Exploring the Baker Mansion in Altoona

Exploring the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania

If you’re looking for information about the historic Baker Mansion in Altoona, you’re in the right place!

The Baker Mansion in Altoona was built between 1844 and 1847.
The Baker Mansion in Altoona was built between 1844 and 1847.

The Baker Mansion is a three-story, Greek Revival-style home built by ironmaster Elias Baker between 1844 and 1848.

Portrait of Elias Baker, who commissioned the construction of what is now known as the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Portrait of Elias Baker, who commissioned the construction of the mansion.

Baker, along with his nephew, purchased the Alleghany Furnace in 1936, in what would eventually become Altoona.

Sketch of the Alleghany Furnace near the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Sketch of the Alleghany Furnace.

In 1844, Baker bought out his nephew’s share of the iron furnace, and embarked on construction of the mansion that same year.

History of the Alleghany Furnace near the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
History of the Alleghany Furnace.

Despite cost overruns and construction delays, the home was completed in 1849.

Back side of the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Back side of the Baker Mansion.

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.

One of the many beautiful fireplaces inside the Baker Mansion in Altoona.
One of the many beautiful fireplaces inside the Baker Mansion in Altoona.

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.

Artifacts from Blair County history on display in the second floor hallway at the Baker Mansion.
Artifacts from Blair County history on display in the second floor hallway of the mansion.

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.

Numerous paintings of Blair County historical figures are on display at the Baker Mansion in Altoona.
Numerous paintings of Blair County historical figures are on display at the Baker Mansion.

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.

The Visitor Center is located in what would have been a carriage house at the Baker Mansion.
The Visitor Center is located in what would have been a carriage house behind 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.

A scale model of the Baker Mansion on display in the Visitor Center.
A scale model of the Baker Mansion on display in the Visitor Center.

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.

Dining room at the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Dining room at the Baker Mansion.

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.

One of the first floor parlors at the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
One of the first floor parlors at the Baker Mansion.

Many of the ornate furnishings, decorations, and artifacts are from the Baker family, others are from prominent Blair Countians of the same era.

Some of the exceptional home furnishings on display inside the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Some of the exceptional home furnishings on display inside the mansion.

Exploring the Basement

The tour continues in the basement, where the home’s original kitchen was located.

A tour guide describing the basement-level kitchen at the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
A tour guide describing the basement-level kitchen at the Baker Mansion in Altoona.

The basement is also home to several Blair County-related exhibits.

Logan House exhibit in the basement of the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Logan House exhibit in the basement of the Baker Mansion.

The Logan House was a historic hotel built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona between 1852-53.

The Logan House was a historic hotel built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona between 1852-53.
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.

Scale model of the Logan House in Altoona on display at the Baker Mansion.
Scale model of the Logan House in Altoona, on display at the Baker Mansion.

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.

An exhibit featuring bridal dresses from different eras was featured during my visit to the Baker Mansion just before Christmas in 2022.
An exhibit featuring bridal dresses from different eras was featured during my visit to the Baker Mansion just before Christmas in 2022.

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.

Personal effects on display at the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Personal effects on display.

As with the first floor, some of the objects belonged to the Baker family, others are from various donors and time periods.

Children's bedroom and toys at the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Children’s bedroom and toys.

One of the second floor exhibits challenges you to identify common household tools from earlier time periods.

Everyday tools exhibit on the second floor of the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Everyday tools exhibit on the second floor of the Baker Mansion.

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 Company Store at the Alleghany Furnace still stands and is now the headquarters of the Woman's Club of Altoona.
The company store at the Alleghany Furnace still stands and is now the headquarters of the Woman’s Club of Altoona.

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.

The former Alleghany Furnace company store is now home to the Women's Club of Altoona.
The former Alleghany Furnace company store 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.

Remains of the Alleghany Furnace near the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Remains of the Alleghany Furnace in Altoona.

Hours and Directions

The Baker Mansion is located at 3419 Oak Lane, Altoona, PA 16602.

The front façade of the Baker Mansion in Altoona is five bays wide and features six fluted columns.
The front façade of the Baker Mansion in Altoona is five bays wide and features six fluted columns.

The mansion and museum are open May through December on Fri-Sun (closed Mon-Thurs) from 11 am-3 pm.

Upstairs bedroom at the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Upstairs bedroom at the Baker Mansion.

If you have a chance to visit in December, the mansion is beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.

Christmas tree in the center hall of the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Christmas tree in the center hall of the Baker Mansion.

Admission prices are $10 per adult, $5 ages 12 & under, and FREE ages 3 and under.

The Baker Mansion in Altoona is an example of Greek Revival architecture.
The Baker Mansion in Altoona is an example of Greek Revival architecture.

Please visit the Blair County Historical Society’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for the latest updates on current hours and exhibits at the museum.

Bridal Fashions Across the Ages exhibit in the basement of the Baker Mansion in Altoona Pennsylvania.
Bridal Fashions Across the Ages exhibit in the basement of the mansion in 2022.

The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Blair County celebrates the lives of both railroad workers and railroading communities in central Pennsylvania.

Exterior of the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Blair County Pennsylvania.
The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum.

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.

Exhibit showing some of the various jobs performed by employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum.
Exhibit showing some of the various jobs performed by employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Centre Furnace Mansion in State College served as the home for a series of ironmasters in the late 1700s through the mid 1800s.

Fall foliage at Centre Furnace Mansion in Centre County.
Fall foliage at Centre Furnace Mansion in Centre County.

Like Baker Mansion, Centre Furnace Mansion is beautifully decorated, open for tours, and serves as the home of the Centre County Historical Society.

Dining room at Centre Furnace Mansion in State College Pennsylvania.
Dining room at Centre Furnace Mansion.

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.

Exploring Curtin Village in Centre County Pennsylvania.
Curtin Village iron plantation in Centre County.

16 Must-See Attractions in Blair County is your guide to even more great things to see and do near the Baker Mansion.

A young railfan waves to a passin Norfolk Southern engineer at the Horseshoe Curve.
A young railfan waves to a passing Norfolk Southern engineer at the Horseshoe Curve.

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Rusty Glessner
Rusty Glessner is a professional photographer, lifelong Pennsylvanian, and a frequently-cited authority on PA's best travel destinations.