Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

If you love history and architecture of the late 1800s into the early 1900s, this place will delight. The homes are simply fascinating with drool worthy examples of Art Deco and Mission and some Art Nuevo. The wonderful and sometimes strange design choices are so fun and interesting. Woodworkers will be enthralled by the uses of wood in the house of a mill wright. The tour is guided by very knowledgeable guides that are super fun and friendly. I wouldn't recommend for very small children but anyone with a love of history will enjoy spending time exploring these houses.

For anyone that loves house tours & history- definitely put this on your list! Highlight of our trip for me. I did the guided tour, self-guided tour & Jr Ranger packet & learned different things from each one. Such cool history in a calm and beautiful place. Note to facilitators- please add better AC in the visitors center!

A Fascinating Stop on Our Girls’ Weekend – Loved the History! We visited the Riordan Mansion during a girls’ weekend getaway to Flagstaff, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. The home itself is beautiful and so well preserved, but what really made it special was the deep history connected to the Riordan family and Flagstaff itself. The tour was full of interesting stories – from the family’s role in the logging industry to how they helped bring electricity to Arizona. It was eye-opening to learn how many major parts of Flagstaff’s development are tied back to this one family. If you enjoy history, vintage architecture, or just want to learn more about Arizona’s roots, this is such a worthwhile stop. The mansion is beautifully maintained, and the staff was friendly, welcoming, and very knowledgeable. Whether you're with friends, family, or exploring solo, I highly recommend visiting. It’s a quiet, enriching experience that gives you a new appreciation for Northern Arizona’s past.

Very unique Arts & Crafts style mansion built with two separate living areas joined by common space. Our guide on 9/9/2025 (I forgot his name, sorry) was a wealth of knowledge regarding the mansion and family. A must see if you enjoy historical homes.

What a wonderful historical building! We enjoyed a tour of the house and loved learning the history of the town. There is also a self guided tour. The junior ranger program is so fun too!

We liked it! Tour guide was educational and we learned a lot about the Riordan family and their arts and crafts home. It was much cooler inside and the mansion had many rooms to walk through. I believe he said 95% of the things there were artifacts. Glad we visited during our short stay in Flagstaff!

Beautifully preserved by the original family and Arizona State Parks. The docents and rangers did a great job providing the family's and homes history. Amazing collection of Stickley furniture.

We went to Riordan Mansion for the Spooky Stories Tour. It encouraged me to want to check it out in the daytime because even at night, this estate sparkles. The architecture, the old and new wallpaper, the custom furniture and the amount of space in this mansion was all gorgeous. As for the Halloween tours, the tour guide did such a good job of sharing scary stories she knows that will make you laugh at times and also make your skin crawl. Throughout the tour, spooky occurrences would occur, which was fun. This was the perfect way to spend an October night after dinner/walk it off and get educated on the history and entertained by the stories. Also, RIP, Maureen. *Kisses index & middle fingers together and points to the sky* #IYKYK Thank you to the Riordan Mansion Caretakers for such a wonderful experience.

Brenden did an EXCEPTIONAL job giving us a private tour of the mansion. He was full of facts and stories. The artifacts & history packed into this mansion are so cool! You really got a sense of who these people were and how well they lived. The grounds are stunning and we really enjoyed the outside self guided tour. We were there two hours and I'd go back in a heartbeat!

First off, some of the signs pointing to the entrance of this place are flat out incorrect. Second off, it's not worth it to buy a $5 pass. The main attraction really is the mansion so just buy a $18 pass which gives you access to the mansion tour as well as the outside grounds (which is what the $5 pass gives you access to). As for as museum goes, the subject material isn't that interesting: it's about a random wealthy family. Imagine a 100 years into the future we have a museum about a random millionaire. Our tour guide, Marco, was fantastic and great at answering questions for our little group of 4. The mansion really is just a showcase of how a wealthy person's home from the early 1900's. You get a glimpse into their business and personal lives as well as the type of furniture employed in the household. The tour was interactive and nice. The self guided tour is just literally walking around the mansion so there isn't too much to see but it makes for a nice, short walk. Overall, I think that there are more interesting museums out there. But if you're looking for a super quiet museum to browse, this would be the place.

Very cool historic mansion that was scientifically updated for its day, and is also a great example of a Arts & Crafts Movement in the early 20th century I never knew about. The tour is more costly than I'd like as you can't enter the mansion yourself without a guide, but everything is costly these days. I actually found the tour was worth it, and my wife's 11 year old grandson was very interested and asked the guide a lot of questions. Definitely a very interesting and educational place. The Riordans were definitely rich, would be nice! Lol

Do the guided tour and see the inside of this amazing pre-industrial era Western log mansion. Kat is a very informative and insightful guide, who was one of the many volunteers put backbreaking work into restoring the house. Lots of antique implements and furnishings. Spoiler: it's NOT Haunted.

I was looking for something new to do on our quick anniversary trip to Flagstaff and found The Riordan Mansion. My hubby is a woodworker and loves craft style buildings and Stickly furniture so this was a no-brained....we had to go! A good variety of topics in Arizona history are here to explore and our tour docent was extremely knowledgeable and informative sharing with us insights we wouldn't have known had we done the self guided tour. It was well worth the $24.60 we paid for the two of us. Architectural style is similar to Frank Loyd Wright. Stickly furniture designs throughout the mansion, it had DC electricity, an original phonograph player designed by Edison, Photography from a man who accompanied John Wesley Powell on his historic journey exploring the Colorado River. A walk through a time machine displaying life as it was for a wealthy family in the early 1900's. Amazing Flagstaff gem that holds so much of Flagstaff's history - a definite must do.

Absolutely gorgeous home with fantastic history. While the grounds and self guided tour is lovely, the guided tour of the interior is a must. Kat was fun, lively, and told stories as if the family were her old friends. The gift shop also has high quality and affordable souvenirs. Only complaint has nothing to do with them: Apple Maps/GPS will try to stop you a block from the house. Use Google Maps to avoid a headache!

We had heard about this place when we visited in Flagstaff during the pandemic. Found out it was a State Park, but unfortunately closed due to Covid. So on our next visit I made sure I checked it out. We did the tour for $12 a person. Such a great experience, love the home and the history. Highly recommend even when there's snow.

This is a pretty cool state park located in the middle of the university campus. The original family home is kept in museum condition to tell the story of the family that was a major part of the founding of Flagstaff. The park rangers and volunteer tour guide give you a guided tour of the Riordan family. You are transplanted into Arizona history as you see how they lived over a century ago. Just amazing history made so much more interesting thanks to the passion of the tour guide.

A slice of Arizona history, preserved! All of the well-known State Parks around here are showcases of natural beauty, so going to some old mansion really feels like a step off the beaten path. While there's a small fee for exploring the outside of the premises, it's really only worth coming here for the guided tour. Our Park Ranger (Aurora) was a brilliant and talented public speaker well-versed in the artistic, cultural, and economic history of the home and the surrounding city. Here's a brief overview--I'll try not to spoil all the fun details! The Riordan family were pioneers of Flagstaff's burgeoning lumber industry of the late 19th and early 20th century. Around 1910 (give or take a few years), they built the largest property in town. But after several generations, the family could no longer afford to maintain the property, opting to let the State have it. Inside, you will see up-close how the wealthy lived a century ago. Some artifacts, like the cavernous icebox for cold storage. But when you see the original Sears & Roebuck catalogs, the piano, and the lighting, it feels a bit more modern than we give it credit for. Every wall of every room has a story, and your guide will bring it to life. If you're looking for something to do during the day that incorporates light physical activity and learning opportunity, you have to give this park a try!

The Riordan Mansion was a pleasant surprise. It is tucked behind a strip shopping center, and our GPS took us to the back fence while the front entrance is around the block facing the university. When we were there, the master gardeners were out taking care of the flowers. The house is huge for the time. The decorated interior helped us visualize what it was like to live in the house during that time. Our guide was knowledgeable and told us some great stories about the Riordan family. The small gift shop had unique items. Great visit for $12.00 a person.

Great little piece of history. I was able to bring my dog to walk through the grounds. A fun stop on my way thru town. .

Very fun and interesting place - really enjoyed our tour and it was a great value for $12. Great gift shop too!

I took the interior tour which Ken presided over. He was a wealth of information. Unfortunately I didn't take any interior pictures. The outside doesn't tell the story of the inside. The tour inside is $12 for adults and is well worth it. The architecture inside is creative and impressive. Interesting how two families lived in separate houses connected by a common room. The two brothers married two sisters.

This has got to be one of the most extraordinary homes in Arizona. With hot and cold water, electric lights, and heating - all state of the art for being built in 1904! As incredible entrepreneurs of the 1880s Flagstaff, the Riordan brothers, as one of the biggest employers in Flagstaff were able to well afford constructing this fantastic architectural feet of the early 20th century. This mansion is well worth the visit to see how the well-to-do lived in the period, with amenities and conveniences we take for granted today. And, the beauty of décor and design of a by-gone day where natural materials, intricate design, then modern techniques as well as incredible craftmanship all come to fruition in a magnificent abode. Highly recommended.

A great piece of history , culture and design and furniture that influenced an era and we can still see in our culture today. The guides are knowledgeable and friendly. A lucky find.

Really enjoyed touring this place. You need to make a reservation which is the only way to tour the mansion inside. I believe you can do it online, but I just called and made my reservation that way on the day off. The house was made in 1904. Some of the features in this house seemed like the owners thought ahead of their time when building it. We really enjoyed learning about the history of this house. My son was also able to complete a junior ranger activity here and received a badge when he was finished. I would definitely recommend this place.

The tour of the Riordan Mansion gives a great historical view of what life was like in Arizona in the early 1900s. The two Riordan brothers, both instrumental figures in the history of Flagstaff, lived together in the mansion. It was designed as two single family homes with a large communal room in the middle. Thinking back at what life must have been like in Flagstaff 1900, it seems reasonable to have the homes attached. Even if there was a big snowstorm, there wouldn't be anything holding you back from hanging out with your cousin. The swing rooms had the most beautiful bookshelves lining the room. They seemed to make use of all the walls while not being overbearing. The dining room table shows the contrasting nature of the Riordans. On the one hand, the oval table, as opposed to a rectangle table, is practical design to enable everyone at the table to see and hear each other better. On the other hand, the dining room chairs appeared to be the most uncomfortable chairs I had ever seen. There seemed to be a wooden plank sticking out around the lower back, preventing you from sitting straight up and down with your back on the chair. I definitely recommend the tour to anyone interested in history.

We took the 10 am guided tour. Absolutely worth the price of it! The grounds are very well kept and interior was amazing. Our guide was very well versed and excited to tell the tales. Thank you all!

Great tour and history of an influential Flagstaff family in the early days! Make reservations over the phone ahead of time as there is limited capacity per tour given on the hour. Billy was an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable and answered all of our off the wall questions! The first hour of the tour you go room to room on one side of the house and at the end you are in the other side of the house it's converted into more of a museum with photos, informational text to read about the photos or artifacts. Definitely recommend stopping at Riordan Mansion Tour!

What a great surprise! We decided to find something different on a trip to Flagstaff. The Riordan mansion popped up in a search. We called to get a guided tour and got in with no issue. The tour was excellent. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The house is amazing! A very well preserved piece of Flagstaff history. I'd recommend going through the wealth of information in the visitor center first so you know what's coming on the tour. The additional self guided tour outside was also informative. Be aware that GPS does not provide the correct location. You need to go past where it tells you to turn as it's on the NAU campus. Well worth the small entrance fee.

Our tour guide, Alina, was the highlight of our visit. Not only is she knowledgeable, she injected humor into her talks. She kept us entertained throughout the entire tour.

Very enjoyable tour. It is a unique mansion and well furnished with original artifacts, just as it was when the Riordans lived there. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and energetic. We are from out of town and it helped us get a feel for the local flagstaff history.

This was surprisingly very interesting and enjoyable, even for someone who doesn't typically go willingly to museums! It's crazy to think about this family having such a huge garage at a time that cars were barely coming into existence. The park has obviously taken great care in preserving as close to accurate restorations as possible and during the tour pointed out some sections of wall paper and etc that have been repaired. It hosts many events and gatherings such as weddings and we were lucky to get invited to tour with our real estate agent. I do suggest people check it out. It's amazing what modern amenities they had, before they were common place. What money can buy for families at any time I guess, but it's amazing none the less. The home was built for efficiencies and advanced comforts and I found it fascinating. If you enjoy architecture and antiques this is a fun mix of the two.

Had such a great time! The self guided tour was very informative, and the staff was super friendly! Lots of fun history!

Flagstaff's founding family's home is preserved for your viewing pleasure, next door to an apartment complex and across the street from a strip mall. Despite the most unlikely of locations, once you walk through the gates and enter the property, it's like you're in another world. This is the original duplex, two brothers' families sharing a middle living space but residing on opposite sides of a single dwelling. You don't even have to do the interior tour ($10/pp, see website) to appreciate this lovely spot, the visitor's center has a paper guide to tour the grounds at your own pace. Make time for it!

When making arrangements I asked about a wheel chair and accessibility. Understand this is a historic home and it would of been better just to say no. My friend is 80 and trying to get chair over thresholds was impossible. We left and watched a video. Tour guide sadly could not answer any questions regarding art in the home, furniture, pottery. Said she would be able to research end of tour and disappeared and we were unable to learn much. Tour guide very young and every sentence ended with "it's so cool." Just not the kind of interpreter you would expect from Park Service. It was just disappointing.

This place is a hidden treasure. We paid $12 a person and we're able to catch a tour at 1pm. Our guide was very informative and friendly. So much history in an hour! So beautiful!

A great place to visit. The building is about 120 years old, and the furnishings are original. Our tour guide was Ranger Brendon, who was very knowledgeable about the building and the family who built it. Definitely a great place to visit if you are in Flagstaff.

Such a neat place to visit. It's like a step back in time. Beautiful architecture & grounds. Very affordable.

Riordan Mansion provides a glimpse back in time to the early days of Flagstaff. We opted to take the guided tour. For $10 each our docent led us through the mansion and gave a brief history lesson about the time period, the lifestyle of the occupants of the home, and the philanthropic contributions that the Riordan family made to the sustainability of the city of Flagstaff. Afterward we took a self-guided tour of the grounds. We spent 2 hours here. The mansion continues to operate through donations and the cost of the tours. If you love history this is well worth the time and investment.

Hidden away off the main strip and tucked between the NAU campus and a graveyard (how's that for a start... LOL)... you might just get a glimpse of the Riordan Mansion. It is truly one of the little known gems in Flagstaff. The home(s) were built in 1904 by two brothers that valued family and decided they wanted to raise theirs together. The mansion is built in the craftsman style and unbelievably, many of the original items are still there, on display in the house. The house was HUGE. I believe there were something like 40 rooms and was designed by Charles Whittlesey, who also imagineered the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon. The estate turned the home over to Arizona State Parks and Recreation years ago. Since then the staff has been archiving and restoring as the families literally left everything when they moved from the six acre grounds. I spent some time volunteering here when I was going to NAU and had the most unbelievable time. I would go in to rooms and archive things that were used every single day for almost 100 years by members of the Riordan family. Just to put this in perspective, archiving started a little over 20 years ago and they are still working their way through the West wing of the house. I loved my time in the house. The Tiffany glass, the beautifully crafted word work, the marvels of period architecture... seriously this is the kind of place you don't find in Arizona. We simply don't have that kind of history here! Tours of the East wing are offered daily, but are limited in size, so if you are really interested, call ahead and make a reservation. The tour will cost you $6 for adults and $2.5 for kids. If you are in the area and are looking for a truly unique experience, read up on the Riordan's and their many significant contributions to our state, then definitely check out the mansion. http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/parkhtml/riordan.html

We got there typical Indian Time..aka late. But they had two tickets left and graciously hustled us in and caught us up to the group. We didn't miss much and the lady escorting us went over some of the things as we approached. The one thing that absolutly stands out and I LOVED about this place, is that they had a walker uptairs and down. You see, my mom has bad knees so walking is pretty tough. But she's been always wanting to come here, so I said okay, you want to go - lets go. The lady who sold us the ticket made sure my mom could handle the stairs. And Nikki who was giving the tour, asked her as well. And when we got to the stairs part, she let my mom start up while Nikki had us at the bottom and talked about what we would be seeing. My mom used those walkers and was so happy. Thats what mattered the most - she got to see something she's been dying to see and did it comfortably. The place is huge and twice I'm like Wait, we're still in the first house?? LoL It had great ideas about how I would build my house. They had original pieces throughout the first house. It's wild to think one of the daughters still lived there until she passed a few years ago. Its something that should be seen with your own eyes because I won't be able to do it justice here. They do offer the place for weddings which was neat. We took the very last tour and they weren't pushy at all in hustling out of there. These people were so nice about everything that happened. Kids needing to pee, questions, explaining everything and being accomidating to us. I loved that Nikki loved giving the tours. I overheard her talking to another guest about how excited she was when she learned she would be giving tours that weekend and not be stuck doing her regular duties. I'm glad to have put a check next to that place for not just me, but my mom too.

First, I have to say, the people that work here are phenomenal. So friendly and accommodating. We went on the Halloween tour and weren't quite sure what to expect since it was our first time ever going. The home is pretty cool and the history is great. The tour was definitely not too spooky. A few rocking chairs, a few slammed doors so it was fun but not crazy. The tour guide was fine, she seemed like she struggled a bit through her stories but she was sweet. I wish there had been more to say about the actual history of the home but maybe it's not a very spooky place. I think I would try the regular tour for sure.

I was worried to come here a day after touring Taliesin West. How could the little known Riordan Mansion compare to the famous Frank Lloyd Wright institution? Shockingly, I liked Riordan more. (Please, no hate mail from Wright fanatics.) It's a fancy house for a city named after a pole. I guess Flagstaff is better than being named Post or Standard. Riordan Mansion was designed by Charles Frederick Whittlesey who created the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon and the first major home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic which housed the orchestra for over 4 decades. Like El Tovar, Riordan used the same false log cabin exterior. Because it looks like a log cabin, I was confused how Riordan Mansion could be an Arts & Crafts house. There are also few interior photos because photography is not allowed in most of the house. But trust me, the interior is Arts & Crafts with stained glass, Stickley furniture, and built-in cabinets and shelves. The entire house has been very well preserved. Remarkably, the original furnishings, including family photos, are still in the house. The exteriors are open to the public, but the inside of the house can only be seen by one-hour tour. Add another 15 minutes for extra wandering. Even though it is next to NAU (universities are typically parking space hungry), there was plenty of free parking in the park while school was in session.

This mansion is definitely worth a visit. I have visited a lot of similar late 1800s/early 1900s mansions all over the country and this is one of the most unique and well-designed ones I've ever been to. Not necessarily the most luxe and showy, although it's very clear the Riordans were absolutely filthy rich by the standards of the day, but really smart and practical design that you could learn from even today. I loved getting to see the beautiful window transparency decor, this is only the second mansion I've ever seen them in. The pricing is fair and I found the staff to be reasonably friendly even on a very cold and windy day. There was a family there with a young child having a massive tantrum and they handled it very well. The tour is roughly 45 minutes guided, and 15 minutes in a small museum (you might get longer if you're not the last tour of the day, I think maybe? but honestly 15 was more or less enough). Some of the artifacts are original and some are not. The house was in active use up to about the 1980s, so changes were made throughout the house's history, so it's not as much of a Victorian time capsule as some, but better than others.

Paid money to go on a guided tour only to be treated so rudely and feel disrespected! For sooo long now, my best friend and I have been anticipating visiting this mansion, having been recommended to come here and hearing nothing but good things and also seeing high reviews on Yelp! Total opposite experience We made reservations by calling and made reservations for 2 at 4:00. They run tours every hour. 4:00 was the last tour of the day. We were told to get there early so we can do a self guided tour because the park will be closed after the tour is finished. It was an hour long tour. (I was counting down the mins until it was through) We arrived early and enjoyed our self guided tour. We arrived with plenty of time so we were able to take our time to walk around outside with the brochure explaining what each numbered poles meant. That was honestly the only good thing about this place. But mind you, I'd rather save $10 ($20 total) and spend elsewhere. I'm only giving this place 2 stars because I did enjoy the outside tour and believe I would've enjoyed the inside tour also if we had a different tour guide as ours was rude as hell! DIANE was our tour guide. She was not only rude but I'm pretty sure racist. How so? As we were standing inside waiting for our tour to start and for it to be 4:00, Diane comes up to us and says, "You guys aren't doing the tour right?" First mistake, why would you ever question a guest? If anything you should ask if we wanted to go on the tour. But no. Secondly, she asked so rudely that it made the lady behind the counter even look at the both of us and say before I got to say anything- yes they are going! Like, why would we both be just standing there?? Do normal people just stand there and do nothing? I'm confused. Also I know she must be racist to some sort of race or maybe age because as we were inside the lobby or entrance room, we were looking around, looked around the table and she left us alone but before hand she went up to other guests and explains every single thing on the table to them. When we both went up to look at the artifacts on the table: she says nothing. THEN another group comes in, goes to look at the artifacts and there she comes, goes to explain everything. Like, lady, are you intimated by us or what?? Not only did the rude accusation of not going on the tour rub me the wrong way but during the tour as she explains everything to us 8 total in the group she doesn't look at me or my friend or ask US questions but asks everyone else. In one of the rooms inside the house, there were pictures behind all of us as we were all standing with our backs faced the pictures and our face faced toward her, she tells us to turn around and look at the pics. THEN she rudely comes up and nudged me, literally with her shoulder pushed me out of the way to explain a damn picture. Damn lady, have you no manners either!? I have never felt so uncomfortable. I am so disappointed in the service we received here. I know Diane volunteers at the Park but honestly Diane, if you hate it so much that you are going to treat guests that way, then don't volunteer!! Sorry but everyone deserves to have a positive experience if they paid for it. DO NOT DO THE TOUR WITH DIANE!!

One of the sights I've came to enjoy while sightseeing in Flagstaff is the Riordan Mansion state park right on the campus of Northern Arizona university. How I found this place was completely by accident, as I had time and just steered towards the signage and into the parking lot. The Riordan family of Flagstaff Arizona built this mansion back in 1904 when Arizona was a territory of the United States. Back then, the Riordan brothers were important players to the Flagstaff Arizona, excelling in the fields of commerce, banking, lumber, railroads, and political affairs. By 1978, the homestead mansion was seeded to the state of Arizona, where it became a state park. It was great to learn a little history while on vacation here in flagstaff, AZ and touring the northern Arizona university as well! The home mansion is certainly well established for its time in the early 1900's when the United States was still putting the final pieces of its union together in the far west and southwest. It was quite grand and luxurious for what it had 112 years ago. This was real high life living back in the southwest and at the turn of the century. The experience was nice and definitely got me out of my rental car after driving a lot on the I-17 from Phoenix. The Riordan mansion state park sits at 409 W Riordan Road here in flagstaff Arizona. Admission here is a good $10 for adults and $7 for youth (ages 7-13). Kids years 6 and under are admitted free. Since I had cash on me at the time, I decided to pony up the cash and enter this historic place. The parking situation was very limited though, it's best that you make a reservation before coming here rather than just showing up on the fly, like I did. That's cool though, they have guided tours on the hour from 10am to 4pm. They close at 5pm daily. I was glad that I found parking, only after I had to circle around one or two times. I roamed the grounds for a little bit before entering the grounds and paid for my admission fee. They ask you to not take photos within the compound, so that's why I did not take any photos to post to yelp. I can understand that. They must've been high class living to be here during the turn of the century. Arizona was a territory then and Flagstaff Arizona is pretty much the Wild Wild West during that time, especially when they were building the railroads through the territory before it became a state in February 1912. Just 8 years after they built the Riordan mansion homestead too. I Gotta admit that this mansion is pretty pretty amazing, definitely a work of art in building a big ass mansion for the times that they were living in. I could see myself living here, but I could not of afford it. It was nice to have the guides tell us about the history of the house and that of its inhabitants. They had definitely lived very rich and self enriching lives and definitely was well earned and helped the territory become the state it is today. I have been learned so much about this property and that you have it in us who have influenced the community and that of Arizona. They help build Flagstaff for what it is today, and it is pretty awesome. The Riordan brothers help improve Flagstaff's Normal School, which grew into the flagship Northern Arizona University. I thought that was pretty nifty and noteworthy accomplishment, even after their deaths, NAU continues to thrive because of them. I'd recommend coming and checking this place out, if you were in the Flagstaff area. Any visit to the Grand Canyon, would need to be paired with this visit to the Riordan mansion state park in Flagstaff. I enjoyed my guided tour and hope you will too. 4.5 stars overall. Support local! A-

Stumbled upon this, checking out Flagstaff. Tours are every hour on the hour. We just missed it when we arrived. Free to walk the outside! We signed up for the Ghost Stories later this month. We are going to take the tour at night!!! Can't wait. I was told the tours for Halloween usually sell out so I got the tickets early. Just call.

The Arizona State-owned property is a great place to visit and see how the Riordan Family lived in the early 20th Century. In fact, they lived quite well since they owned the sawmill in Flagstaff and had plenty of money to build this duplex house for the two brothers and their families that owned the sawmill. One house is restored and furnished. You can't take pictures in that house. The other house has display boards and pictures on the first floor. Some rooms are partially furnished and the second floor is not open. They allow pictures in that house. Not sure what the picture policy is about but the houses, furniture and grounds are nice. The gift shop is in the families 6-stall garage in the rear of the house. It also has some pieces of furniture and pictures of of the family and the sawmill.

We just finished the tour of the Riordan Historic Mansion (tour duration: 45 -60 minutes) and we were extremely impressed. The $10 tour fee goes toward the preservation and maintenance of the mansion and grounds. It was totally worth every dollar. The park doesn't get any funding from the state so every visitor matters to the continued survival of this gem of the Arts and Crafts style of architecture. The tour starts at the hour starting from 11am and the last one at 4pm. We were amazed by the excellent condition of the mansion both inside and out. The architect of the mansion was also responsible for the El Tovar Hotel in the Grand Canyon National Park. There were several rare and priceless pieces of furniture in the mansion created from the collaboration of Stickley and Ellis, two pioneers of the Arts and Crafts movement. Every layout and placement inside the house served a utilitarian purpose without sacrificing the aesthetic aspect of the place. Truly a masterpiece of the Arts and Crafts style! Go and take the inside tour. P.S. You can also take the free self-guided grounds tour (duration: 15-20 minutes).

This was an interesting tour. Hadn't any idea what it was like going in. The tour guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Well worth a look. The house and story about the brothers were highlights. Take the scenic drive up 89A and plan on spending an hour & one half at the mansion.

This was a great tour & an amazing house, set in a small wooded park. Our guide was very knowledgeable & let us spend time taking pictures & asking questions about the mansion & the very interesting family that once lived there. The craftsmanship & design are amazing & definitely something not to miss in the area.

I was dubious about taking this tour, I'm glad I stuck around. Very cool. If you want a great background on Flagstaff and where it got it's start this is the place. The main building is a massive old two-winged cabin built by two brothers for their families. They are connected by a common area with great old Indian daguerreotype inserts in the windows and a massive fireplace. Great for checking out for a slice of life over a hundred years ago. Interesting history on Lake Mary (built for sailing and water for the city) and maps of the old industrial timber rail lines build into the surrounding forests (many of the rail beds can still be seen if you know where to go). the visitor's center is the old automobile garage (2nd car in Flag). I will take anyone who visits me here to this museum.

I've loved this place since I first went in the early 90s and I was in elementary school. Over the years I've convinced so many people to go there with me. I love old house tours in general and I've been to a few Arts and Crafts homes in other cities, but what I really like about this one is what it meant to incorporate the nature from the surrounding area in to this mansion. It's like a gigantic, gorgeous, log cabin. Everything in the house came from the family and it has some unique features such as the swing in the living room and the light well in the central part of the house. Our most recent tour guide was a bit odd. They were definitely into the house, but they also just came off a bit condescending. I love hearing about older ways of doing things, but I don't like when it's presented as we modern day people are so lazy because we don't have to do x,y,z. However I've been on this tour a bunch so I'm not really letting that affect my overall view of the place. Its also gotten more expensive over the years. It's up to $10 per adult. I know this is a result of it almost closing a few years back and I'm glad that it didn't, but still, it starts to add up. Overall though definitely go, it's a fun hour.

This was one of our favorite historic parks. Our tour guide was very informative and patiently answered our kids questions about the mansion and history of Flagstaff. We spent about three hours here while completing the tour, finishing the Junior Ranger activity book, and eating a packed lunch outside at the picnic benches. The kids were sworn in as Junior Rangers and received their Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Junior Ranger collector's pin. The architecture is very interesting and it turns out that it was done by the same man who designed the El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon. Glad that we took time out of our day to visit this park.

This was an awesome stop along our tour of Northern Arizona. We missed it the last time (be sure to check their hours - closed tue/wed), but i was so thankful we got to stop this time! Even if you aren't into history or architecture, this place is great! The tour is just about an hour long and very informative. Lots to see!!! I am obsessed with Hearst Castle in Northern California, and this is very similar, just much smaller. Only $10 per person! Would highly recommend it to all! Our tour guide did a nice job including the younger ones into the discussion too.

We stopped by last weekend and did an outside tour of the home and property, but did not opt for the $10 per adult interior tour. I do plan to return and do this. The trip is well worth it. Their is much history to review of the Riordan family in the visitor center, which was converted from the family's 6 car garage. The home is a marvel for it's time and a really beautiful walk around the grounds. The arts and crafts style architecture is well done and their are so many little details to appreciate, not to mention the landscape, gardens, and fountains. I definitely recommend that one stop and enjoy this for an hour or two.

This is a great park with a focus on Flagstaff and early Arizona history. Fans of the Arts and Crafts movement and architecture will have the house on their must-do list. The Stickley furniture and the design of the house made this tour for me. The grounds are beautiful and the tour is great showing the inside of the house and providing fascinating stories about the family. A great experience all ways around.

Great tour for the entire family. You get a sense of spirits in the house especially when you're the only family in the tour group. Or maybe it was just me. $7/adult and kids are free. Remember to "stay on the red carpet" or else! :-)