When you visit it, the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House comes alive with history. Here, you'll get some good insights into some strong women's lives. Tip: The stairs are steep so be aware; they're not recommended for small children or people with mobility issues. When you ascend to the attic, you'll find an impressive replica of the house, and also a nice collection of war memorabilia (Swords, flags, photos, medical instruments, etc.). We very much enjoyed learning more about the history of Eugene; the docents were both friendly and knowledgeable. The furnishings and architecture are from a different time and the tour was informative. read more

See all

Read a review from 3 years ago and it said it was only $6 to get in and guess what? It's still only $6 to get in! The docent was a very kind and friendly lady who knew the most about Aida but knew something about all of them. I appreciate her honesty when we asked a wished didn't know she would tell us she was not sure but would offer a maybe because... or probably because.... She pointed out what pieces of furniture were original to the home and explained how the rest were donated. So much history! She said the last lady who owned the home was raised in the Campbell House Inn which is actually where we stayed! I didn't take a bunch of photos as I was enjoying the moment and listening to the docent tell us the history of the home. Also many other people have posted great photos here already so no point in being redundant. The docent said it is decorated for Christmas during the holidays and recommended to visit it if I'm the area during that time. The theme was weddings do when we visited as the docent explained that someone had donated a tremendous amount of wedding gowns to the museum. read more

See all

Just $6 for adult entrance fees and it's worth it to see such an old beautiful looking house with all furnishings from old time. Items have been saved very properly and takes you back to the old times and to understand their life. But I must say that man was damn rich during his time. No interference by anyone from the property when you are doing self guided tour. Definitely must visit since it's not too far from anywhere in Eugene and it just takes 30 mins to have splendid experience. read more

See all

The house is beautiful on the outside, but on the inside it was dirty and cluttered. There were miscellaneous items placed everywhere, some were original to the house but others just seemed put on a dresser or hung on the wall because they were donated or old. There's so much potential here to tell the story of Eugene history through the history of these families but this place needs a professional historian's touch. This was a disappointing visit. read more

Such a fun museum. I am a bit of a museum nerd. The docents are like/minded nerdlings. Let them take you around. Fun times.

Attended the holiday tea finally after years of missing the purchase date and sold out. It was not impressive at all. It was so cold inside we had to keep our coats on the entire time. They are lacking a hostess. Not expecting to be entertained but some basic level event hospitality would have been nice. We were checked off a list and seated and that was it. Food offerings were unimpressive. We were served each pot of tea and told what the tea name was and that was all the interaction there was. It was decorated in holiday style but there was no holiday spirit there. Made me wish we just went to a restaurant. Some very low Christmas music would have been a nice touch. I know it's a fundraiser run by volunteers and I'm sorry to be harsh. But we will not be back. Definitely did not exceed or meet minimum expectation. read more

Without a lot to do in eugene (if you're not getting outside to enjoy a waterfall or hike) so we decided to check out the big green house we had a view of from our hotel. I can't say its the most amazing museum or best preserved Victorian era architectural building I've been to, but it was mildly interesting and hands on (you pretty much have full access to the entire house and can touch many of the items inside) all for 5 bucks a person if you're a AAA member, senior or student ($6 otherwise). Unlike other yelpers, the woman that greeted us was very friendly and quite helpful too. We explored the entire house in less than an hour but learned some history and enjoyed the visit. read more

See all

Beautiful old home. I read the history, nothing too exciting but still lovely to be maintained and be able to see it. Beautiful grounds. read more

See all

It seems every fall and spring SMJH puts on a tea. I happened to catch wind of this spring's tea. Today we went. This is our 2nd tea with SMJH and I can say, I am always so impressed! The food is paced leisurely. The tea is paired with each course just perfectly. And you walk away positively stuffed. Sammy and I spent 2 hours nursing our way through 3 kinds of hot tea, 2 kinds of sandwiches, quiche, crustini, 2 kinds of scones, devnonshire cream, jam, and 4 kinds of desert. Just look at the pictures. Worth every cent, if not for the food, for the time I spent with a modern 13yo girl. Quiet time like this is priceless and the tea is a forgotten art! read more

They are adding a new giant concrete stairway out front? Not sure why, but that is worth another star for effort. read more

First, we thought it was free to tour, wrong. The women who " greeted" us was not very friendly and when she added up the cost of the tour she said, "it's too much to figure out, I'll just round that up to $20" ???? What the what??? Then she told us it was a self guided tour and directed us to a binder to read and she left. ..so odd. Not at all what we were expecting. The house was not in order at all. There was tons of clutter and modern day items everywhere. Seemed like almost every single room was out of order. Not worth the cost at all. Super cheesy, wouldn't even recommend it if it was free. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because the kids had fun. I thought it was lame. read more

This was a fun place to explore. After walking around for a few minutes we joined one of the guided tours. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered many questions. This house is beautiful and if you have time you should definitely take a look around, it's well worth the visit. read more

Rude and disrespectful manager! I couldn't believe how she talked to my wife. I definitely will NOT be going back! I'd even suggest that they find a new manager! read more

Totally neat piece of history. Just wish the big banner sign out front had the correct hours (it says Tues - Fri 10-1, but they were definitely open on Sunday). read more

They missed placed our reservation, I brought a copy. They barley acknowledged that they have made a mistake and we were given a forced "sorry". The food, while very good, was not enough to fill anyone. Two tiny finger sandwiches and a quarter size quiche was not enough food! The two sandwiches did not even compare to a regular size 1/2 sandwich. The desserts were also very tasty and there were twice the amount of desserts as there were sandwiches. It was also embarrassing to be left standing at the door while they set another table (in the middle of the room) when they could have seated us and then set another table for those that came later! We left embarrassed and hungry. Sorry this is not what I paid for. read more

Went to a nice jazz music evening, and the music was really nice. Sax, guitar and bass. However, the appetizers were stale, the Mac and Cheese was cold, the dessert was dry. The cocktails were super strong and not well curated. There was no signature beverage. No beer, no wine. Lack of beverage choices. read more

A beautiful old victorian house, nicely restored. It's available for events, & has events of its own, like during the Christmas season. There are tours, at least during the annual historic houses walking tour. read more

We visited this historic house on a recent trip to Eugene. It's definitely worth visiting if going to historic houses is your thing. Compared with other historic houses/mansions, it's not as spectacular as many, but we enjoyed visiting, and it's a good peek into the past. There was a volunteer tour guide when we visited and she gave us a good tour (included in the admission price). Do be sure to check the hours as they are only open a few hours a day. They do tea a few times a year and I would have loved to go for that but we were there at the wrong time (early January). The view from the top of the steps is nice (it was a cloudy rainy day, but it was still nice to look down). read more

was there today, 8/1/2015. immediate landscape surrounding home needs pruning, weeding, and dutiful attention to detail. indicated garden club is mentioned on plaque that purports to maintain landscape. my suggestion is the club enlist new, younger members, with purpose and strong arms and spend time in the spring/summer and get to business. concrete stairwell leading from street to entrance was built with total disregard. it resembles a fire escape and completely detracts from home's personality and siting. no thought was given to concrete stair layout. concrete landings not even closely matching or embracing home detail; total afterthought. it appears it was just a "git er done." home exterior to the west needs scraping and fresh paint to cure peeling in places. front porch wood landing also could use some detailing. with that said: the home interior/exterior is attractive and probably period correct;trendy in its day. home's location is obviously what earns eugene's attention. that, and the home sits at the base of the butte trail. trail shares some of the home's grounds. i would not be surprised if the mcmurphey kids trekked their hand made trail to the butte crest now and then. is it a must see home with curious history and curious craftsmanship: no. there are anecdotal rumors that abound in a good way. while i didn't see any picnic benches, it is a quiet place to share a simple lunch under tree(s) allegedly planted by sheltons . the home now sits in a dedicated eugene city park. read more