Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Illinois History — The Italianate home given to Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant by grateful citizens of Galena after the war — Grant lived here when he was elected 18th President in 1868! The house is preserved with original furnishings.

Visitor Information

About Grant Home

Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site in Galena preserves the Italianate brick house presented to General Grant by grateful citizens of Galena after the Civil War in 1865. Grant lived here before his election as the 18th President in 1868. The home is furnished with many original Grant family pieces. Galena itself — a beautifully preserved 19th-century mining town — is one of Illinois’ most charming destinations.

Things to Do

Touring the restored Grant family home with original furnishings, visiting the adjacent exhibit gallery, and exploring the beautifully preserved town of Galena with its 19th-century architecture, shops, and restaurants. Free admission.

About Grant Home

Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site in Galena preserves the home given to General Grant by the citizens of Galena after the Civil War in 1865. Grant lived here before being elected president in 1868. The Italianate home is furnished with original Grant family possessions. Galena — a beautifully preserved 19th-century mining town — is one of Illinois’s most charming small towns.

Things to Do

Touring Grant’s home with original furnishings, viewing Civil War artifacts, exploring historic Galena (one of Illinois’s best-preserved 19th-century towns), and visiting the nearby Old Market House. Free admission.

Insider Tips

Galena gem: The citizens of Galena gave this Italianate brick home to Grant in 1865 after the Civil War — a hero’s welcome for the Union’s greatest general. Pro tip: Galena itself is one of the most beautifully preserved 19th-century towns in the Midwest — the entire downtown is a National Historic District. Lead mining: Galena was named for galena ore (lead sulfide) — the lead mines made this region one of the wealthiest in pre-Civil War America.

Best Time to Visit

Fall: Galena’s fall festivals and foliage. Summer: Peak tourist season — combine with Galena’s shops and restaurants. Winter: Holiday decorations in historic downtown. Spring: Quiet visits before summer crowds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Grant from Galena?

Grant moved to Galena in 1860 to work in his father’s leather goods store — he was a failed farmer and retired Army officer at the time. When the Civil War began, he organized Galena’s volunteer regiment. Four years later, he returned as the war’s greatest hero. The rise from obscurity to greatness is one of the most remarkable stories in American history.

Wildlife & Nature

The Ulysses S. Grant Home in Galena — a brick Italianate house gifted to General Grant by grateful citizens in 1865 after the Civil War — preserves the home where the 18th President and Civil War commander lived before his presidential election. Galena — once the wealthiest city in Illinois during the lead mining boom (1820s-1850s) — has 85% of its buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Galena River — a tributary of the Mississippi — flows through town. The surrounding Driftless Area — a region of the Midwest never covered by glaciers — features steep hills, deep valleys, and limestone bluffs. Bald eagles concentrate along the Mississippi in winter. Peregrine falcons nest on the limestone bluffs.

Nearby Attractions

Galena — one of the Midwest’s premier destination towns — has 150+ shops, galleries, and restaurants. Chestnut Mountain Resort offers skiing and alpine slide. Mississippi Palisades State Park has dramatic limestone bluffs. Apple River Canyon State Park offers unique Illinois canyon scenery. Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve has Native American effigy mounds. Dubuque (Iowa) — across the Mississippi — has the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. Jo Daviess County offers scenic rural driving.