This 27-room Gilded Age mansion is more than just a display of wealth and power. Take a look inside Ballantine House.
NEWS | 28 August 2025
lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link Have an account? Log in . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. As I walked into Ballantine House, a Gilded Age mansion built in 1885, I was greeted by the soft tinkling of teacups, the crackling sounds of a fireplace, and gentle piano music. The immersive soundscape is one of many ways that the Newark Museum of Art is ushering the historic mansion into the 21st century. Ballantine House was once occupied by three generations of the Ballantine family, who earned their fortune as owners of a successful brewery in Newark. Instead of simply restoring the home's interiors to look exactly as they did when its wealthy residents lived there, museum curators have taken an expansive approach to highlight underrepresented narratives alongside restoration work. In July, I visited the museum to tour Ballantine House and experience this merging of the Gilded Age with contemporary Newark. Take a look inside.
Author: Talia Lakritz.
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