The Wrigley Mansion - Phoenix, AZ
/
I’ll be honest. Phoenix isn’t the most exciting place I’ve ever been to. That isn’t a knock on the city but moreso the reality of traveling alone. I travel alone the majority of the time therefore I am very careful about the things I do in the place I am visiting. I tend to be less adventurous when I’m by myself so I typically choose cities that have a ton of entertaining things to do outside of adventure. In Phoenix, during the week of Christmas, that was a challenge.
WIth all of the above considered, I decided to let my love for beautiful history guide me. I visited the Phoenix Art Museum for a fashion exhibit and I also toured the historical Wrigley Mansion. It was originally built by William Wrigley Jr. as a 50th anniversary gift to his wife ( I LOVE that). William was the creator/founder of the chewing gum business that bears his last name. While the home stayed in the Wrigley family for over 40 years, it would eventually be acquired by another historic family - The Hormel’s.
Geordie Hormel, heir to Hormel Foods, purchased the home with his wife in the 70’s, eventually turning it into a premier fine dining and special events venue. It now boasts 2 restaurants, a wine bar, multiple ballrooms, and different private dining spaces. The Mansion regularly hosts festivals and events centered around food, jazz, and wine.
45-60 minute tours are also offered so I purchased a ticket since it was one of the few things happening during the week I was going to be there. The home itself is massive - even by today’s standards. Many updates have been done but there are still lots of originally finishes and features to admire. The home had a sort of vintage opulence to it but the best part was absolutely the views! The views were absolutely STUNNING.
Is this something that you would do on vacation? I’d love to chat with you in the comments. Thanks for reading!
Mountain views overlooking the biltmore neighborhood
