Kokomo, Indiana's Seiberling Mansion is a rather sublime sight to see during the holiday season. Serving as home for the Howard County Historical Society, the Seiberling Mansion was completed in 1891 and owned by Monroe Seiberling. Seiberling was an industrialist and entrepreneur who arrived in Kokomo alongside the late 19th century gas boom. He became wealthy, built several factories in the area, and followed all this up by building a rather remarkable mansion. Subsequent owners included Orange Darby, Rev. William Parr (namesake for Parr Methodist Church), real estate developer Franklin Miller, and George Kingston. Kingston was an inventor who invented the carburetor used in Henry Ford's Model T.
When Kingston passed away in 1946, Indiana University bought the home and used it as the home of IU-Kokomo until 1964. For several years, the mansion remained empty. Finally, Howard County began looking for a way to move the county museum out of the courthouse. This ended up being a perfect arrangement and IU signed a long-term agreement to turn over the property for use as a museum.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972, the Seiberling Mansion has both a Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival style. The house has three stories - eight rooms on the first floor, seven on the second floor, and a grand ballroom on the third floor.
Parking is free. The parking lot entrance is behind the museum off West Walnut street. The front door is the main entrance, though the accessible entrance is at the rear of the house. It's important to note that only the first floor is actually accessible (there's no elevator), though there is a virtual video available on the first floor for the second and third floors.
There are public restrooms on the first and second floors, though it should also be noted these are not wheelchair accessible.
The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 1-4pm. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for K-12, and free for under age 5. The museum is a Blue Star Museum - this means active military and family members get in free from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They do have periods when they close - so checking their website is always a good idea just to be sure.
The Seiberling Mansion can be rented for a maximum of 25 people. Rental rates on the website. The adjacent Elliott House is also available.
While I always lament not having full access to places, with historic locations it's understandable and expected that access isn't going to be perfect. This is beautiful to see, though I'm not sure I can give it a full thumbs up for those with mobility issues since entry is $10 and you really only get to access one of three floors. That said, the virtual tour is pretty cool and the building itself is wonderful. read more