Bacon's Castle, Surry

4.6

#1 of 6 in Things to do in Surry

Must see · Architectural Building · Historic Site

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Bacon's Castle, also variously known as "Allen's Brick House" or the "Arthur Allen House" is located in Surry County, Virginia, United States, and is the oldest documented brick dwelling in what is now the United States. Built in 1665, it is noted as an extremely rare example of Jacobean architecture in the New World.

The house became known as "Bacon's Castle" because it was occupied as a fort or "castle" by the followers of Nathaniel Bacon during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. However, contrary to popular folklore, Bacon never lived at Bacon's Castle, nor is he even known to have visited it.

Today Bacon's Castle is an historic house museum and historic site open for guest visitation. Bacon's Castle is an official Preservation Virginia historic site and operates under its 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit status.

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Bacon's Castle reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

410 reviews

Google

4.6

By emilyrc1997

This was a lot of fun! My fiancé and I went for an afternoon since we were in the area and took the guided tour inside as well as the self guided tour outside. The tour guide was very knowledgeable...

This was a lot of fun! My fiancé and I went for an afternoon since we were in the area and took the guided tour inside as well as the self guided tour outside. The tour guide was very knowledgeable... more »
By KVO1234

Was exactly what we expected. The grounds and outside self-guided telephone tour was awesome. The folks inside were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We took the inside guided tour and had a...

Was exactly what we expected. The grounds and outside self-guided telephone tour was awesome. The folks inside were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We took the inside guided tour and had a... more »
By MikeAllenNashville

We have ancestral connections to Allen's' Brick House & have visited on two occasions. The staff is always friendly & welcoming. The house is wonderful to see & the surrounding area is beautiful to...

We have ancestral connections to Allen's' Brick House & have visited on two occasions. The staff is always friendly & welcoming. The house is wonderful to see & the surrounding area is beautiful to... more »

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By Nyshae Gibson

Our tour guide was so informative. If you love history and enjoy not only learning but actually seeing the past, this is a place to visit. We toured the whole house and we were provided detailed accounts about the significance of each room. The house is well preserved and contains really cool artifacts.

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By Brett Sorbello

I came here for the Village Faire as a vendor. The staff were extremely helpful, informative, and overall just very nice. The landscape was beautiful and perfect for a little photo op with my daughter. We even met Ms. Carol who set it all up and she just had an overwhelming love for the castle and you could tell she was passionate about her job. Will definitely try and come for the spooky tour. I hope they do more events, or even a spooky themed one in October! Worth the drive we had to do and definitely would recommend to friends and family!

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By Sandi SST8123

The left side of the house is 350 years old, the small entryway in the middle is about 200 years old, and the section on the right is newer. Our guide was great. There’s something about being inside a 350 year-old home that is eerily eerie. Kept my ear out for ghosts but didn’t hear anything.

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By Wendy Rothgeb

We stumbled on to this historic castle and were glad we did. We learned a lot of history that we later applied in our Jamestown visit. Definitely worth the trip. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly.

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By Courtney Briick

Bacon's night tour was so much fun! I wish we had a few more minutes in each room, but overall I loved hearing all of the ghost experiences. I want to go back!

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