The Historic Adams House was built in 1892 by Deadwood pioneers Harris and Anna Franklin. Local contemporary press described the home as "the grandest house west of the Mississippi." The elegant Queen Anne-style house heralded a wealthy and socially prominent new age for Deadwood, a former rough and tumble gold mining town. Harris and Anna Franklin’s son Nathan bought the house for $1 in 1905. In 1920, Nathan Franklin sold the house to W.E. and Alice Adams for $8,500. Adams' second wife Mary closed up the house in 1936, two years after W.E.'s death, leaving the contents and furnishings intact. By 1987, an infirm Mary Adams Balmat sold the mansion to a couple who renovated the house and operated it as a bed and breakfast inn until 1992 when they sold the home to the City of Deadwood’s Historic Preservation Commission.

In 1998, the City of Deadwood, Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, and the Adams Museum began to restore the Historic Adams House as a museum. Later, the two city entities entered into a co-stewardship agreement with the Adams Museum Board of Directors. The Adams Museum & House's Board and Staff are charged with the preservation, interpretation and operation of the house as a museum devoted to the history and culture of the Deadwood area. The City of Deadwood owns and maintains responsibility for the care and maintenance of the buildings and grounds, and provides general operating support. The restoration project cost $1.5 million, with matching funds provided by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, the Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation and Mary Adams Balmat. The house opened to the public as a museum on July 1, 2000.

The Historic Adams House includes the Mary Adams Orientation Center with wheelchair accessible bathrooms, orientation exhibition and gift shop. The Historic Adams House is wheelchair accessible on the first floor.

Admission to the Historic Adams House tour is $7 for adults, $2 for children (12 or under) and free to members.

Historic Adams House hours are:

• Summer Hours are May 1 – September 30, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., daily with tours on the hour (May and September) and tours on the half hour (June – August), with the last tour at 4:00 p.m. 
• Historic Adams House will be closed from October 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012 for extensive cleaning.  
• Spring hours begin in April with the Adams House open Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with tours on the hour.  The last tour of the day is at 4:00 p.m.