culbertson mansion state historic site

Being a person who loves old mansions, I really enjoyed this tour. The home was built between 1863-1867 by William S. Culbertson, who made his fortune in dry goods. I arrived here for the last tour of the day and was the only one on the tour. Because of this, the tour guide gave me a longer and more detailed tour than usual. If you are like myself and like to read everything, I'd say to give yourself about an hour or so. There is also a nice gift shop that sells local books on local historical themes and buildings. Downtown New Albany is also a beautiful place to walk full of historic homes and you have a large selection of places to eat nearby.

The mansion is in constant renovation which is not a bad thing. Many of the rooms are completed and give you a wonderful feel for how the richest man in Indiana lived during that time period. If you are a local, it is well worth a visit. If not and you have an interest in the Victorian time period, you will learn so much. There has been much research done to bring the mansion back to its original glory. I recommend it for people who are interested in history, Victorian times,and local information.

We visit the Culbertson Mansion every time we return to New Albany. The restoration process has been very well done, over the years. The place is absolutely a must see. When I was a child, I used to sneak up to the third-floor and bang on a drum until my heart was content. I also used to climb up to the roof and look out over the city. So, I should admit that I have fond memories of the place--but I am not biased by those memories. Anyone over the age of ten will love it. I'm glad that there are those who keep the flames lit so we can re-visit.The fee is very small, considering the fine work that goes into the restoration process.So ... enjoy.

This historic site host an annual haunted house on their property each Halloween season. We suggest everyone in the area to check it out! For a full review of the haunt visit www.thescarefactor.com!

The Culbertson Mansion was very interesting even though it is still only partially restored. For the $5 fee it is well worth a look back in time. The Punishment Closet was original and quite odd. The place is huge.

During our recent visit to Louisville, we stayed at a breathtakingly beautiful B&B in the Victorian Historic District called The Samuel Culbertson Mansion. As we listened to our gracious host narrate the history of the property, we learned that Samuel Culbertson's boyhood home was an historic site open to the public for tours and was located only a few miles away. Naturally, we had to see it! The short trip across the Ohio River to New Albany, Indiana, was in itself educational and interesting, and when we arrived at the Culbertson Mansion there, we were amazed! We had expected the house where Sam grew up to be much less grand than the mansion he built in Louisville. We were wrong. Sam's Dad, William Culbertson, knew how to build mansions too! Note: From the moment you step over the threshold of the entry way, look UP! The ceilings are all works of arts with restored intricate plasterwork ornamentation and elaborate paintings throughout. The architecture is magnificent, the woodwork impressive, and the history fascinating all the way up to present day. The mansion has been under meticulous restoration for decades, and it is especially interesting to see the as yet unrestored parts, primarily on the third floor. Our tour guide's narrative was fascinating, and she was wonderfully patient in responding to our many questions throughout the tour. Our compliments to the state of Indiana for appreciating, preserving, and promoting such a beautiful piece of American history.

The mansion has been substantially restored, so those who remember visits from years ago will be pleasantly surprised to see the elaborate restored ceilings and furnishings. The tour can be a little long (1-2 hours), so you should allow plenty of time, and it might be too long for small children. We enjoyed it greatly, and found the guide very personable and knowledgeable. There's a room where they've left the restoration in process, so you can see a little of how it's done--great for those interested in craftsmanship. The process is still far from complete, and the third floor has not been restored at all, but there's a nice set of historical displays up there. If you like urban history, or are just interested in New Albany history, it's a tour well worth taking.One tip--if you arrive and appear to have just missed the latest tour, go ahead and ring the bell. Our guide was willing to run down and get any visitors and just start them at any point in the tour. So, you don't have to wait until the next tour time.

Went to the over night stay at the Culbertson Mansion. Cost: $100.00 a person (a little pricy for what is offered.- but the money goes to the preservation of the site, so that takes the sting out I the cost.)Arrival at 6:00pm- depart 6:00amPlenty of time for a paranormal investigation. Dinner was served and (to my Surprise) was excellent! Complete with dessert! Tour of mansion by professional / knowledgeable staff. Then we were turned loose in the mansion to investigate. The ropes came down. We were asked to not touch anything. Everyone treated the historic site with great respect. We were allowed to use our ghost hunting "tools". To my surprise we had the choice of having our cards read by a professional tarot card reader. I had never done this before and was skeptical. But I am a slight believer now. The cards were vague/but accurate. You could sleep on the floor and were allowed to bring sleeping bags, pillows. The staff played creepy movies in the parlor for those needing a rest. Coffee and tea was served through out the night. I did not stay till 6am. I left at 4:30 am. I was told a small breakfast would be served- so I missed out. Mr. Culbertson may be dead- but he still host a great event. (He was there- in his casket.) come and see for yourself. Did I capture any ghost activity....? My answer it this place did not disappoint.

This home is still a work in progress, the second floor still being restored and the third floor still waiting to receive some TLC. But, besides that the home is absolutely beautiful. The artist hired to restore the home has done an wonderful job and it is a credit to our area. No one should miss this museum.

The home has finally been fully restored on the first two floors. t could not be more beautiful. The third floor is under rehab, but can be visited. Some say you may experience the Culbertson children on this floor. See for yourself!

It was an intresting trip with my daughter, but we need to go back because it has been awhile since we were there and they have added more material.

This is a wonderful example of Victorian architecture with period furnishings. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, and our guide was very knowledgeable as she shared information about the house and the Culbertson family. This is a "must see" when you visit the Louisville area!

This is a fun place to visit. Sometimes, it can be a little hard to get into due to the schedule. Check before going to assure you do not arrive on a closed day. If you have a good guide, and I've always had one, then you will find out tidbits of local color and history.It is also nice to stroll along Main Street to enjoy the other Victorian Mansions too.

This beautiful mansion is still undergoing restoration but what they have achieved so far is outstanding. Chuck our tour guide was helpful, knowledgeable and his passion and love for the place just shone through.Access for wheelchair users is ground floor only, there is a wheelchair lift in the rear of the property onto the back veranda. The inside of the house has limited space but please dont let this put you off!The quality of the restoration is remarkable, the formal sitting room, dinning room and library are just stunning. Also the staircase OH MY WORD!! GORGEOUS, be prepared to spend a lot of time looking up at the ceilings! The mansion is also used as a venue for weddings, one was on when we were there and although it made a couple of rooms off limits while it was going on we were treated by the sound of the lovely chamber music being played by the string quartet. And as soon as the wedding was over we could go into the rooms.I sat on the veranda while my energetic husband explored the second and third floors, the staircase is very steep so might be problematic for those with mobility issues. The higher you go the less restoration has been completed but it gives you the chance to see the starting point, there is an exhibit on the third floor about the Culbertson family which sadly I was unable to access, however Chuck got me a brochure from their gift shop which helped a lot. There is a partially completed room on the ground floor that has been left to show the restoration process, so you can see what they started with and then each step as they worked on the decor.If you are a local they do lots of fundraising events especially round Halloween and Christmas. They also do murder mystery dinners and ghostly sleepovers!If we were in the area more this would definitely be a regular place for us. I highly recommend visiting this historic mansion and supporting it in any way you can. No entrance fee but donations are accepted.Cant say enough about our tour guide! Keep up the good work Chuck!