Karen C.
Yelp
I visited this restored 1895 Rosson House yesterday to partake in the guided tour using a free admission-for-2 Culture Pass (saved me $7.50 ;) ) from the downtown library (various local museum Passes are located near checkout like you're checking out books and you get a receipt to redeem @ the Museum House next door to Rosson House). The docent ("museum guide"), Kathleen Vick, was excellent and spoke with compassion in the mannerism similar to the Victorian era as she guided us throughout the interior of the House. She bespoke the history of the house after it was built (families/boarders living there, lifestyle of that era, costs to build/maintain,...) flawlessly without a script and without a sip of water for a full hour. Thus, exuding a compelling feel of the era and what they went through- both positive & negative. First, the rules for the interior of House: stay with a group and only walk on the purple carpet (which protects the linoleum inlaid of the floor from foot traffic wear-n-tear by visitors), do not touch or pick up objects, and only point & shoot cameras (not professional w/ detachable lens and no tripod) are allowed with flash off. I only wish they'd let us walk up the attic just to peek, even though they put up photos on the easel, of the attic on the walk-up stairs to give us an idea what it looks like upstairs- both past & present. Attics are rare in Phoenix ;) (the House doesn't have a basement). Another thing to consider: there were about 20 of us present and it can get crowded when it's over 10, so be prepared to squish around during the carpet walk. There is no reservation (only for schools or groups on Tuesdays), so you can just show up on the hour by the House picket-fence gate and wait for the docent to come out to introduce herself and begin the tour. Alert: they are closed on Mondays.
The House sits on the original Block 14 right on Heritage Square Science Park, near the corner of 6th Street and Monroe. It is very easy to spot, and the neighborhood is very safe and looks like a movie lot :) I like that you can visit that area even after closing to take exterior shots anytime and anyhow you'd like. I have a love for old homes. I can never fathom why that fashion ended for today's (gulp) ugly architecture all over. I think today's homes, especially in Phoenix area are ugly(!) They look like cheap adobes ready to fall apart, speedily built up just to accompany gullible snowbirds (i.e. even my own mother)...
I shall be back during Christmastime (with the free Culture Pass, of course) to check out the Christmas decors- in & out. I took so many shots so my camera batteries drained, so this would be my chance to pick up where the dead batteries left out (another visitor's batteries died, too, so I was not alone. Lesson learned: just bring extra batteries even if current use was already brand-new.) ;) Thanks for the special hour well-worth my time...see you again!
(And, BTW, don't forget to sign their Guest Book when you pay or redeem Passes at the register inside the Museum House ;) )