Silver magnate Thomas Kearns started building this palatial home in 1898, sparing no expense to make it as lavish as possible. African and Italian marble and exotic woods from around the world were used extensively throughout. Kearns' widow deeded it to the state in 1937, and the 36-room mansion is now the governor's residence. It suffered a devastating fire just before Christmas 1993, but has been fully restored to its 1902 appearance (1902 was the year that the Kearns family first moved in). The best time to see the mansion is in December, when it's elaborately decorated for Christmas. Allow about half an hour.