Such a beautiful gem! The mansion is beautifully decorated, well preserved, and has such a unique feel. I got married here and would recommend it as a wedding venue for anyone looking for a garden wedding. In terms of event planning, Laura was a sweetheart to work with and I appreciated all of her staff's support on the day of the event. The mansion itself is beautiful inside and out. There are two floors and a lower level basement. There are guest restrooms in the lower level. There is one usable restroom that is reserved for the bridal suite guests inside the mansion near the bridal suite room. Overall: Truly such a beautiful venue. read more

McHenry Mansion - Backyard that has been set up as a reception space - Museums Near Me - Modesto, California

See all

Elegant, unique, historical venue for a wedding. Paired with great weather made the outdoor-indoor combination just perfect for the intimate event. Added chic decor and great vibes made for a perfect evening. read more

See all

Yesterday the McHenry Mansion had free entry into the mansion as well as carriage rides and crafts at the museum/park across from the mansion. It was decorated for Christmas which is so beautiful! The staff were very nice and helpful. It was quite busy but overall a nice experience! At the museum, they had crafts that my friends and I participated in. We also walked through the museum and it wasnt as busy as the mansion! We had a good day and enjoyed ourselves! read more

See all

Stopped by with a friend for their Halloween event that the city had for kids which was nice for kids to trick or treat and play. Fire fighters were also there w/ their trucks, which both kids and adults like. Asked a firefighter and got to snap photos of my friends kids. I feel like cops should do something similar w/ their 1 or 2 of their nice SUVs or cars, which would be cool to see. Didn't get to check out the mansion this time. read more

McHenry Mansion - Museums Near Me - Modesto, California

You've got to sign up for the tour in the Visitor Gift Shop before you can get into the mansion. Shout out to the docent at the museum. The tour was great. You will learn quite a bit about the guy that put Modesto on the map. The tour does include stairs, so if you don't do them, you won't get the whole tour. read more

Went to attend a wedding, wedding was boring but the staff was amazing it began to rain and they moved us inside took care of the guests

Came here near closing and got a free tour from the (retired) museum curator himself! Who was in charge of all the beautiful restorations starting in the 70s. Thank you Wayne. read more

See all

We really enjoyed our tour by Valli of the McHenry Mansion! So much fascinating history filled with colorful characters and interesting stories! There's no doubt that the McHenry family contributed to the Modesto community. They definitely did not embody the trait of one town founder who was too modest to have the town named after him. A family that wanted all the opulence and grandeur and willing to show it all off. The film at the beginning of the tour in the gift shop is really interesting, when some films like this can be drawn out and a little boring. Cute gift shop with super nice ladies who all are very knowledgeable! read more

When my husband and I decided to find a wedding venue, my sister recommended McHenry Mansion! I grew up in Modesto and remembered how beautiful it was. We made an appointment with Laura to check it out and fell in love right away. 13 months later, we got married! The venue coordinators were so awesome to work with, and they even had guided tours which was so special for our guests. Thank you! read more

See all

Nice! Came for a wedding from out of town, who would have known. In the gut of Modesto is this sweet spot. A mansion in all it's beautiful glory. Worthy of a wedding reception. With room for maybe 150 guests outside in a nicely cared for courtyard. There's a dance floor and room for a D.J. They have tours of the mansion most day's with guides in period costume, sweet! Anyway the wedding was beautiful and the reception a picture perfect. Last words...Go find it. read more

McHenry Mansion - Circa 1898 - Museums Near Me - Modesto, California

The House is Beautiful but the staff who operate this place are Horribly rude, snotty, inconsiderate, arrogant and just plain nasty. They are only concerned with renting this old mansion out for events. I was basically thrown out of the building today and told that a private event was going on in 3 hours and could not come in. I don't know if the cranky old bag was staff or a wedding planner. But her nasty attitude was unprofessional. I live 90 miles away and won't return or donate anything to this place . read more

I've taken two groups of out of town guests to tour the McHenry Mansion. Thanks to the Gallo Family, tours of the mansion are free and are available Sun-Fri. They are closed Saturdays. You first enter through the gift shop, which is located a bit west of the actual mansion. You watch an informational video first and then go on the tour. The two tour guides we had were both good but were very different. They focused on very different aspects of the mansion. My main critique of the McHenry mansion is that the gift shop doesn't have items for sale by local Modesto/Central Valley artists. I had a hard time finding any item unique to Modesto. They do sell some postcards of the mansion but even those should be re-done. read more

So, McHenry mansion decided to place barricades up on the Modesto City School's Prom night to prevent kids from taking pictures. It's pretty shameful to treat the citizens of your community that way. This place is owned and operated by the City of Modesto. The city even paid to have a woman there blocking the kids who were wearing tuxedos and gowns from taking pictures. What a joke! read more

McHenry Mansion - Barricades to prevent prom pictures on prom night. - Museums Near Me - Modesto, California

See all

Fabulous location! I coordinate weddings and have used the mansion several times. Laura Mesa is very knowledgeable and helpful. I'm not sure why anyone would give a bad review. People forget there are liability issues with being allowed to take pictures at the mansion i.e. for the prom. As for the person that complained about insurance cost. It's all told to you up front. Laura tells you about insurance and any permits you may need for your event. There are rules that need to be followed, after all it is a historical location and rules help preserve it for all to enjoy. I highly recommend this location for garden weddings or events. It's a beautiful spot. read more

WOW so this is like finding a needle in a haystack.. .... literally. because Modesto is just Modesto and on the surface there's really nothing to do here. i found McHenry Mansion thanks to a little wikipedia research. i typed in Modesto and pops up this picture of a huge house and some info on the place. its in the heart of downtown Modesto and they offer free tours of the mansion. inside it's beautiful. completely decorated head to toe with 1880s antiques and such, and some original items from the McHenry family. alot of interesting things and info provided by the very informative tour guides. take a random day to drive here. i thought it was a really cool find in the middle of nowheresville. read more

McHenry Mansion - McHenry Mansion! - Museums Near Me - Modesto, California

Awesome tour! So detailed and thorough...learned so much! The gift shop next door has all the family history and a short video before the tour begins. Amazing it's free! read more

This is a lovingly restored bit of history. I really like the garden, but the house itself is creepy and reminds me of the haunted house at Disneyland. read more

This is about renting this venue for an event. I would stronly recommend against it! They have loads of hidden costs, including the City's own special insurance requirements. They nickel and dime you with charges for every little thing...which they don't discuss up front. The venue is nice, but the added charges make it more expensive than many other better equipped and more easily managed sites with a more honest approach to telling you what they provide and what they charge for. Everything is easy, until you commit then they start in with all the limits and extra charges. The people in charge are quite good at hiding the many problems/issues with renting this venue. If you still want to do it, I would highly recommend getting EVERYTHING in writing before you pay them a dime, so they can't come back and hit you with a bunch of extra charges. read more

I rented the mansion for my roaring 20's 50th birthday party. The venue was exquisite and the staff were absolutely magnificent. I have rented many facilities in the past, but this one by far has been the best. If you are looking for the perfect venue, this one can't be beat. read more

Adorable home ! With the sweetest employees/staff! You do watch a short video prior to the tour , so be ready for that . Also, the staff will not disclose any "haunts" so if you're expecting that ... you're going to be greatly disappointed . Lol read more

My family home. My great-great grandfather, Robert, is a direct descendant of William Brewster (the religious elder on the Mayflower) and his wife Mary Brewster who was one of only 4 women to survive the first winter at Plymouth and who helped cook the first Thanksgiving dinner. Robert was a rancher who settled an built Modesto California. Rich in history, mansion was sold to Gallo's who made it into a museum. See Wikipedia for more history. There is also McHenry library. When my great grandfather (Oramil) died my great grandmother married the then Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court. read more

Although I grew up around in the valley, I didn't make it to the mansion until I was there for a wedding. My four year old niece and I took at tour with Beth and it was awesome. The house itself was cool, but what really stood out was Beth and her awesome patience and personality. She engaged my niece and even let her have a seat on the fainting couch upstairs. She took her questions and answered her in a non-condescending manner and just made her feel like the belle of the ball. Thanks so much Beth for being awesome and, if you get a chance, go check out the mansion!! read more

Plus four for being an absolutely gorgeous turn of the century home that has been meticulously restored and refurbished to be indicative of the Victorian lifestyle. Minus one for having weeeeird hours and never being open when I want to go. If you are in Modesto, i HIGHLY recommend a trip down to the McHenry Mansion - esp. at Christmas time as the decorations are totally beautiful!! The curators here (who are volunteers!) are highly knowledgable and friendly, and really have a passion for preserving the McHenry legacy. As one of Modesto's only REAL historic landmarks, it's a def go see! read more

Ladies in gift shop and tour guide was VERY friendly. I think lady was new on tour guide so sometimes didn't know questions but tried so that was great :) beautiful place. Breathtaking... Really kept up with . read more

See all

From the minute you pull up curbside this place pulls you in. The architecture is magnificent. The surrounding grounds perfectly groomed. I could spend hours going through the rooms marveling at all of the details. Add to this the added bonus of being able to rent this jewel for private events. I was very fortunate to have recently coordinated a wedding at the mansion ( I own Magical Moments Event Planning and Coordinating). Laura, Lana and staff are over the top sweet hearts. I would love to work with these ladies any day! And the room back drops are a photographers dream for wedding shots. I highly recommend McHenry Mansion for an afternoon sight seeing as well as a private event venue! read more

I completely agree with Lindsey F on this one, this is definitely a "Modesto Must". Gorgeous house and very interesting museum. Gah, if only houses in Modesto still looked like this, yknow? read more

What a beautiful museum. When I was a child we went here and to the library for a field trip. When I was older(teen) I walked by and was looking in the basement window. Call me crazy I don't care but I seen a box with a bunch of papers fly off the desk along with seeing random papers fly. I could hardly believe my eyes but I didn't stop and stare! I was freaked out. read more

OK so you live in Modesto and there's nothing but paved Suburbia or farmland as far as the eye can see. Sometimes it gets a little dull. Maybe a little boring. Well, that's because you have not visited the McHenry Mansion! Plan a trip and visit Modesto's historic sites. Make a day of it, make a date of it. It's pretty amazing and hella fun. I mean it won't blow your mind but there's some good photo ops waiting to happen. When I worked at the library, I used to spend my lunches at the Mansion's gardens. Just me and a Mr. Pickle's sandwich. Now I'm a city slicker and quite frankly Modesto is like a trip to hell for me every time I'm here, but dudes. There are cool things here and you should enjoy what little of them you have. :D Make the most of it. Go to the mansion and then visit the museum. Both are super low key and entertaining. I guess sweet's the word. read more

As soon as my current husband saw the McHenry Mansion, he knew that it would be a perfect place for the two of us to get married. We worked with Laura (who is a wonderful woman; so kind and helpful) to make our special day all the more special. Our friend and family loved the scenery, got to go on tours of the house, and the people who wore Victorian attire inside the house just made me so happy. I can't thank them enough for the wonderful day, and I'll never forget it. If you're looking for a beautiful place to get married in town, you can't go wrong with this beautiful wedding venue. read more

I love this place! The day after Thanksgiving, I had some out of town guests and took them (and myself) for a tour of Mchenry Mansion. Their Christmas decor was up and it was absolutely quaint and gorgeous. All the guides were also impressively knowledgeable and ready to entertain any question you may have about the tour. read more

Stunning architecture, lovely & welcoming docents extremely informative, free admission with optional donation was amazing.

We needed a place to stretch our legs after hours of driving and this was a free museum so we decided to check it out. Took our two kids 13 and 7, and we all really enjoyed it! It's beautiful, air conditioned, and the docent was very friendly and knowledgable about the history on the mansion. The gift shop is adorable too. The only issue we had was with my dad going up the stairs since he has copd. Other than that it's a great visit. read more

See all

This is a real hidden jewel. This is a must see. Our guide was a 10 on a 10!The city of Modesto has done a fabulous job restoring to the Victorian period. read more

McHenry Mansion - Museums Near Me - Modesto, California

You have to walk to the visitors center for a free tour which is literally right next to the mansion! The store has the cutest little garden on the outside and a cute shop on the inside! You sign the guest book and then walk to the back to watch a short film on the history of the mansion. All of the staff there are very friendly. The lady who gave us the tour, Sally, was so incredibly nice and made us feel very welcome! She knew so much about the history of the mansion and was sure to show us every little thing. The mansion is beautiful inside and out! read more

Love the McHenry Mansion... especially love going during Christmas when it is fully decorated. Love taking friends and family to visit for the first time. read more

We love this place. The tours, the pictures, and the Annual Dickens Fair is always fun around the mansion! Great family fun!

Mchenry Mansion is Modesto gem. I love touring it and I love the history behind it. I recently had my wedding at the mansion. The setting of the mansion is beautiful for the wedding. The garden is lovely and it is strung with white lights, it is truly a magical place. Laura is extremely helpful and easy to work with. She is very knowledgeable about holding weddings at the mansion and offers great advice. Not only was the wedding held in a beautiful setting in the garden, but guests can actually tour the mansion from docents in period clothing! It was such a charming touch! My husband and I, and our wedding guests, had so much fun and were so pleased with holding the wedding at the mansion. I highly recommend it as a wedding venue and just to go explore it on your own! read more

The museum has presented a number of art exhibitions tackling several different mediums, including photography, film and sculpture.

The McHenry Mansion is the house that started my love of historic homes! I always try to visit when I am in town and I would recommend a tour to anyone. It is the gem of Modesto and a great way to learn the history of the city. I wish "Cat's Meow," had a McHenry Mansion replica. read more

I recently attended a wedding reception at the McHenry Mansion and was truly impressed by the magnificence of the 10,000 square foot home and friendly staff. What a surprise to learn the history of the mansion and facts about the Victorian Era. The mansion is also beautifully decorated and sets a great ambiance for the reception. We got some really fun pictures! Guests can recline and stay cool in the formal living areas and enjoy cocktails and refreshments or take tours of the house to soak in the surroundings and history. The outdoor garden is an oasis in the middle of the city and a perfect place for a string-light lit dining area and dance floor. I highly recommend this venue and encourage anyone to take a tour on days they are available. Thank you for the history lesson and friendly atmosphere! read more