Lizzie Borden House Tour – Fall Rivers, MA
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I honestly can’t remember how long it has been sitting on my bucket list but, visiting the Lizzie Borden house has been at the top of my list since a very young age. Oddly, I never took the time to visit while exploring Massachusetts.
So this time, when Peter asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate my 2020 graduation from Boston University, I promptly said visit the Lizzie Borden house.
Lizzie Borden took an ax… I think many of us have heard this song or tale along the way of our youth. But who is Lizzie Borden and what did she do that caused such a horrific nursery rhyme?
In this post, we are going to talk about one of the most well-known unsolved murders of New England and how you can step back into history to formulate your own opinion on whether or not Lizzie did or didn’t commit murder.
Who is Lizzie Borden?
Lizzie Borden was an American who was tried and acquitted of her father and stepmother’s murder in 1893. Born in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts, Lizzie was the youngest daughter of Andrew and Sarah Borden. Lizzies older sister, Emma, was not home at the time of the murders.
What is Lizzie Borden famous for?
Lizzie Borden is known for the trial and acquittal of murder against her father, Andrew, and stepmother, Abby Borden.
Both, Abby and Andrew were killed on August 4, 1892, with a hatchet or ax of some sort. Abby was murdered in the upstairs guest bedroom while Andrew was murdered in the living room during a mid-day nap.
Lizzie along with the maid Bridget were the only two other individuals home at the time of the murder. But both proclaimed they heard and saw nothing.
During the investigation, Bridget explained she was outside washing the windows of the house. While Lizzie was in the dining room ironing handkerchiefs.
Due to some circumstances and speculation of the events that day either through eye witness interviews and evidence, Lizzie became the prime suspect of Andrew and Abby’s murder and was soon arrested.
She went on trial in June of 1893 and was soon acquitted of all charges.
Visiting the Lizzie Borden House
Tickets
Tickets cost between $25-$35 per person.
Tours
There are 3 types of tours available at the Lizzie Borden House.
- Lizzie Borden House Tour
- Lizzie Borden’s Fall River Ghost Tour
- Lizzie’s Ghost Hunt
You can purchase an upgrade on the house tour to visit the basement as well (although we still debate if that is worth the cost).
Parking
There is a small parking lot in the back of the house. By small, there were maybe 7 or 8 spots but half went to staff.
If the parking lot is full, there is street parking available as well.
Our Visit
Lizzie’s history and life are so fascinating that even what you find in public or on the internet doesn’t fully compare to what the museum/house has to offer.
In fact, much of the information found today online is missing some vital information about the trial and the forensic evidence. This alone makes the house tour well worth the visit. Because by the end of the tour you start to really question if Lizzie did it or not.
The House Tour
We went with the house tour + added basement tour. Our total came to $69 with tax.
The tour started in the parking lot by the ticket office. Here we were instructed on what we could and couldn’t do within the house. We then were asked to meet out front of the house and the tour guide would welcome up properly inside.
Upon entering the house you are brought into a tiny foyer with the staircase leading to the second floor. On the left-hand side of the foyer is the entrance to the parlor while the back of the foyer is the entrance to the sitting room.
Once inside we moved into the parlor where you start to question if the couch you are allowed to sit on is the one in which Andrew was murdered on. (It is not by the way!)
You will learn a lot of about Andrew Borden and the events leading up to the day of the murders. From family to business dealings, the plot is opened up for you to start questioning who actually murdered Andrew and Abby Borden.
The Rooms Where Andrew and Abby Borden Were Murdered
Andrew Borden was murdered in the sitting room on the first floor. This is the 3rd room you will enter after leaving the foyer area. The couch the Andrew Borden was murdered (well the reproduction) greets you right as you enter the room.
I will be honest this couch is gorgeous and definitely a show stopper and 100% in my taste, but not sure if I could ever convince Peter to own something similar to it.
Abby Borden was murdered on the second floor in the guest bedroom that faces the front of the house.
You will get to see both rooms during your tour.
The Basement Tour
This sounded interesting at first and since I was up for exploring the whole house, I was ready to go with seeing the top to bottom of it. However, for the added money, exploring the basement which was mostly a storage area just to see where Lizzie was caught washing clothes wasn’t really worth the expense.
Did Lizzie Do It?
There is a lot of speculation based on forensic evidence collected in 1892 that points to other suspects of the murders. During the tour of the house, our tour guide brought up many coincidences that start to make you question and even suspect other important characters of that time.
What is most interesting is the hatchet we all know as the murder weapon… SPOILER… did not have human blood on the weapon.
Our conclusion is that the uncle, John Morse, comes across as extremely suspicious at this point. But we highly recommend you explore the house to make your determination.
