The house has been a part of Lexington's downtown landscape for over two hundred years. It was originally built for a French quarryman who operated it as an inn.

In 1832, when Mary Todd was thirteen, her family moved from nearby Short Street to the then newly renovated house that fronts Main Street.

The Family Parlor features several Todd-family artifacts, including the center table.

Abraham Lincoln would have been entertained in these rooms during his three-week stay in 1847. The Lincolns were traveling to Washington for Abraham's first, and only, congressional term.

The dining room illustrates the social background that prepared Mary Lincoln for her role as hostess of the White House. Slavery helped to make the Todds' lifestyle possible, and an average of five enslaved people labored here.

African Americans enslaved by the Todd family would have performed household chores in the pantry.

This original portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln was painted by Daniel Huntington in 1864 while she was First Lady. Mrs. Lincoln was forty-five at the time of the sitting.

The Todds entertained prominent guests in the formal Twin Parlors, including famed Kentucky statesman Henry Clay. Abraham Lincoln greatly admired Clay, referring to him as his "beau ideal" of a politician.

Mrs. Lincoln’s father Robert and step-mother Betsy shared the parents’ bedroom. Betsy gave birth to five of their nine children in this home. Mrs. Lincoln was among the seven children born to Robert's first marriage to Eliza Parker, who died from childbirth complications.

Mary Todd Lincoln was one of sixteen children born to her father's two marriages. Growing up in a large family may have prepared Mrs. Lincoln to be mother to the four sons she and Abraham Lincoln adored. 

Mary Todd Lincoln enjoyed an extensive education, including attending the boarding and finishing school operated by Charlotte Mentelle. With about ten years of formal schooling, Mary was better educated than many women of the time and continued to read widely throughout her life.

These two German-made Meissen porcelain perfume jars belonged to Mrs. Lincoln and may have been purchased during one of her two extended visits to Europe following Abraham Lincoln's death.

The tour covers Mrs. Lincoln's entire life, including the evening her husband was assassinated. Prints depicting the night of the assassination are on display in the guest bedroom, along with other items from Mary’s life after Abraham’s death.

Today, the 14 room house is used to tell the remarkable story of Mary Todd Lincoln to thousands of visitors from around the world. The garden behind the home offers a peaceful respite for our visitors.