Henry Overholser Mansion
Henry Overholser Mansion
4.5
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
About
Henry Overholser was an entrepreneur who came to Oklahoma during the 1889 Land Run. He and his wife Anna Overholser saw potential in the land surrounding what is now known as the Heritage Hills neighborhood and constructed one of the first mansions to the area in 1903. The home was an attraction for social networking and gatherings in the wake of Oklahoma's impending statehood and stands today in almost complete structural integrity to its original turn-of-the-century construction. Today, visitors can tour the 3 story mansion alongside our Museum Coordinator, and participate in future events hosted on the premises by Preservation Oklahoma, the state's only non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the state's oldest cultural homes and structures.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
538 within 3 miles
Attractions
215 within 6 miles
Contribute
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
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
143 reviews
Excellent
106
Very good
32
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
1
maapar
Mount Pleasant, SC953 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Went to this Heritage Hills section to see this mansion. But also enjoyed walking around this neighborhood with huge homes and attractive landscaping.
The tour guides were very friendly and welcoming. They were knowledgeable about the house and it’s history. It had some original furnishings and even clothing. Very interesting to see how people lived in OKC back then.
The tour guides were very friendly and welcoming. They were knowledgeable about the house and it’s history. It had some original furnishings and even clothing. Very interesting to see how people lived in OKC back then.
Written 10 November 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.
James M
Lake Norman, NC70 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
My wife and I had a little time to kill before the flight out and we went by this historic mansion. Thank goodness it was air conditioned inside! In fact the house has been renovated and it’s in pretty good shape for a 100 year old home. We were given free reign to wander around by the docent. She was cheerful and obviously enjoyed the history of the house relative to OKC.
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.
DezP13_1
Woodbridge, VA526 contributions
Aug 2016 • Business
My sister and I were passing through Oklahoma City and we decided to visit the Overholser Mansion. The mansion belonged to a man who is touted to be the "Father of Oklahoma City" and is known to be the first mansion in Oklahoma City. It's located in a beautiful neighborhood with other historic, though privately owned, homes in the area. As such, there isn't a parking lot, so be sure to park along the road outside of the mansion. Tours are given on the hour, and we paid just $5/person for the tour. In the summer, it's best to come early, as it is a historic home without air conditioning on the upper floors. There is a small gift shop in what appears to have once been the stables or a garage perhaps, and you can buy postcards, wine, or other small souvenirs. There is also a restroom located in the same area if you need to use the facilities. The tour doesn't appear to be handicapped accessible, so if you do have limited mobility, be sure to call ahead and ask what accommodations are available. Given that the home is historic and strangely well-preserved considering how long the home was occupied, you'll need to leave food and beverages in the car. A tour guide will take you around the first floor and give you information about the home, then, you'll be free to check out the second and third floors on your own. The firs floor is the most impressive for sure, whereas the second and third show more obvious signs of just how late the home was occupied. Overall, this is a great stop for history buffs and period home lovers that'll take no more than an hour of your time. :)
Written 5 September 2016
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.
5genoklahoman
Oklahoma City87 contributions
Henry Overholser was already a successful businessman when he came to OKC with the 1889 Land Run. He brought lumber and materials which he sold to all of the new landowners as they built the first buildings here. In 1902, he and his wife bought a little hill outside of town overlooking the new city on the river. They proceeded to build a 3 story chateaueseque manion with the finest materials from around the world. Of course, this caused other OKC founding fathers to move nearby and build their mansions as well!
Today the Overholser Mansion is one of the most unique and most special "house museums" in the world. When Henry Overholser's only child, a daughter named Ione, passed away in the 1970s the house and its entire contents were donated to the Oklahoma State Historical Society for preservation. The dishes, little Ione's and toys, the light fixtures, paintings, family photographs, dresses and carriage tools all remain with the house today. There is simply not a better place to glimpse into what life was like at the turn of the 20th century!
However, even the State Historical Society has not been able to fund proper preservation and maintenance for the Overholser. A recent $3 milliion campaign to restore the Overholser to its former glory was begun last spring. By 2009 it will be one of the most unique and must-see destinations in the region.
Today the Overholser Mansion is one of the most unique and most special "house museums" in the world. When Henry Overholser's only child, a daughter named Ione, passed away in the 1970s the house and its entire contents were donated to the Oklahoma State Historical Society for preservation. The dishes, little Ione's and toys, the light fixtures, paintings, family photographs, dresses and carriage tools all remain with the house today. There is simply not a better place to glimpse into what life was like at the turn of the 20th century!
However, even the State Historical Society has not been able to fund proper preservation and maintenance for the Overholser. A recent $3 milliion campaign to restore the Overholser to its former glory was begun last spring. By 2009 it will be one of the most unique and must-see destinations in the region.
Written 4 August 2008
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.
msroz23
Lake Ariel, PA1 contribution
We were there Sat. Oct. 30th at 10 am. Sign said they should be open - go to the carriage house. We went to the carriage house, knocked several times. Not a soul around. We waited about 10 min. and had to leave. Very disappointed.
Written 5 November 2010
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.
We are very sorry that we missed you on your visit, and apologize that you were not able to take a tour of the mansion. Run by a very small staff and volunteers, we do our very best to promptly greet all visitors and accomodate all their needs, and to post any information about unexpected closings for private events. We hope that you will visit our museum again.
Written 30 December 2010
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kay M
Augusta, GA1,585 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
This is considered to be the first mansion built in OKC by the man considered to be the city’s founding father, Henry Overholser. He bought the land out in the middle of nowhere in 1901 and built the house a couple of years later. His wife was an important socialite and entertained many notable people at their home. Their only daughter inherited it, and when she died, it went to her husband, David Perry. He sold it to the State of Oklahoma in 1961 and apparently took nothing out of it. Everything in the mansion today belonged to the Overholser family, so it is really interesting to see how they decorated, what they had, how they lived, etc. it wasn’t “of the period” as you see in so many historical homes; it was the real deal. Only the kitchen has been updated by David Perry after the death f his wife. The tour is less than an hour, and they are on the hour. Our guide, Lisa, was very laid back and knowledgeable about the family and the house. We enjoyed this home tour as well as driving around the neighborhood that it’s in.
Written 12 August 2018
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.
Robin B
Phoenix, AZ1,429 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
This is a beautiful mansion built in 1903 and located in a lovely historic neighborhood. The mansion was in the same family until 1972 when it was sold to the historic group that purchased it. Only four people lived in the home and it was sold with all furnishings and personal belongings. You visit all three floors of the home. This is well worth the admission.
Written 22 September 2017
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.
NvBernie
Loudon, TN53 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
The mansion was great but the neighborhood is what we really loved as we walked around viewing all the mansions in the area. Well worth our time
Written 26 September 2014
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.
Wowx3
Oklahoma City, OK414 contributions
I was a little nervous because I took my two teenage daughters here whom are hard to impress and a 2nd and 5th grader and everyone had a great time! The tour starts on the south side west side of the house in the carriage house. They are raising money to renovate and add A/C. We were very pleased with our summer field trip.
Written 5 August 2011
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.
vickitoria
Oklahoma City, OK86 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
Our tour guide was amazing. She was a wealth of knowledge and really took her time walking us through the house and showing us everything. There's so much history here and so many original furnishings to enjoy. The house is truly amazing. When we went on our tour, the guide told us that she had just discovered a few new trunks hidden away in one of the closets a couple of months before, and she showed us some of the items she was documenting. The home is pretty well preserved despite not having a lot of funding and being in need of a few repairs.
Definitely a must-see if you like mansions and/or history.
And plan to park on the street in front of the house.
Definitely a must-see if you like mansions and/or history.
And plan to park on the street in front of the house.
Written 30 May 2018
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.
looking for the address of the Overholser Mansion?
Written 11 July 2016
405 Northwest 15th Street, NW 15th & Hudson. Look for the tall, modern bell tower of St Luke's Methodist Church as a landmark. The Overholser Mansion is one block west of the church. Enjoy!
Written 11 July 2016
Is there an admission price, and if so, what is it? Thank you.
Written 11 April 2015
The admission prices are as follows: $10 for adults, $7 for Seniors and $5 for Students and Children. Children under 6 years are free.
Written 11 April 2015
Showing results 1-5 of 5
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing