Guided Tour of the U.S. Grant Home (Galena, IL) at 500 Bouthillier St – Galena, IL

Reservations made on this page are for anyone planning to tour the Grant Home on November 1, 2026 or after. For anyone reading this who wants to tour the Grant Home before November 1st, you can go to the home's front porch and ask for a tour there.

On August 18, 1865, Galena presented General Ulysses S. Grant with the Italianate style home as a thank you for his service in the American Civil War. It was the family home during Grant’s presidential campaign and his two terms in the White House.

We invite you to experience a guided tour of the U.S. Grant Home. The interior of the home is only accessible by a guided tour led by our trained staff; walkthroughs and self-guided tours are not permitted. Reservations are strongly recommended due to limited tour capacity (16 people) and can be made on this page. If you need assistance making your reservation online, please call us at (815) 777-3310 or email granthome@granthome.com. You should receive an email from Eventbrite confirming your reservation. If you don’t see it, check your spam/junk folder.

There is no charge for the tour, but donations to support the site are appreciated. Cash or check donations can be made in-person at the time of your tour; card and digital donations can be made on our website at granthome.org.

Tours run every 45 minutes, with a closure from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Tour times are 9:00 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

On Your Arrival

Report to the front porch of the Grant Home 5-10 minutes before your reserved tour time to check in. You do not need to print your ticket for the tour, nor show us your mobile ticket or confirmation email. We’ll check you in by the name your reservation is under—just give us your name at the door and we’ll take care of the rest.

Guests without a reservation may inquire at the porch at tour time about open spots. Any open spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Tour Policies

1. Please be sure to reserve a ticket for all members of your party, including adults and children. All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. If there are not enough tickets for your party for your desired time and date, you will need to choose another. If your entire party has more than 16 people, please contact the Grant Home directly for assistance.

Large groups, such as a school field trip or motor coach, should not use Eventbrite and must contact the site directly to make a reservation.

2. All guests will be required to register, either by making an advance reservation or by registering at the door as they arrive. Walk-up guests will only be permitted if the tour is not already at capacity, and walk-up guests must register before entering the house. Any open tour slots filled by walk-ups will be on a first come, first served basis.

Your reservation is for your reserved time only. You will not be able to join an earlier or later tour.

3. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your tour’s scheduled start time to check-in. Every tour will begin promptly at its scheduled start time. Any late arrivals or no-shows will be liable to lose their tour slots at the discretion of site staff. Such slots may be filled by walk-ups on a first come, first served basis.

4. If you are unable to attend your tour, please cancel your reservation through Eventbrite or by contacting the site directly.

5. Not all areas of the Grant Home are accessible by wheel chairs, other mobility assist devices, strollers, etc. The Grant Home has stairs and some narrow spaces, and guests should expect to stand for the duration of the tour. Please keep this in mind when making your reservations and plan accordingly. However, if you or a member of your party have any accessibility needs, please contact the Grant Home directly. We will do our best to accommodate!

6. Non-flash photography is permitted inside the Grant Home.

7. The following is not permitted inside the Grant Home: pets, open food or drinks, chewing gum, smoking or vaping, and concealed carry or weapons of any kind.

Service animals are welcome inside the Grant Home. Pets are allowed outside on the site, but must be leashed/in a carrier and attended by an adult human at all times.

Parking

There are three free parking lots near the Grant Home:

1. One directly across the Grant Home on the other side of Bouthillier St., with access to the house via a flight of stairs
2. One about 350 ft up Bouthillier St., with access to the house via a brick pathway
3. One off Route 20 and down the hill, with access via a wooden boardwalk and a flight of stairs up to the house

All parking lots are first come, first served.

Additional Information

More information about the site can be found online at www.granthome.org.

For any questions, please contact the site directly by phone at (815) 777-3310 or by email at granthome@granthome.com.

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/presidentgranthome/

We look forward to seeing you soon!