The Pleasant Home Foundation announced the historic Oak Park home is now open for self-guided or docent-led tours.
According to the foundation, the Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave., will again allow tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays. Tours can be arranged for other days with an appointment.
The grand Prairie-style home was designed by George W. Maher in 1897 for Chicago banker John Farson, and the home was completed the following year.
Pleasant Home is situated within Mills Park, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1996.
The Park District of Oak Park assumed ownership of the property in 1939, and the Pleasant Home Foundation opened Pleasant Home as a museum in 1990.
The building contains ornate and historic rooms, as well as exhibits that show what life was like when the building was completed more than a century ago. Guests can learn about how styles and technology changed from Victorian to Prairie, lost buildings and gardens and even a skirmish in the house between Oak Park police and the United States Army.
Tours take about an hour to complete and face coverings must be worn by all visitors. Social distancing guidelines must also be followed inside the home.
Patrons can choose from a free self-guided tour, which comes with a brochure to guide them along the home’s first level. For $10 per person, or $8 for seniors and members, patrons can choose between two guided tours that start every half hour. The paid guided tours showcase either family and architecture or the behind the scenes/servants tour.
The home is also accepting bus-group tours as well for up to 20 participants. Such groups are invited to bring in a beverage or lunch, and tables and chairs can be set up to accommodate groups. Advance notice for group tours is required.
To schedule a tour on a day other than a Thursday, or to receive more information about Pleasant Home, please contact [email protected].
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