Hegeler Carus Mansion, LaSalle

Have done the general and the full house tour with Tricia Kelly and both experiences were wonderful. The history of the family, the business, and the mansion itself are delightful and I was particularly delighted by the connection to the Parliament of World's Religions event that created a bridge to a lot of Eastern philosophy and Paul Carus' work with D.T. Suzuki. The house itself is a massive 7 stories and the general tour covers several of the main rooms while outlining the major members of the family and their history. The full tour goes throughout the entire house from the attic cupola to the basement floors and the more intricate anecdotes of the house itself. Particular favorites were the 100+ year old Cereus plant and the stunning detail in everything from the tables to the wallpaper and profusion of artifacts collected by the family. An excellent destination spot and another shout out to the great presentation of Tricia and the work done by the staff in maintaining the building and archiving of all the history therein.

Interesting old mansion with a fascinating history. We enjoyed the 1 hour tour. What makes the mansion so interesting is the mix of restored and unrestored areas. So many great vintage details! Knowledgeable staff.