Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (Conrad's Castle)

Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (Conrad's Castle)

Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (Conrad's Castle)
5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric Sites
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
10:45 AM - 3:00 PM
About
The Conrad-Caldwell House Museum is a historic, Victorian mansion located in the heart of Old Louisville on St. James Court. It is one of the finest examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and was the masterpiece of famed local architect Arthur Loomis of Clarke & Loomis. Surrounded by a beautiful courtyard neighborhood at the center of the largest collection of Victorian Homes in the US, "Conrad's Castle" featured all the latest innovations of its day, including interior plumbing and electric lighting. Known for its beautiful woodwork and parquet floors, this massive Bedford limestone home, covered with gargoyles, beautiful archways, and elaborate stone designs, incorporated 7 types of hardwoods and magnificent stained glass windows in the interior design, making it one of the most stunning homes in Old Louisville. The Museum has been lovingly restored to the Edwardian Age, housing a massive collection of period items including many original pieces.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Theresa V
    Charlotte, North Carolina62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning and welcoming must see home!
    Amazing stories and history accompany this very unique house. It is a cornerstone of Louisville and intricately tied to the city's past. A must visit for anyone coming to Louisville!! Barb was absolutely wonderful and I truly appreciated her family stories. It's not often you are given a tour from a family member of one of the original owners!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 28 September 2023
  • lovestotravel55
    Creal Springs, Illinois42 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the price of the ticket
    This home is beautiful and well maintained. We had the guided tour by Barb, who was the great granddaughter of the Caldwell family. It was so interesting with all the personal touches of family history and stories. It’s a must see. The neighborhood is also beautiful with the big homes.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 September 2023
  • tracyl88
    Lafayette, Indiana13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Best Museum/Castle Tour in Louisville!
    We loved this tour! Barb did an amazing job taking us through the house top to bottom and going over details and stories. It's an added bonus that she's related to the original owner/builder and she's able to relate stories from her childhood about the family. The woodwork is amazing in detail and the rooms are beautiful! Loved the staircase and the massive painting along it! It's nicely air-conditioned for comfortable tours and even an elevator if you don't care to take the stairs. We highly recommend this tour with Barb!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 2 October 2023
  • STKatty
    Pikeville, Kentucky258 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Quick Tour
    This home was one of the stops on our ghost tour, so we went back the next day for a self-guided tour. Beautiful home, and the guides stationed on each floor were quite informative. Interesting quick stop.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 October 2023
  • Grace K
    Mount Pleasant, South Carolina8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing tour.
    This was an amazing tour. While the house is gorgeous with unique floors and woodwork throughout, it was history and stories our tour guide Barb told us that really touched our hearts and took us back in time. The property is so well cared for. A must see and we really recommend taking the guided tour. Barb as a Caldwell descendant added so much to our tour. Many thanks.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 October 2023
  • Lara H
    New York20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent. Please visit
    The tour of the house was excellent. We had a private tour since they were actually closed for holiday decorations but were kind enough to proceed with the tour since I booked tickets in advance. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and even gave us tips for places to visit nearby. You get an insight into two prominent families who lived in the Louisville and also learn about the house and architecture. I would highly recommend this tour if you are interested in history. The house museum is entirely non-profit and survives on donations and tours so please visit and support them.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 November 2023
  • Mary Beth
    Mount Airy, Maryland1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the best tours I've been on!
    Barb was so knowledgeable and passionate about the information she shared with us! This was one of the best tours I've been on. The amount of detail in the house, and original pieces was unbelievable. I might bring my family back to Louisville to visit again!
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 16 November 2023
  • Maria D
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderfully preserved gem with amazing tour guide
    This was a wonderful home tour. Our guide was the great granddaughter of the Caldwell’s and her knowledge of the home and the family really made the house come alive and by the end you felt a connection to it and those who lived there. You could really appreciate her passion and love for the home. It is a beautiful mansion with amazing architecture, intricate woodwork, inlaid floors, period pieces and family heirlooms. A must-see if you are interested in historical homes. The surrounding neighborhood is pretty, too.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 November 2023
  • efustok
    Houston, Texas1,314 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Victorian era…
    Dear history lovers…visiting this beautiful home really takes you back, especially when your guide is a relative of the family that lived there…I thought that was such an exciting experience, I have never been anywhere where a family member was our guide. It made it so fun to hear the stories that took place in this lovely home. You step back in time, as there are so many pieces left from the original owners…the Christmas season is a great time to visit, since they decorate it so beautifully. No pictures to post, I personally like the element of surprise…you must plan a visit wether you are a local or tourist.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 November 2023
  • CleanfreakChicago
    St. Petersburg, Florida67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative tour of an exquisite 140-year-old home.
    Magnificent historic house with each room's wood floor boasting a different inlaid pattern. The volunteers are so knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. One of the volunteers is actually a descendant of the Caldwells. If you like historic homes, this is a must-see.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles792 reviews
Excellent
688
Very good
88
Average
13
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1
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2

N0rmalee
Bossier City, LA1,018 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
This is a fantastic home on a street full of gorgeous homes. There were about 8 of us on the tour and our volunteer guide was the great granddaughter of a former owner, so had a lot of both factual and family stories to tell. There are 3 stories plus a double attic and basement, it’s a rags to riches tale of a man who came to this country with nothing and worked hard to be successful. She had stories of her father and aunt going there for meals once a week and always getting into trouble for sliding down the banisters. Since the family had money, the drapes are “puddled” and there’s even a gas fireplace in addition to a radiator on one of the landings. They were early to get electric lights and indoor plumbing. Home is over 10,000 sq ft. This was a wonderful home and tour, highly recommend it!
Written 8 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Explorethis
New York City, NY92 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
We recently took a tour here, and it was very enjoyable for our entire party. Our tour guide was very informative and took the time to answer all of our questions. You could tell that she loved what she was doing and was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed all of the funny stories she told us about the people who used to live there. It is a beautiful house that has been well kept. Our only complaint was the upper floors were pretty hot, but I guess their air-conditioner wasn't working that day. Overall we had a GREAT time and we are glad we visited.
Written 26 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert D
Tipp City, OH5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021 • Couples
My girlfriend and I took a tour of this house over a weekend in Louisville. The our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and gave us not only a history of the property, but also gave us a history of the surrounding area.

The details in this house are astounding from the hand carved details of the moldings and trim work to the craftsmanship that went into the hardwood floors.

This property is an absolute must see!
Written 26 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

907blaked
Tampa, FL1,456 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Family
The tour lasted about 90 minutes. The building itself is beautiful, with lots of intricate woodwork, flooring, etc. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the house. I would not recommend this tour for kids under the age of nine. We had a family with us with two younger kids, and they gave up about halfway through. Our kids, however, ages 9 to 16, said they enjoyed it. Good value for the money. House is located in a beautiful section of Louisville, right next to Central Park.
Written 25 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brenda B
Frankfort, KY3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Friends
We stayed at the nearby Bourbon Inn. The tour of the Conrad -Caldwell Mansion was fabulous. The beauty of the home is outstanding. The craftsmanship in the wood work is stunning. Our guide was a descendent of the Caldwells, so she was able to make the home come “alive” with personal anecdotes.
Written 16 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Frederick S
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Friends
This was an incredibly informational tour. We were able to go in nearly every one of the rooms, which only had a small section roped off, unlike other antique house tours. Our tour guide, who was a part of the Codwell family(Barb), knew a ton of information about the house itself and even had stories from her childhood, as her great grandparents had once owned the house. She also took us behind the scenes, letting us look in both the basement and attic. Not only was this tour informative, but it also kept the attention of two teens and a 9 year old for the hour and a half duration.
Written 30 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jgbtravels
Louisville, KY4,636 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Solo
This was part of the Old Louisville Mansion tour and undoubtedly the highlight of the tour. At the time it was built it was the most expensive house constructed in the city. Normally there would be a guided tour but since this was part of the Old Louisville Mansion Tour you simply went exploring on your own. Fortunately there were docents in some rooms that shed light on the history of this castle of a house. Two of the docents were actually descendants of the Caldwell family. If anyone knows the history of this house it’s certainly these folks. How cool is that? Parking can be a pain as it’s a residential area. I ended up a couple of blocks away. Old Louisville is a beautiful neighborhood and Saint James Court is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the area.
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christy H
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Friends
We toured this gem of a Victorian house during the St. James Art Fair. Barbara Caldwell Huber and her sister along with cousins and other family members covering five generations served as passionate docents. The family memories of the house made the visit very special. Gordon Caldwell would be so pleased with their desire to carry on the legacy of his childhood home. Don’t miss this one the next time you’re in Louisville, KY.
Written 4 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diana
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
My sister and I took the tour Memorial Day weekend 2021. We were taken back by the state of the house. It was huge, gorgeous and well kept. The Docent was well informed, friendly, and always asked if the people on our tour were able to make it from floor to floor and offered seats if they were not able. I love homes and buildings in this style and was not disappointed in the slightest. The neighborhood is beautiful and sits next to a park. We spent the entire afternoon touring the house and neighborhood. It was a lovely experience. You are able to take non-flash photos and I took tons. The price is reasonable, if not underpriced for the amount of information we were provided and the length of the tour. I have already recommended it to friends.
Written 2 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jacob B
United States1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Friends
Gorgeous house with such a nice history. Beth does an amazing job showing guests around and telling the home’s history as well as the family’s. This house is a must see if you’re coming to Louisville.
Written 19 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CONRAD-CALDWELL HOUSE MUSEUM (CONRAD'S CASTLE) (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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