A short distance away, situated between the two lakes of Killarney (Muckross Lake and Lough Leane) is the mid-19th century Muckross House. Constructed in 1843 for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife Mary (a noted colorist), the house contains 65 rooms in the Tudor architectural style. In preparation for Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861, the house underwent extensive renovations. Unfortunately, the cost of these renovations contributed greatly to the family’s financial problems, resulting in the entire estate being sold in 1899 to Arthur Guinness, the First Baron of Ardilon. Guinness never lived in Muckross House, preferring to rent it to wealthy groups as a hunting lodge.
In 1911, Muckross House was sold to William Bowers Bourn, a California mining magnate, , who then presented it to his daughter, Maud and her husband Arthur Rose Vincent, as a wedding gift. Upon Maud’s death in 1929, the family donated the estate to the Irish nation.
Now open to the public for tours, Muckross House sees a half-million visitors per year.