Historic Adams House

Admission is $12 for adults and we passed by this on the way from the cemetery and decided to stop by and take a tour. The tour guide was very informative and walked us through the house. Deadwood is a small city but there is plenty of history going on around there. Love learning about the previous residents that lived their and their tragic love stories.

Definitely worth the visit! We went in without any knowledge of this place or any of its history and we were blown away by the end of the tour! Aaron, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, could answer any question, and made the whole thing a fun experience!

Built by prominent Deadwood businessman Harris and Anna Franklin in 1892, the Queen Ann-style home boasted plumbing, electricity, telephone service and an indoor kitchen with an icebox. At a cost of $10,000 to build, the Franklins spared no expense to furnish their home. Highlights included 18-carat gold chargers, monogrammed silver service and fine crystal wear. A safe was placed in the wall next to the dining room, so they would not have to carry the valuable place settings too far. Franklin also built a hotel on Main Street that is now a casino. When the Franklins moved back east, they sold the home to their son Nathan for $1.

In 1920, Nathan Franklin sold the home to the Adams family fully furnished for $8,000. The Adams family lived there for 5 years, but Mrs. Alice Adams, who was diagnosed with cancer, died during a visit to her pregnant daughter in California. The shock of her mother's death sent her daughter, Helen, into premature labor. Both she and her daughter died which left a distraught Mr. W.E. Adams without any family.

Several years went by and Mr. Adams met a young widow, Mary Vicich. She rebuffed his amorous advances, but he continued to court her with candy, flowers and other gifts. The two eventually married. He was 73 and she was only 29. Seven years later, he died of a stroke and she closed the house for the next fifty years as she felt was haunted.

Eventually, the house was sold, but the new owners saved everything , including jars of biscuits, so the restoration is very close to how the families would have lived here in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Took a 45 minute tour given by a knowledgeable guide ($10 pp).

The Queen Anne style Victorian home has an interesting history and is furnished with beautiful historically correct furnishings from the late 1800's.

Not much parking on the street, but worth a look.

This tour of a Queen Ann Victorian home was really great. The original owner of the house was a very prominent man in Deadwood as the co-owner of the grocery store. The house was very progressive with electricity, running water, a "freezer", amongst other modern and technology advances of the time - all in the western migration. The house itself has all the original furniture and glass. While there has been damage, everything has been restored beautifully. The house has only had two owners. The second owner's story is most interesting. When he passed away, he left the house to his second wife. She refused to live in the house, and it sat empty for 50 years, which is why so much of the original furnishings and wall hangings are in the house for people to exhibit. If you have been to any other houses of this era, you know that this is incredibly unique.

PS If you go on a tour of hauntings, you can ask about the house and get more information about its past!

I really enjoyed touring this historic house. Almost everything is exactly the way it was when it was built in the late 1800s. I had read that it was supposedly haunted after I toured it. I wish I knew beforehand since I would've loved to have run into a ghost. But if you are into any kind of architecture and detail this place is a must. It was the most expensive house built in the area at the time and it still looks it.

Beautiful home! Great tour! I really enjoyed the tour guide, she was full of information. There is so much that has been well preserved, big kudos to the Historic Society of Deadwood!

If time permits, I'd suggest going to the W.E. Adams Museum before you come to the Adams House, because I feel like it gives you more appreciation for the home and all the valuables in it. Plus, the tour guide kept referencing "at the museum" and I was really glad that I went to the museum earlier in the day prior to the house tour, because I knew everything she was talking about.

Lastly, I am super thankful they were open during "Deadweird" weekend. I will be back to do the paranormal tour someday!

Great representation of what life was like for wealthy people back in the late 1800 early 1900. Our tour guide took her time making sure we all got a good look at everything. If you find yourself in Deadwood you have to check it out.

This was one place I was so excited to see. Let me tell you it was so worth it. Just the thought that it laid untouched for 50 yrs, not even a break in is amazing in its self. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this your is, other then to say it's a must see.

Very nice restored home. Fine example of late 19th century luxury living. Our tour guide Sydney was very knowledgeable and the tour flowed nicely with the history if the home and the family(s) who lived there.