Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum
4.8(258)google
4.4(33)yelp
Date SpotIndoorGuided TourEducationalHistoric BuildingDecorative ArtEerie & Haunted
Overview
Located in the historic Victorian Village of Memphis, the Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum is a breathtaking French Victorian Second Empire style mansion built in 1871. This beautifully preserved three-story residence stands as a stunning testament to the wealth and elegance of Memphis' cotton-magnate era Gilded Age. Guided tours take visitors through rooms lavishly decorated with original period furnishings, fine porcelain, and an exceptional collection of historic textiles and wedding gowns, all wrapped in a subtle ambiance of local ghost lore.
Practical Info
MonClosed
TueClosed
Wed12:00 – 4:00 PM
Thu12:00 – 4:00 PM
Fri12:00 – 4:00 PM
Sat12:00 – 4:00 PM
Sun12:00 – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration1-1.5 hours
Best TimeFabulous between 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM on a Friday or Saturday in autumn or December. The angled afternoon sun rays brilliantly pierce the massive arched windows, lighting up the three-story French Second Empire mansion's masterfully preserved Victorian heirloom textiles and wedding gowns.
Getting ThereNestled in the historic Victorian Village at 680 Adams Ave. Drive east from the downtown center directly along Adams Ave for 5 minutes; the grand brick and stone chateau stands on the left, featuring its own private, complimentary off-street parking court behind the formal wrought-iron gates.
Travel Tips
- This Victorian-era mansion museum possesses an incredibly tight private asphalt apron capped at approximately 8 standard vehicle slots; motorhomes or oversized rigs exceeding 20 feet cannot physically negotiate the turning radius. If filled, divert to designated public curbside parallel stalls inside Victorian Village.
- To shield century-old hand-woven Persian rugs and brittle heart-pine flooring from modern abrasion, the conservation trust mandates that all visitors slip on provided non-woven anti-slip shoe covers at the portal. Fashion footwear with exposed metal stilettos or sharp heel plates is banned from the interior floorboards.
- The mansion restricts general public wandering, operating solely via fixed, docent-led tour convoys that move as a singular unit through room blocks. To mitigate UV degradation, heavy Victorian window draperies remain drawn year-round; the interior environments are dim, and external LED panels are banned.
Reviews
Positive
- This 19th-century Victorian Second Empire mansion offers exquisite, gorgeous visuals; the antique furniture reconstructions are authentic and definitely real.
- Internal routes are clear, the interior is kept spotlessly clean, restrooms are neat, and highly detailed multilingual booklets share the family history.
- Guides give vivid, detailed lectures on Victorian fashion, etiquette, and family history; on-site management is well-regulated with strict security.
- The ticket rate is highly affordable for such a pristine national historic landmark mansion and includes an in-depth guided tour, maximizing value.
Heads up
- Preserving a century-old historic structure means stairs are old and steep wood, with zero modern accessible lifts inside, making it tough for disabled guests.
- Located in Memphis's Victorian Village, surrounding commercial and dining amenities are rare, making finding a good restaurant within walking distance tough.
- Compact spaces and dense artifact displays mean peak guided groups feel heavily crowded, and some narrow corridors make turning around difficult.
- During mid-summer months, despite vintage AC units running, some top-floor rooms and attics become stuffy and humid, making the physical experience mediocre.