Swannanoa

An amazing tour from a very knowledgeable and personable tour guide! The price is well worth it and contributes to restoration efforts that are much needed in areas of the house, would highly recommend and would love to tour again some time!

i just photographed a wedding here and can’t say enough good things about both the location, and the staff that runs it. such a unique and historic place with a view to die for, and i can’t wait to return for another wedding asap! ig @iamthesam

The tour guide was very knowledgeable. The house is a beautiful example of a place that deteriorated naturally with time. It wasn't polished and packaged like other historical house tours. It's absolutely worth seeing if you get a chance.

If you want to visit a Palace, then you are at the right place! Dr. Walter Russell and his wife renovated this magnificent place. We were happy to visit and to admire the interiors. A must visit place if you interested in the art and history. You should see the biggest in the United States Tiffany window!!! Amazing!

Beautiful, intriguing, and massive .. this historic home held our interest for an afternoon, but stayed on our minds long after we left. The tour was lovely, and it gave us fuel for our imagination. You cant help but wonder what life was like for the people who lived here.

Yes, the grounds are in need of refurbishment, but for me, that absolutely adds to the charm. Yes, they are making progress. I highly reccomend coming for a guided tour! Im hoping each time I come back, there will be a new room open for me to ogle at.

My top 3 things to see on this tour:
-Hidden secret doors
-Largest Tiffany stained glass in America
-OTIS elevator #8

Swannanoa is a remarkable 23,000 Sq. Ft. Georgian home built completely from Italian white marble. It sits nestled upon what were the original 763 acres purchased by James Dooley. Anyone interested in architecture, period homes and history would enjoy this tour. There is parking on site. There is no wheelchair accessible entrance. The grounds are open for you to peruse and enjoy. The indoor tour is led by a lovely young lady with a bredth of knowledge concerning the home and its historical residents. Plenty of opportunity for picture taking. The home is magnificent and full of stories and artistic detail. There is no working restroom inside, but there is a clean port-o-potty outside. Worth the ticket price and drive up the mountain.

We had our fall wedding here, and it was absolutely the perfect venue for us. Seriously--our wedding dreams came true! We were looking for an unconventional venue with a lot of character that would allow us to have food trucks instead of a traditional caterer. Swannanoa hit all those marks. On top of the beautiful location, the staff were so easy to work with, and it was a joy having them celebrate with us on our special day. The only logistic challenge we had was securing a bathroom (there's no running water in the building), but luckily Swannanoa already have a partnership with a local business that rents mobile bathroom trailers complete with running water and heating and cooling. The whole process was so easy. This place is truly special and requires a little extra planning but it is totally worth it! Highly recommend Swannanoa for couples looking for a unique venue where you can have total control over the event planning.

Tucked away on the Afton Mountain is the gorgeous mansion built in 1912. You would miss the mansion if you didn't know about it. Even locals (including myself) have never been there! Well until recently. Visiting the mansion was my birthday gift this year(2019). We took the self guided tour, which we plan to take the guided tour in the future. The moment you pull up to the mansion from the driveway, you are amazed. The marble, the art work, the stained glass, the hand paintings on the walls, down to how the hardwood floor was laid. Every inch of the home is covered in detail!!! Nothing was spared for Mr. Dooley's beloved Salley Mae. And I'm just talking about the house folks. When you step outside, the 3 tier garden is just amazing as the house. The garden comes complete with it's own water fountain that is big as a concert stage. The water tower is just as equal to the rest of the property, along with a natural spring. When you come to visit plan to stay for at least 3-4 hours. Yes folks you read that right. We only had 2 hours before closing, and did not get to see everything. TRUST ME, YOU WILL BE AMAZED AND WILL WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME LOOKING AT EVERYTHING YOU CAN.

A marvelous ruin with a fascinating history. Our tour guide did a fantastic job.

Almost hauntingly beautiful, this old mansion was the venue for a Sun/Sets event. There was a soundbath just inside and I can't imagine a more perfect location! Just a little run down, it's a beautiful testament to the luxury lifestyles of the past. Worth a tour for sure!

Sandi does a very interesting informative tour. We really enjoyed our private tour.

"Zen at Swannanoa" with Kim was unforgettable. Practicing mindfulness inside the mansion with the fog all around us was so cool!

Beautiful place and location. Unforgettable experience

Beautiful mansion and grounds!! Hope restoration is able to be completed.

This house is stunning! Definitely a must see if you're in Virginia. Tour guide did a great job.

neat place to visit when open. $10/pp for tour. not all is open to public but worth it, imo.

A truly beautiful and unique place. One of my favorite places to take pictures.

Attended a Halloween party. It was very spiritual. Great set up, music, decor. Outdoor event VIP allowed inside access to get warm and fire pits on grounds for warmth also.

I went to Swannanoa twice in the mid to late 90’s as part of a retreat based around the work of Walter and Lao Russell. It is a beautiful place and I would love to see it again. I got to view the Hail Bop comet from the back gardens. The “Christ of the blue ridge” there is also amazing. A truly magical place.

Went on a tour today and it was fantastic!