The Carson Mansion at 143 M Street is the most extravagant Victorian house in Eureka and one of the most photographed in the United States. Built between 1884 and 1886 for lumber baron William Carson, it piles on every decorative device available to the era: turrets, a widow's walk, a wraparound porch, and carved woodwork in 18 different varieties of wood. The effect is somewhere between a haunted house and a wedding cake.
It is privately owned by a private club and not open for interior tours, but the exterior alone makes the walk worthwhile. The best view is from the corner of 2nd and M Streets, where the full facade presents itself. The companion house next door, built for Carson's son, is almost as elaborate.