Felt Mansion popular destination during free tours

Couples strolled between the Chapel at Shore Acres and the Felt Mansion, talking about wedding plans and snapping photographs. Inside, dozens of people checked out the bedrooms, watched the informational video and took selfies in the restored rooms and hallways – all part of the fourth “Free-For-All” tours on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024.

About 200 people took advantage of the free day at the mansion.

The next free self-guided tour is 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8.

The “Free-For-All” events started this spring as a way to share local history and thank the community for its support in the restoration process, Executive Director of the Felt Estate Elizabeth McEwen said earlier this year.

Normally, self-guided tours are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (60+), $5 for children 8 and older, and children 7 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased upon arrival. No advance reservations are required.

A self-guided tour generally lasts about an hour guided by a booklet including architectural and historical details about the estate. Tour times vary by season and are listed on the event calendar.

For more on the tours and the calendar, visit here.

The Felt Mansion is handicap-accessible on the first floor only. Visitors must be able to navigate stairs to view the upper levels.

About the mansion

The 25-room Felt Mansion was completed in 1928 by Dorr Felt, inventor of the Comptometer, a basic adding machine.

After Felt’s death, the property was purchased by the St. Augustine Seminary for a school then, in the 1970s, by the State of Michigan to use as a prison. After the prison and Michigan State Police post that was in the mansion closed in the 1990s, Laketown Township purchased the property.

The mansion has been restored to its 1920s grandeur and is now a top destination for weddings and features a summer concert series.

For more on the mansion, visit here.