The Victorian Mansion is a special place both for its historical background as well as the Inn Keepers who treat this landmark like their own and their guests like family. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. We were greeted in the evening and shown our beautiful room which was clean and elegant. In the mornings we would have breakfast as a group (bed and breakfast style). The food was amazing. It was not your standard fair and everything was homemade and delicious. We lucked out with a great group of guests.

A highlight from our trip was learning about the history of the house and Galena. Charlie and Rita took the time to tell us everything they knew and we ended up spending 2 hours talking to this couple. They are so proud of the house, its history and the history of the town. They have such amazing backgrounds and they are ready and willing to open up their lives and their experiences to you. I know I have said this before but it really felt like we were visiting family without feeling obligated to do everything with them. There are not intrusive AT ALL and will give you as much or as little attention as you need.

We ended up getting engaged that weekend at the mansion and in the morning we were able to celebrate this life experience with Charlie, Rita and the other guests. It was hugs all around.

If you are looking at different bed and breakfasts I can tell you this has everything you need. It is beautiful, clean, historical, just a short walk to the main street, the food is amazing and the positive attitudes are infectious. I am so grateful to have stayed here. It shaped the memory of my engagement weekend and now I will always have this wonderful place to return to.

This was our first stay at the Victorian Mansion. Rita and Charlie are the innkeepers. They were very friendly and made you feel at home. The breakfasts they prepared were excellent. The hash browns and stuffed french toast were just great! The guest rooms and the mansion in general were both neat and clean. The hard work they invest in the daily upkeep up the mansion is very evident. Both my husband and I enjoyed the company of Rita and Charlie and our stay at the mansion. We plan on returning for future stays.

This trip was a surprise for me (HUGE Jane Austen/historical fiction fan) and when we drove up to the mansion, my first impression was awe. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of it, not only how well maintained the building was, but also the gardens...I couldn't believe I actually got to spend a couple of days in this magnificent place. One glance at woodwork and fixtures, fireplaces and furniture, and you are transported back to a place back in time when ladies and gentlemen dressed for dinner. You start to imagine who'd been there, and then Charlie and Rita, the Innkeepers, come in to regale you with the history you've been wondering about over wine and cheese. Charlie: charming, calm, kind, WONDERFUL storyteller. Rita: warm, welcoming, engaging, OUTSTANDING cook. Together, these two and the fabulous mansion they obviously love made my stay in Galena a memorable one. They gave us recommendations for dinner AND coupons for it (I'm kind of a food snob) and informed us of particularly good shows which really shaped our otherwise unplanned stay. The recommendations were excellent. When we arrived (we were the first guests to do so that day), Charlie was kind enough to give us a tour of the whole mansion, letting us peek at all the rooms. I LOVED my room (I stayed in the one whose private bath is down the hall). At first I didn't know if that would bother me or not, but as the weekend wore on I realized that going down the hall to the bathroom made me feel like the house was mine, a very cool feeling. I felt like Jane Eyre. :) I loved the bedding...the sheets were good quality, as was the blanket, baffled, very soft, seemed like something out of a Garnet Hill catalog. Beautiful quilt on top. My pillow was AWESOME...I am usually someone who brings her own pillow and I was lamenting the fact that I'd forgotten mine...no worries. Turned out I didn't need it, and probably wouldn't have used it had I brought it! At one point my friend and I just spent a couple hours reading in the formal parlor...each chair had a throw and lighting (perfect). I couldn't have been more comfortable at my own home, and when Rita noticed us there she seemed delighted that we were taking advantage of the mansion's common rooms. I will definitely return for more of what Galena offers, and I will return to the Victorian Mansion. Charlie and Rita, if you're reading this, I miss you guys already!!! Maybe we'll come back for Christmas?????? :) :)

This is a beautiful home and the innkeepers are trying hard. They still have a few wrinkles to iron out though, like extra blankets, wastebaskets and skimpy food portions. To me, it wasn't worth the money ($195 per night plus a hefty, more than 10% room tax). There are lots of other B&B's in Galena.