The Moss Mansion, located in the heart of Billings, first served as the Moss family home in 1903. Preston Moss, his wife Mattie, their six children, and three servants. This red-stoned mansion is currently an essential puzzle piece to Billing’s history.
This place is considered a cultural center that celebrates Preston Boyd Moss’s noteworthy accomplishments and the legacy nurtured by his wife, Mattie, and daughter Melville.
The Moss Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places –so the original beauty and authenticity of the building could be preserved- .and was designed by New York architect Janeway Hardenbergh -also the designer of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Fairmont Copley Plaza, Willard Hotel, and Dakota Hotel in New York-. It cost $105,000 to build this mansion when the national average cost to build a house was around $5,000.
The museum still keeps its original fixtures, carpets, furniture, and drapes. Needlepoint, quilts, and other creative decoration adorn this place’s walls, as well as fancy china, painting, and similar family possessions.
The three-story house has 28 rooms and an attached solarium built of red sandstone from Lake Superior. The architectural styles of this house are French Rococo and Moorish design. The home’s interior is as unique as you’d expect: wood panelings, walls made with gold threading, beautiful columns, marble fireplaces, and even a vintage original intercom system.
Thanks to the marvelous and unique design and well-maintained setting, The Moss Mansion has been used to film historical period pieces like the ‘Return to Lonesome Dove and Son of the Morning Star. You can also find a beautiful gift shop in the mansion’s basement where you can buy mugs, clothing, books, jewelry, toys, and other trinkets during your visit.
For a unique glimpse of California 100+ years ago, visit this museum with either a self-guided tour, a guided tour slot, a private tour oven an event space. The beautiful, enormous mansion holds treasures from the past in loving care while maintaining authenticity and quality with its solarium, garden, and different areas.