This traditional log cabin operated as the home and studio for Charles Marion Russell, America’s most beloved “cowboy artist,” who created thousands of oil paintings depicting life and sceneries in the Wild West. Russell’s log studio was built alongside his home in 1903. Nancy, Russell’s wife, was paramount in helping Russell achieve the celebrity status he achieved later in life.
Built with western red cedar telephone poles, the studio is filled with authentic cowboy gear and Native American artifacts that Russell collected and used when he painted and sculpted. Today, it sits on a compound along with a museum dedicated to his work.
Minnesota - James J. Hill House
Built by the railroad magnate James J. Hill in 1891, the behemoth 36,000-square-foot house was considered the "showcase of St. Paul," and boasts its own art gallery, pipe organ, and gymnasium. It boasts 16 chandeliers which, we grant, is a strange metric of wealth, but it gets the point across.
The home served as the center for the Hill family's public and private lives for the next 30 years. When it was finished in 1891, the mansion was the largest and most expensive residence in Minnesota. Visitors can have guided tours of the grounds (which last an hour, speaking to the size of the estate) and even rent out various rooms for conferences, lectures, and events.
Missouri - Jesse James Home
Today, you can tour the house Jesse James lived in with his wife and where his luck finally ran out. The unassuming house is located in St. Joseph, Missouri, north of Kansas City. While formerly located about two blocks away at 1318 Lafayette Street, the James Home was moved to the Patee House Museum grounds in 1977.
Inside, you can discover portraits of Jesse James in life and in death, relics of his criminal career, and even the bullet hole can be seen clearly in the wall, which you can inspect at the museum that has been set up inside.
Washington - Edith Macefield's House
Simply known as the "Up house," this tiny house in the heart of the Ballard district was owned by a woman who made headlines back in 2006 for being a true maverick and refusing a $1 million offer to sell her home to make way for commercial development. The house was not the inspiration for the hit movie "Up," though it was certainly employed as a strong marketing tool when the film was released.
In the process, she became something of a folk hero. Edith has since passed away, but the house remains untouched to this day. The balloons are often replaced, you'll be pleased to know.
New Jersey - Albert Einstein's House
This unassuming cottage was home to the wacky-haired theoretical physicist from 1936 until he passed away in 1955. Albert Einstein specifically requested that it not be transformed into a museum. The house is a modest two-story, "L" shaped frame building with a gabled roof over the front. Not too shabby, at all.
His home has since been home to several fellow notable intellectuals teaching at the nearby university, including Frank Wilczek and economist Eric Maskin's theoretical physicist. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in January 1976. Though the home is a private residence, people can view the house from the street.