Bellamy Mansion Museum

503 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401, USA

Address:	503 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401, USA
Phone:	+1 910-251-3700
Site:	bellamymansion.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	Closed 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 1–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 12

Thomas Massey

The Bellamy Mansion Museum is rather unique in that it is an urban slave plantation with brick slave quarters that are in the process of a full restoration (currently the ground floors are open to visitors). I have visited the Mansion many times; more than a museum, it is a venue for history lectures, banquets, music and so forth. Although it was constructed just a couple of years before the Civil War, tour guides do not shy away from the fact that it was built using wealth accumulated by slaves, and in fact has some incredible plaster work created by slaves. This is "hands on" history at its best - the mansion encompasses a period of incredible upheaval - you can still see cigar burns in the marble fireplace mantles from federal troops housed there during the war. Kids may not remember the whole history lesson but theyll love climbing all the stairs and looking over downtown Wilmington if they make it all the way to the top.

Madeline Flagler

The Bellamy Mansion is my favorite site in Wilmington. The landscape and gardens are lovely, the building magnificent and the tour is wonderful. The gardens have original camellias and incredible 150 year-old magnolias that threaten to dwarf the huge house. The columns, intricate plasterwork and gilded mirrors and chandeliers are out of Downton Abbey. The tour includes the carriage house and the slave quarters giving this tour a fascinating story on many levels. To be able to go in all the buildings and the big house from the basement to the belvedere 4 floors above, is rare among these houses. The music on the lawn and lectures some evenings are an added delight. That they are able to have such a full calendar for these programs and still hold weddings there is remarkable. Kudos to the staff!!

Jim Belton

This is a very beautiful old home that has been lovingly restored. However, the tour guide should find another place to volunteer. She clearly despises the Bellamy family. Every period of history has its evils, including the Antbellum South. However, the guide found racial hatred in every corner, even in the familys desire to isolate kitchen odors from the dining room. She expressed joy that the matriarch of the family was discomfitted by the Union armys vandalization of the home. When a historical interpretter lacks all empathy for the people they study, they do violence to the discipline. If our nation is to heal from its great divisions, we will need to find for each other mutual respect and affection, rather than demonizing and dehumanizing our ancestors.

Dan Camacho

I live here in Wilmington and have never been disappointed by the Bellamy. If you are visiting, it is one of the places youll want to see. Not only will you get to see a beautiful antebellum mansion (it was completed on the eve of the Civil War), but youll learn a lot of general information on Wilmington and its long history. And in addition to its history with the Bellamy family, the museum has gone to great lengths to research and present the role that African Americans played had not only in the construction and life of the mansion, but also the construction and life of the City. And there is no better porch in the City to relax on if youre lucky enough to attend an event at the Bellamy, especially in the evenings.

melvin jones

This is the place to visit in Wilmington if youre into old houses, history, and architecture. Its not a house museum like Monticello but a museum within a house. The last reviewers experience seems unfair. Im sure that had the reviewer inquired, a plausable explanation would have been given. All of the tour guides are volunteers, and as with volunteers in any organization there are times when staffing is an issue. BTW: In addition to guided tours, the Mansion offers self-guided tours using an MP3 player as well as a paper tour that is printed not only in English but in French, Spanish, and German. Personally I have used all of these possible ways to visit the Mansion, and they are extremely well done.

Yndiana Montes

Every time I visit the Bellamy Mansion I discover something new. Now the management is doing a wider variety of events, which is a plus for the residents. For visitors, the Bellamy Mansion is just a must to see. With curved oyster-shell paths through a cozy Victorian garden taking care by locals, to walk to the elegant main entrance is an unforgettable experience. The stories of the Bellamy family, and the slavery times, are a part of the history of North Carolina and the "deep South", so the Bellamy Mansion Museum is not only one of the most spectacular constructions of antebellum architecture, but a place that talks about the life in the Civil War chapter.

A Private User

The mansion is beautiful inside and out. However, my sister is getting married there and in the contract it states that we get the house the night before for the rehersal. The people in charge of booking things however, booked an orchestra type thing in the back yard at the only time we can do the rehersal. Bellamy made a mistake, and they will do nothing to fix it, compensate for it or even apologize. Their business is horrible. All the money we have given them to have the wedding there and they cant even stick to the contract or even compensate us for their mistake. I would never want to deal with these people again. Terrible business people.

Jesse Bricker

The Bellamy Mansion Museum is a very unique type of house museum. It not only tells the story of the Bellamy family and details the architecture and design of the mansion, but connects it to surrounding city and its history. Every time I have been to the Bellamy it is a wonderful experience. The staff and docents are friendly and knowledgeable; every tour reveals something new about the site. I recommend the Bellamy to everyone that has any type of interest in history, architecture or design. It is a must see when you are in Wilmington.

Marie Cadell

Every visit I have made to the Bellamy Mansion Museum has been a very pleasant experience. The staff is friendly, the grounds excellently maintained, and each individual room is beautifully preserved. The museum as a whole just gives you a great sense of what life used to be like at the mansion. Also, the bathrooms were very clean whenever I was at the Bellamy, which I very much appreciate. I highly recommend doing the tour or attending an event at the Bellamy Mansion Museum. Fun times!

Jamie Moncrief

Hands down one of Wilmingtons most wonderfully-restored architectural masterpieces! Fantastic staff offering walking tours around the historic property that include period-decoarated rooms and lovely garden and grounds. Their unique gift shop offers historic memorabilia as well as artwork from select Wilmington artists. This is usually our first stop when we have friends and family visiting us from out of town.

Leslie Morton

A wonderful site to visit in Wilmington. The architecture is spectacular, but the history of Civil War-era Wilmington, the Bellamys, and their domestic slaves is the most interesting. The restored slave quarters adds so much to the tour, and there are often very nice exhibits on the second floor of the mansion. Do not expect a completely furnished home, but do expect a fascinating and revealing tour!

Phyllis Freeman

House is interesting, but it would be nice if it had more period furnishings. Our guide kept getting dates wrong, like saying that Fort Fisher fell in 1866. He also repeated information that was just delivered in the introductory video. I got more information from Wikipedia than he was able to deliver.