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Historic house · Abilene, Kansas
Seelye Mansion
1905 Georgian mansion in Abilene with 25 rooms, original furniture and lighting fixtures, and an old bowling alley in the basement, open for guided tours.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Seelye Mansion
The Seelye Mansion was built in 1905 for Dr. A. B. Seelye, who made a fortune selling patent medicines by mail and door-to-door across the Midwest. The Georgian-style house has 25 rooms and was one of the first in Kansas to have electricity, with lighting fixtures purchased from Thomas Edison’s company.
The couple’s daughters lived in the house for the rest of their lives and kept almost everything as it was: furniture, rugs, dishes, a Steinway piano and the family’s dresses. In the basement is a 1904 box ball alley, an old form of bowling. Behind the house, the patent medicines museum displays bottles, labels and advertisements from the doctor’s business.
The guided tours, about an hour and a half long, include the house, the gardens and the museum, and run daily without reservation for individual visitors. In December, the mansion is decorated with dozens of Christmas trees and hundreds of nutcrackers.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About an hour and a half.
Best time
At any time; in December, for the Christmas decorations. The last tour departs in the early afternoon.
How to get there
It is on North Buckeye Avenue, about 2 km from the Eisenhower complex, north of downtown Abilene.
Tip
Arrive by mid-afternoon: tours do not depart after that time.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Seelye Mansion
Do you need a reservation to visit the Seelye Mansion?
Individual visitors do not: guided tours run throughout the day. Groups must schedule in advance.
How long does the visit to the Seelye Mansion take?
About an hour and a half, including the house, the gardens and the patent medicines museum.
What is special about the Seelye Mansion?
The family’s original furniture and belongings, lighting fixtures from Edison’s company, and an old bowling alley in the basement.