The Rosson House - Phoenix, AZ - Museum

The Rosson House Museum is a fantastic place to see what life was like over 100 years ago. Built in the late 1800s and beautifully restored with incredible accuracy, this Victorian home is now open to the public for all to see.

The 2,800 square foot house was built in 1895 in an Eastlake architectural style, perfectly capturing the elegance of the era. It resides in downtown Phoenix's Heritage Square on its original foundations, and was the first house of its kind to be made out of wood and brick rather than the usual adobe bricks.

The ten-roomed house was named after its original owners Dr Roland Lee Rosson and his wife, Flora Murry. Over the years the house has changed hands several times before finally being bought by the city and restored into the treasure we see today.

The house now stands as a monument to days gone by, having been meticulously restored with intricate accuracy. One of its previous occupants, Whitelaw Reid, wrote many letters and correspondences during his time there that gave a great insight into the history of the house and led to the restoration team to be able to restore it in such detail.

Today, tours are offered daily both for school groups and the general public to get an insight into life as it once was. Various exhibits lay just waiting to be explored, and the detail of the furnishings leaves many visitors feeling as if they've just stepped back in time. Everything is completely time-appropriate for the era, from the lace curtains and ceiling panels right down to the creaky wooden floors.

Group tours of ten or more can be pre-booked up to 4 weeks in advance, with a maximum capacity of 13 visitors per 30-minute tour. Guided tours run on the half-hour during opening times between Wednesday and Sunday.

The museum is closed on Mondays and on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings is only open to school groups between 10am and 1pm. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays general tours are offered between the hours of 10am and 4pm, as well as on Thursday afternoons from 1pm until 4pm and on Sundays starting at noon. The last tour of the day runs at 3:30pm. The house is closed on all major public holidays and for 2 weeks in the summer for annual cleaning and maintenance - check back for exact dates.

The house also runs numerous special events and exhibitions throughout the year and is actively involved in education, with a number of programs and resources for both pupils and teachers.

Rosson House is a great place to go to be educated on the history of the late 19th century. With the house being restored in such detail and with knowledgeable guides able to take visitors round, they're sure to leave having learnt something new. Being part of the Historic Heritage Square as well means that there's even more to see in the area, so being in such a great location means that there's no reason not to go.