Behind the Scenes: Life in a Victorian Mansion

Explore Victorian life inside Goodwin Mansion.

Offered Saturdays and Sundays as an add-on experience only. Regular museum admission is required to participate in Behind the Scenes: Life in a Victorian Mansion.

In this 60-minute guided tour, step inside Goodwin Mansion and discover what daily life was like for one of Portsmouth’s most prominent Victorian-era families. Explore the rooms where Ichabod and Sarah Goodwin entertained guests, raised their children and grandchildren, and experienced a rapidly changing 19th-century world.

Along the way, discover how new technologies and household innovations transformed everyday life. From gas lighting and coal heating to changing kitchen technology, toys, games, and domestic routines, the Goodwin family’s home offers a window into Victorian life during an era of remarkable industrial change.