If you’re looking for information about the historic Baker Mansion in Altoona, you’re in the right place!
The Baker Mansion is a three-story, Greek Revival-style home built by ironmaster Elias Baker between 1844 and 1848.
Baker, along with his nephew, purchased the Alleghany Furnace in 1936, in what would eventually become Altoona.
In 1844, Baker bought out his nephew’s share of the iron furnace, and embarked on construction of the mansion that same year.
Despite cost overruns and construction delays, the home was completed in 1849.
Elias Baker got to enjoy the home for 15 years before he passed away in 1864; his widow and children then occupied the home until 1914.
In 1922, the Blair County Historical Society leased the building and opened it as a museum; in 1941 they purchased it outright to become the Society’s headquarters.
Today the Baker Mansion is open to visitors May-December, and serves as a spectacular repository of some of Blair County’s most-beautiful and most-treasured artifacts.
Touring the Baker Mansion
Tours of the mansion/museum begin in the gift shop (naturally), which is located in what would have been the carriage house near the rear of the mansion.
In addition to purchasing your admission ticket, there are Baker Mansion and Blair County-related souvenirs for sale, as well as a scale-model of the Baker Mansion on display.
From the Visitor Center, you’ll head to the mansion with your tour guide, where you enter through the back door on the ground floor of the home.
Here you’ll find a home gorgeously decorated with all the period-correct trappings you’d expect to see in the home of a 19th century ironmaster.
Many of the ornate furnishings, decorations, and artifacts are from the Baker family, others are from prominent Blair Countians of the same era.
Exploring the Basement
The tour continues in the basement, where the home’s original kitchen was located.
The basement is also home to several Blair County-related exhibits.
The Logan House was a historic hotel built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona between 1852-53.
And while the actual hotel was torn down to construct the Altoona Post Office in the 1900s, a few artifacts and this scale model at the mansion/museum serve as reminders of it.
There was also at the time of my visit (December 2022) a display of wedding dresses through the ages, featuring dresses donated by many Blair County brides or their descendants.
Exploring the Second Floor
The second floor of the Baker Mansion is the home of the Blair County History Center, and features exhibits related to life in Blair County through the ages.
As with the first floor, some of the objects belonged to the Baker family, others are from various donors and time periods.
One of the second floor exhibits challenges you to identify common household tools from earlier time periods.
Another exhibit mentions the Alleghany Furnace “company store”, something Elias Baker’s furnace had in common with many mines, railroads, and iron furnaces in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The former Alleghany Furnace company store mentioned in that exhibit still stands, just a few blocks from the Baker Mansion, and is now home to the Women’s Club of Altoona.
Remnants of the Alleghany Furnace itself can also be seen directly behind the former company store.
Hours and Directions
The Baker Mansion is located at 3419 Oak Lane, Altoona, PA 16602.
The mansion and museum are open May through December on Fri-Sun (closed Mon-Thurs) from 11 am-3 pm.
If you have a chance to visit in December, the mansion is beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.
Admission prices are $10 per adult, $5 ages 12 & under, and FREE ages 3 and under.
Please visit the Blair County Historical Society’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for the latest updates on current hours and exhibits at the museum.
Related Attractions
The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Blair County celebrates the lives of both railroad workers and railroading communities in central Pennsylvania.
Unlike many “train museums” that focus primarily on engines and cars, the Railroaders Memorial Museum focuses primarily on the men and women who kept the engines running and the cars rolling.
Centre Furnace Mansion in State College served as the home for a series of ironmasters in the late 1700s through the mid 1800s.
Like Baker Mansion, Centre Furnace Mansion is beautifully decorated, open for tours, and serves as the home of the Centre County Historical Society.
Curtin Village is a beautifully-preserved and restored 19th century Centre County iron plantation, composed of the ironmaster’s mansion, the iron furnace, and the workers village.
16 Must-See Attractions in Blair County is your guide to even more great things to see and do near the Baker Mansion.
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