This realistic Meeker Mansion Self Guided Tour Review helps you plan your next visit to this house museum.

The Meeker Mansion is a historic house near Seattle, WA. The mansion dates back to 1890.

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Sights & Places of Interest

The Meeker Mansion is one of the few house museums on the Pacific Coast. History and architecture lovers should add this late 19th century house to their must-visit list.

Who were the Meekers?

As the name suggests, the house belonged to Ezra Meeker. Mr. Meeker was one of the pioneers who took the Oregon Trail in his youth.

Meeker was a successful farmer, brewer, and entrepreneur after settling in what is now Puyallup. He became the first mayor of the city in 1890.

Meeker commissioned construction of this mansion around the same time, in 1886. The house was ready when Meeker already served as a mayor.

Meeker advocated for commemoration of the Oregon Trail. His work led to the creation of a few monuments along the trail, like Scotts Bluff in Nebraska.

Rose Garden

A beautiful rose garden is the first thing you see if you enter the mansion’s grounds from the Spring Street. If you visit the Meeker Mansion in the summer, you will see different types of roses in bloom.

The garden is quite small. But the rose bushes do just enough to hide the mansion from the street and the railroad. They also set the right mood for a visit.

You cannot enter the mansion through the doors facing the Spring Street. Instead you need to walk past the main entrance towards the American flag.

This is the entrance to the museum. You cannot miss it thanks to a large porch cover.

You will be in a small entryway as soon as you enter the mansion. This room is now a ticket office. A docent will take your admission fee and explain the museum rules.

Hallway

The hallway is right next to the small ticket office. This room is a lifeline of the mansion. It connects all parts of the house.

• The dining room is behind the left door.
• The room that houses the ticket office is behind the right door.
• The library is to the left.
• The parlor is to the right.
• The grand staircase is the main path to the second floor.

You can explore the rooms in any order on your tour of the mansion. This Meeker Mansion Self Guided Tour Review will start with the parlor.

Parlor

The parlor was a center of house during the parties that the Meekers hosted. Nowadays, this room has a lot of pieces of art on its walls. In fact, every single wall space has a painting or an exhibit.

Also, do not miss the original fireplace. It is one of six in this mansion. Each has unique wood carvings, tile, and screen patterns.

This room has a few other notable pieces. Two plush chairs, a gorgeous table lamp, and a side table. But there is also an elephant in the room – a wedding dress.

This is not a coincidence. The Meeker Mansion hosts wedding receptions both inside the museum and on its grounds. You need to plan your reception in the mansion well in advance.

This room also has a painting of Mount Rainier on the wall. You can no longer see the mountain from the Meeker Mansion. Tall buildings, structures, and trees get in the way.

But it is possible to imagine that the Meekers enjoyed the gorgeous view from the study on the second floor.

Library

The library is another large room on the ground floor. You need to cross the hallway near the main entrance to get to it. This room has an impressive number of books, like any good library.

You could easily imagine the Meekers and their guests conversing or reading books in this room. Ezra Meeker wrote some of the books in this bookcase.

The books are not the only items that make this library unique. Take a closer look at the fireplace. It is another original wooden fireplace mantel.

The wood carvings are a great display of craftsmanship in this mansion. The metal cover is also a sight to see. This cover shows a knight on a horse.

This Meeker Mansion Self Guided Tour Review will now walk you through the remaining rooms on the ground floor.

Dining Room

The Dining Room is another well-designed room in the Meeker Mansion. A large dining table is the centerpiece of the room. The table could sit 18 people.

The dark curtains ensure that the east facing windows do not let in too much light. A massive radiator is right next to the window. It is a useful device for the winters in the Pacific Northwest.

Like most other house museums, the Meeker Mansion has tableware and cutlery served on the table. These items date back to the late 19th century. Their current purpose is to show how the Meekers hosted their guests.

Most first floor rooms host private and public events to this date. There is an annual spiritualist fair that takes place in the mansion. It fits nicely with the haunted stories that surround this mansion and the Winchester House in San Jose, CA.

Regardless of your opinion of psychics, this fair is an opportunity to see a part of the mansion at a discount. The entrance fee to the fair is just $5 per person.

Kitchen

The dining room is next to the kitchen. The kitchen setup is almost identical to the Haas-Lilienthal House in San Francisco, CA. You have table, stove, sink, a few countertops and cabinets.

This kitchen prioritizes efficiency over appearance. It is very functional. Yet, the kitchen still looks well-designed. Many of its items were state-of-the-art devices back in the day.

Just take a look at this magnetic telephone. It was a big deal back in the late 1800s. But not it looks like a wooden box with two bike bells.

Grand Staircase

Once you finish exploring the ground floor, you could take the Grand Staircase upstairs. This staircase is an example of amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail.

The wooden panels and railings do not have a single nail. It makes this staircase even more impressive. Imagine creating and fitting this half round piece of railing.

This Meeker Mansion Self Guided Tour Review will now describe the different rooms on the second floor.

The second floor has a few bedrooms and museum exhibits. The former rooms have furniture pieces and items that belonged to the Meekers. The latter rooms display items from that era. Many of them had no connection with the Meekers.

Meeker Bedroom

The Meeker Bedroom is one of the two bedrooms on the second floor. It is right above the parlor.

This room has original furniture. You will find a beautiful bedroom set, table and floor lamps, and paintings on the wall. The paintings above the bed show Ezra and Eliza Jane Meeker, the mansion’s owners.

The master bedroom connects to a bathroom and a dressing room. It looks like few things changed in the interior design over the past 130+ years.

Balcony Bedroom

The second bedroom is a place to go if you like antique furniture. The bed has a beautiful wood carving on the headboard.

The chest of drawers has different patterns. There is a in-built clock. And it even includes a storage space for a chessboard.

Even the small items look fabulous. Take a look at this perfume box. It has room for two vials.

But this box has decorations instead of just fulfilling its function. There is nice blue lining. An embroidered flower takes its place on the cover.

Yellow Room

The Yellow Room houses the museum exhibits. You will see few original furniture pieces here. But it is a good place to learn about the life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

You can see a few dresses and shoes on a display. There are also pictures of the family above the display cabinet.

You could also take a look at the antique sewing machine. Back in the day, these machines had their own tables to make sewing easier.

The yellow room has another original fireplace in the house. This time, its screen displays an Egyptian profile.

You could use the servant’s staircase to return to the kitchen. In fact, you could visit the kitchen, pantry, and dining room after exploring the second floor. This is the best route that will save you time.

Even the servant’s staircase in this house has something to see. Enjoy a view of the American flag behind a lace curtain.

Continue with our Meeker Mansion Self Guided Tour Review. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.

Getting to Meeker Mansion

The Meeker Mansion is at 312 Spring Street in Puyallup, Washington. You could also find this museum under different names. Look for:

• Meeker Mansion
• Ezra Meeker Mansion
• Puyallup Historical Society at Meeker Mansion

You would want to put the last name into Google Maps for the most accurate directions.

There are a few ways to reach the Meeker Mansion. You can get there in a car and via public transport.

• Car: park in the small lot in front of the mansion. You can enter the lot from the Spring Street.
• Train: the mansion is a 7-min walk from Puyallup Station. The station is on the S Line route. It runs on weekdays only.
  • From Tacoma: A train ride takes 12 minutes. The cost is $3.5 per adult.
  • From Seattle: A ride from King Street Station takes 42 minutes. It costs $4.75 per adult.
• Bus: you can get to the mansion on buses 402, 409, 425, and 578. All of them stop near the museum.
  • A single adult ride on most buses is $2.
  • Bus 578 costs $3.25.

The mansion’s backyard faces the Pioneer Street. If you travel via public transport you can also enter the grounds from this street.

Where to Stay near Meeker Mansion

The Meeker Mansion is part of the large Seattle-Tacoma area. There are a lot of hotels and vacation rentals to choose from.

You can look for places to stay in Puyallup. The area is not very walkable. But you could reach the mansion on foot if you decide to do so.

If places to stay in Puyallup are not for your liking, look into Tacoma. This is a much bigger city than Puyallup. And you will have a lot more options there.

The third option is to look for hotels along the I-5 corridor. There are a lot of hotels in Lakewood, Kent, Auburn, SeaTac, and Tukwila.

If everything else fails, you can always look for a place to stay in Seattle proper. This will likely be the most expensive option.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

The Meeker Mansion is open to visitors during most of the year.

• Regular schedule: Wednesday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Restoration: The museum is closed for restorations in January and February of each year.

You can take a guided or a self guided tour of the mansion. This makes the Meeker Mansion different from most house museums in the US and abroad.

You could find a similar policy just at the Pittock Mansion, Hillwood Estate, and Swan House.

Most visitors explore the mansion on a self guided tour. This tour costs between $10 and $12 per person.

• Adults: $12
• Seniors, students, and military members: $11
• Children: $10

You can purchase your self guided tour tickets right in the mansion. There is no online reservation system. And you do not need to reserve your tickets by phone in advance.

Things are different if you would like a guided tour. In this case, you have to make a reservation by phone or email. Such tours require a group of 10 people or more.

There are also other, more exotic ways of visiting the Meeker Mansion.

If you are a parent of a schoolchild in the area, you can also arrange a field trip. It is best for 4th and 7th grade students.

You could also celebrate your wedding at the Meeker Mansion. Reach out to the Meeker Mansion staff well in advance to arrange your wedding reception.

• The mansion can accommodate up to 25 guests.
• An outdoor celebration in an event tent can host 125 guests.

Takeaways: Meeker Mansion Tour

The Meeker Mansion is a great house museum near Seattle. If you enjoy history and architecture, you should add this mansion to your itinerary.

You can enjoy this house museum at your own pace without a tour guide. It sets it apart from most house museums out there.

There is a lot to do at the Meeker Mansion.

• Learn more about the life of an Oregon Trail pioneer.
• See the craftsmanship of the furniture pieces and original fireplaces.
• Enjoy the blooming roses in the outside garden.
• As a bonus, find the best views of Mt. Rainier in Seattle Tacoma area in Puyallup.

But if history is not your thing, do not go out of your way to see the Meeker Mansion. You can finish your visit in 30 minutes or less if you do not study the exhibits. It might not be a good return on your $12 ticket.

Most house museums prohibit videos inside. As a result, there is no Meeker Mansion Self Guided Tour Video Review. Visit our YouTube channel for other latest videos.

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