The mansion is located at 358 North Parkview Avenue in Bexley, a suburb and enclave of the state capital, Columbus.

The original residence, the Old Governor's Mansion in Columbus, was purchased after an embarrassing incident in 1916 occurred with the governor-elect James M. Cox.

In an effort to avoid such incidents, House Bill 559 was passed to secure a residence for the governor during his tenure.

When it was discovered these repairs were not covered in the budget, the state found it would be cheaper to find a new residence altogether.

(He had lived in the house during his first two terms, from 1963 to 1971, but then acquired a Columbus residence of his own and remained there after his return to the governorship.)

The new gardens and recent additions such as the solar panels and porous driveway have led to recognition as the grounds being the greenest governor's residence in America.

Several trees and plants present in this garden are not from the Allegheny region but have remained due to being part of the original landscape.

Extending from the entrance to the residence is the Arrival Plaza, a starting point for anyone touring the premises, which then forms the First Lady's Courtyard.

A large brick depiction of the Great Seal of Ohio sits to the south of the glade and is a gift from Licking County during the George Voinovich administration.

Standing to the south of the patio is a clone of a Tidal Basin Yoshino cherry tree in the District of Columbia.

The Black Swamp Garden is located to the east of the patio, and above this is a crab apple grove with the sculpture named To Life.

These gardens represent an area of Ohio made when glaciers deposited a yellow-brown sand from the bed of Lake Erie.

When the glaciers retreated and the lake levels dropped, the sand was left and formed hills and ridges making its own unique habitat.

The Alvar Rock Garden & Fen contains two somewhat circular flower beds with large bare slabs of dolomite and limestone.

The smaller “island” contains a slab containing numerous fossils and is surrounded by the same plant varieties found in the larger bed.

The Walled Garden in the far northeast corner of the property provides enough flowers for the decoration of the house, and plenty of vegetables for the daily consumption of the residence.

The garden also houses several plants found only along the banks of the Ohio River, including the renowned Ammon's Blue.

The Gift Shop and Service Building was built to benefit the Friends of the Governor's Residence and Heritage Garden, a non-profit organization with the responsibility of the maintenance of the property.

Large solar panels grace the roof of these structures and supply the residence with electricity with the extra power being sold back to the city.

The Kettle Lake Bog Garden is partially enclosed by curved brick walls with built-in benches.

The walls consist of a combination of stucco and limestone with Bedford stone quoins on the corners, capping of the gables, and framing the windows and doorframes.

The large oak door rests on massive hinges and has several carved recessed panels and serves as a transition to the inside.

The entrance hall is laid out over a polished slate stone floor and carved oak paneling reaching up to the oak-beamed ceiling.

The formal dining room is located to the left of the entrance hall and has full oak paneling and plaster ceiling decorations shaped like rosettes.

The sunken living room is located to the right of the entrance hall and also has full oak paneling and plaster decorative rosettes on the ceiling.