviews on here for weddings and some for the tour. I went for the tour. You do have to make an appointment in advance. Do not expect to walk up and in. It is a really nice tour for those that enjoy small, personal museums. The owner of the house, Ms. Broel was the one giving the tour. She ran her dress and wedding business out of this building for decades. She has an interesting family history, which is touched on in the tour. The bottom floor is decorated reception rooms for weddings. The second floor has many doll houses some of which Ms. Broel built, and a fairly sizable collection of frog memorabilia. The third floor has many wedding dresses that Ms. Broel designed and wore at various points in her life. I always enjoy quirky museums like this and what makes it even better is that the owner of the building is the tour guide. If you can make this a part of your visit, I would definitely do so.
Written September 21, 2017
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.
Dear Chris,
I am so pleased that you enjoyed my tour, dollhouses, fashion museum and thank you for writing this review. It means so much to me that I can share my dollhouses and all of the work I have put into them. They are a large part of my heart.
Written October 3, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bethb999999999
1 contribution
Sep 2014 • Friends
Appointment only!!! Very cool and definitely worth a visit when you are in New Orleans. The house is beautiful, and dollhouses are custom-made, each with a different theme. We were fascinated by them.
Written August 16, 2015
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.
Alicia B
Atlanta, GA1 contribution
May 2015 • Couples
This was the perfect place to make my dreams of a fabulous fairytale wedding come to life. Everything was truly wonderful! My husband is from New Orleans, but I'm from New York so most of my guests had never experienced a wedding in New Orleans and they were all very impressed and said they have never enjoyed a wedding reception as much as ours. Bonnie Broel, the owner did an excellent job of making sure that everything was perfect. The whole evening was truly magical! And the scenery looks absolutely amazing in all of our photos. It's the perfect setting for elegance and classic love story. The ceremony was pure romance and the reception was fun fun fun!!!! I highly recommend the House of Broel Victorian Mansion for your wedding & reception.
Written June 1, 2015
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.
StephenCross
Dublin, Ireland31,546 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
House of Broel is really about dolls houses. It’s a museum of sorts and accessible on the St.Charles Street Car. Average.
Written February 15, 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.
Can you tour the mansion just to see the doll collection ?
Written June 15, 2019
How much does the tour cost?
Written March 4, 2018
Bonnie B
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tours are $15 for adults and $10 for children. It is a guided tour so pls call ahead as we are by appiontment, 504.494.2220
Written October 3, 2018
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