DeKalb’s Ellwood House Mansion now open for the season

The Ellwood House Mansion has resumed tours for the season. Guests can take a guided tour of the 1879 mansion at 1 and 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Tours are about one hour long, and guests are shown all four floors of the ornate mansion. In-depth tours of both the Ellwood mansion and Ellcourt, also known as the Ellwood-Nehring House, are offered on the fourth Saturday of each month beginning at 10 a.m.

According to the website, the Ellwood House Museum has seven historic structures on 10 acres of land near downtown DeKalb. The structures include the mansion; the Ellcourt House, built in 1900; four gardens; and the Patience Ellwood Towle Visitor Center, which features 6,000 square feet of exhibit space.

The home was built for barbed wire tycoon Isaac Ellwood, and three generations of the family lived there from 1879 to 1965. The mansion was given to the DeKalb Park District in 1965 by May Ellwood and her children. The Ellcourt House was donated to the nonprofit Ellwood House Association, Inc. in 2011.

The museum also hosts many special events throughout the year, as well as programs for both children and adults.

For more information about the Ellwood House Museum or to purchase tickets for a tour, visit ellwoodhouse.org/visit.