DUNSMUIR HELLMAN HISTORIC ESTATE

Gorgeous historic home and grounds open for tours. The house was built by Alexander Dunsmuir for his bride in 1899. The house was decorated beautifully for the holiday season and also had lots of holiday photo opportunities outside for children, as well as two bouncy houses. There was a high tea event available, tickets available online and had sold out by our arrival. Friendly and helpful staff were plentiful. Parking was $15. Disability Information: Disabled parking available on request, with drop off and shuttle available to the house. The lovely walk through the grounds is on a paved but slightly bumpy narrow road that gently ascends to the house, which sits on a small rise. The road is perhaps 1/8th mile long. There is a ramp to the back door, but tours enter through the front and people are carefully routed in one direction only. Some stair climbing is necessary to see the house; I did not see any elevator or disabled access to the second floor. The restrooms are nearby in another building, but require either ascending a fairly long stair up the hill or using the slightly steep ramp walkway tucked around the back. Printed information throughout the house offered no Braille. The movement of foot traffic through the house moved at a fairly good pace, but if one wishes to move at a more leisurely pace most of the time there is room to allow others to pass. A lovely place to visit and we all very much enjoyed it!

Wonderful afternoon with my best buddy Anna Louise at Dunsmuir Hellman mansion in Oakland. The mansion and the grounds decorated beautifully and the holiday music definitely makes one feel festive and ready for the holiday.

Went here for the annual Great Gatsby Picnic and had a blast. I took off one star more so for the ppl then the actual location.

We, as members of the Art Deco Society of California, have one of our annual events, the Gatsby Summer Picnic, there. The estate is wonderful! They let us tour the house while we're there. It's beautiful! Oh. For those of you that may not be James Bond affictionados: the Dunsmuir Estate played a part in the 1985 movie "A View to a Kill"!

One of the best times to visit is during the annual Gatsby Celebration. Once you step onto the grounds, you're in a completely different era. The mansion is gorgeous, with a linen closet to die for! I highly recommend it!