Fulton Mansion State Historic Site

House museums come in different flavors; the Fulton Mansion is focused on the history of the family who built it and their role in developing this area of the Texas Gulf Coast. The visitors' experience at Fulton Mansion is welcoming. The parking lot and visitors' center is behind the mansion. Inside the visitors' center is an exhibit with helpful context about the Fulton family, their skills and careers, and their descendants. The exhibit helped me appreciate the connections between Texas independence, the rise of the cattle industry, and the influence of technologies like shipping, refrigeration, railroads, etc. From the visitors' center, you walk across the back garden to the backdoor of the house. We were greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable guide who pointed out some notable features in the vestibule and gave us a handout for a self-guides tour of the rest of the first floor, plus the second floor and the basement (accessed from the outside). The mansion is decorated with period furnishings, clothes, and accessories. It gives you a feeling for how the most affluent people of the Gilded Age could live -- even in a remote place like the Texas Gulf Coast. The house was well engineered with central air, indoor plumbing, and a cold room for storing food. The setting, with sweeping views of Aransas Bay, is just stunnning. Clearly the mansion has been rebuilt and is being maintained with love by a proud community. It's worth going out of your way to pay a visit to the Fulton Mansion.

The state has done such an awesome job restoring this grand mansion to all its glory! The tour guides were delightful with all the history they shared about the Fulton family and the families that lived there. The self guided tour handout was very helpful pointing out which items were original to the home. There is so much Texas history in one place, definitely a must see while in the area!

Great experience! It was cool to see how they renovated the place and stayed true to the history of the mansion. The people working were super friendly and knowledgeable. We went to the boil house after which was also awesome!

Recently visited to see the latest restoration. Enjoyed seeing all the beautiful woodwork, victorian cabinetry, and small personal bric a brac. Our elder dog was with us and it was a great comfort to us that being a very slow day the staff kept an eye on him while we toured. THANK YOU

Wow, just wow. So enjoyed going through this old mansion. They did a great job restoring it to its original glory and also keeping the rooms with as much as they could with the decor. Loved the fact that we got to go to the basement and check out where they kept the kitchen pantry, cold storage and butler's pantry.

Sadly, we came on a day that Fulton Mansion was closed, but we still had a wonderful time exploring the gardens and (modest) grounds of the mansion. There is a lot of interesting flora here and some adorable lizardy creatures graced many of the signs. The exterior of the mansion is beautiful and it is right on the coast, so of course there are wonderful views to be seen. Even when it is closed, you can come right up to the front and back steps and explore the surrounding areas. It is in a residential neighborhood which feels quite safe and there's ample parking here as well, making it a great pit stop or attraction.

Went last week and stupidly didn't call first to inquire about reservations or tours. Luckily the tour guide was gracious enough to stay late and show us this stately home. My husband and I were amazed at the beauty of the restoration and knowledge of the staff. The gift shop was darling and we spent way too much money but will have fond memories for years to come. The admission was discounted for Veterans which was a nice touch. Our new favorite place in Rockport!

I love visiting old mansions and couldn't wait to come see the Fulton Mansion. The repairs are finished and it's truly beautiful. They did a great job restoring it and choosing period pieces.You start by getting your tickets at the gift shop and history center. It's $6 a person for adults, which is a bit pricey. We got lucky that it was Smithsonian Day and we got in for free. The gift shop has a good selection of stuff and they accept credit cards. Start here by reading about the history of the Fultons - it will really inform your tour.We did a guided tour. We had about 10 minutes before the start, so we looked at the basement. Silly of Fulton to build a basement below sea level! But it was cool to see all the innovative technology that started in the basement, like the heating and plumbing system.Now the guided tour is why I only give 4 stars. Some of the people I was with had done the guided tour before. The information they received then and what we received on that day was pretty dramatically different. After some fact checking, it seemed our tour guide on that day was more accurate, although she did not get everything correct. I think it would have been better if we had just used the brochure or the cell phone tour.

It must be hit or miss on the "guides". The mansion is beautiful, but $7 is a lot for the 10-15 minutes you need to cover it all and be ready to leave. That, and because of our experience with the mansion guide person and the education center, is why its 3 stars overall. The people working there are pushy at best and down right rude at worst. Their casual/overfamiliar sarcastic interactions were not appreciated by us. Nor was the oversell on items at the gift shop. Not pleasant but it was still worth a one-time visit. As an older couple, we enjoyed the history but I wouldn't recommend it for small children at the price.

This place was amazing for the price, and very detailed. Also the kids get a treasure hunt to stay engaged while the adults are able to enjoy the experience.The staff and gift shop has amazing employees as well who stay engaged with the entire family the whole time.