Belvedere Mansion

I thought this tour would be great. However the tour was very disappointing. The tour guide was rude from the beginning. The tour guide did not seem very knowledgeable about some artifacts. The tour seemed a little rushed. I understand that it was close to the end of their day but each group that pays deserves a quality tour. You did not get to see the entire house. However you did get to see artifacts that did not really pertain to the house.

The cost was quite expensive although we were not charged for two of the five of us. I don't believe any of the items inside were original to the house. The tour guides said it is more of a museum since there are many items from many different contributions. Every room is not explored.

Just came back from Galena and toured the Belvedere Mansion. Cost $12 each and was a big waste of time. The mansion had various antiques that had nothing to do with the house itself. Tour guide was rude and made up ridiculous stories. Owners?? I'm sure they don't live there, they are collecting money for a bogus tour of a museum of antiques. Save your money on this one. The trolley tour was much much better, interesting and more history.

Agree with Kammariti - this was a complete waste of time. I was there 2 days after him and same thing...who cares! Rooms filled of antiques that have absolutely nothing to do with the house. Liberaci's candelabras! Gone With The Wind drapery! Teddy Roosevelt's couch! Nothing to do with the house. And that addition to the back of the house?!?!? That was just another room to put all their antiques. How dare they show it as part of the house. The owners? Mr. Burlingame, we're told! I found out from one of the shops owners! He supposedly lives behind the house, and is NOT from Chicago, as the tour guide told us.

I think this tour was a complete waste of money. It is $10 per person to see a bunch of antiques that were purchased by the wealthy family that lives there. Outside of the structure of the home, this place had no history. The other places in town are full of history and original items. This place was cluttered and just showed how much money the owners do have and how much they can spend. Showing the green curtains from "Gone With the Wind" has nothing to do with the history of the house. No wonder why they have to charge $10 a person, so they can recover some of the costs they have paid for the antiques. Plus, you didn't even get to see all the rooms in the house!

The Belvedere mansion is a gross display of greed and more money than taste. The owners should go visit the homes in Holly Springs, Ms. and maybe, just maybe they will see where they have gone wrong. The decor had absolutely nothing to do with the beautiful house itself. Very disappointing.

Absolutely disastrous melding of money and lack of taste. This home could have been a showcase. Instead, the owners, who have more money than class, bought numerous glam-tastic artifacts from the Liberache estate and MGM auctions and are passing this off as an antique home tour. Very unfortunate - the tour guides have no idea what they're talking about, and the home is not restored, it's renovated and ruined. The coup de grace is the four seasons porch the owners "added" which you can see at the end of the tour.

Galena is a wonderful town. However, the visit would not be complete unless you tour the Belvedere Mansion. I do have an answered question. Who owns the mansion?

The home was a beautiful attraction located near the Galena river. The home is well maintained and is host to many priceless antiques from all over the world. However, on our visit we were rushed through the home unable to see two rooms of the home because another tour was coming through behind us. The tour guides were informed in some areas and in others unable to discuss some of the pieces of interest within the home. The tour size was also too large due to the size of the rooms.

The beautiful architecture and historical signifigance of the house just drew me in. I wish I could've stayed much longer than I had. The beautiful garden and dining room and the two rooms off the Foyer (one for the men and on for the women) were just exquisite in their cultural appeasment of the appetite.