lanier mansion

I took a tour of Lanier Mansion right after Thanksgiving, and it was so charming with the old fashioned Christmas tree decorated in the "family" room just as it would have been back in the day. The entrance is magnificent with the spiral staircase in the center. Lovely Greek Revival architecture and furnishings throughout. The main rooms were beautifully decorated. I'm looking forward to seeing the gardens when I return in the summer. I was fortunate to get a private tour, as everyone else was more interested in doing the Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes, and my tour guide was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable about the Lanier Family, the history of Madison, the Ohio River and the architecture. I really enjoyed my visit.

This is one the most architecturally significant homes in Indiana. The Costigan staircase is worth the admission. Unsupported spiral staircase......Holy Cow!!!

If you are visiting Madison, you can't skip a visit to this historic mansion. It is a wonderful experience to take a tour and you will be impressed with the history, as well as with how beautifully the home has been furnished and decorated. The decorations, furniture and wall paper reflect the age of the home and it reminds of the plantation homes that you typically see in the south.

I had a private tour of the mansion since I was visiting on New Year's Eve. The house, constructed in 1844 is a beautiful example of Greek Revival architecture. Mr. Lanier, a lawyer and financier was very well-to-do and his home was a jewel in early Madison, with a beautiful view of the river. The tour guide was well-informed and I enjoyed seeing the authentic furniture, although few pieces are original to the mansion. The kitchen and servants' quarters are being prepared for public view. The visitor's center, just west of the mansion is where tickets for the tour are sold.

I took a tour of the mansion with my family, who had mostly been. I was surprised they wanted to return until I got to go for myself. While waiting for the tour to begin we visited the gift shop which offered free snacks and drinks and decent priced items. On the tour I was surprised by how little history of the area I knew. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and kept things interesting (even with two teenagers in the group). It was certainly worth just a few dollars and I will certainly return.

Loved seeing the furnishings from early Madison, would have liked to see the kitchen and bathrooms. Tour guide was great, told us how Lanier saved the finances of the state of Indiana more than once. Very knowledgeable guide, sometimes started talking before everyone was in the room though.

Ive never had someone make me want to go learn more about a historical figure just because of his brief description,bravo! Wish we could have seen the kitchen and servant areas that were under renovations.

This house exemplifies Madison's high point in the 1840s. With it, you learn Indiana history, see gorgeous Greek Revival architecture, beautiful furnishings and gardens, and hear one family's story. Beautifully proportioned and maintained, this house is a treasure.

We started our visit to Madison with the Lanier Mansion. Hard to miss it as it towers over the river. We found the tour guide to be very informative and obviously loved being there. The home is in very good condition with a few original family pieces still there. It was a good start to a very pleasant day. We look forward to the Christmas tour.

What a treat to take my family and friends who come to town on a tour of the Lanier Mansion, the rooms are beautiful and the stairway is unbelievable. It is relaxing to walk along the grounds, admiring the mansion from outside and of course the majestic Ohio River.

A wonderful piece of history right in Madison. The tour guides are always so full of information and know that house like the back of their hand. It was a fun little trip and cheap fun at that.

I enjoyed hearing about the life of Mr. Lanier and his family. He was very central to early Indiana history, and I had never heard his name.

Who knew how important James Lanier was to the state of Indiana. I will not spoil that in this review but encourage you to take the tour and learn more about this important person and this amazing mansion.

Having been to Madison several times- I am unsure why we have never before done the tour of the mansion. It was fascinating, and our guide was very knowledgeable. We will probably take the tour again sometime- just to once again visit such an amazing piece of Indiana history.

We took a guided tour of Lanier Mansion and enjoyed learning about Indiana's historic landmark, however some areas of the mansion were closed for renovation.