During Voltaire's lifetime
Giacomo Casanova, Chevalier de Seingalt (in English translation), 1760; another visitor to Les Délices, Casanova proves to be a contentious guest, eager to show that he is a worthy rival to Voltaire in matters of literary taste.
Edward Gibbon (in English), 1763; this is Gibbon's second visit; a nice account of Voltaire's acting.
The Prince de Ligne (in French), 1763; written after the fact, a collection of anecdotes and bons mots.
James Boswell (in English), 1764; Boswell is Boswell, so this account perhaps tells us more about him than about Voltaire, but very colorful!
John Morgan and Samuel Powel (in English), 1764; perhaps the first recorded visit by Americans; a nice portrait of Voltaire's "family".
Samuel Sharpe (in English), 1765; a short description including Mlle. Clairon's visit to Ferney to perform in Voltaire's theater
John Conyers, (in English), 1765; a wide-ranging, generally critical description of life at Ferney, including commentary on Voltaire's dress and household
Jean-Jacques de Boissieu (in French), 1765; a simple letter sent by a traveler to his mother, probably a very typical visit to Ferney
Michel-Paul-Gui de Chabanon (in French), 1766-1767; an intimate portrait reflecting Chabanon's prolonged visit of six months; he gives particular insights on Voltaire's ideas about composing tragedy and a nice description of some of the festivities at Ferney
Charles Burney (in English), 1770; quite a typical visit from an Englishman, with a few descriptive details of Voltaire's château and the growing village of Ferney.
Jacob Johann Björnståhl (in German and French), 1770, 1773; this Swedish voyager provides perhaps the most detailed description available of Voltaire's gardens and dependencies; Bjöståhl also gives interesting details concerning the logistics of a visit to Ferney.
Princess Dashkova (in English translation), May 1771; a striking portrait of Voltaire as the "eternal invalid" by a Russian princess in exile.
John Moore (in English), 1772); a bit disjointed, but two topics particularly distinguish this account: Moore's opinions on Voltaire's impiety and his observations of Voltaire as a spectator of his own plays.
Paul Claude Moultou (in French), 1774-1777; Moultou is both admirative and slight mocking as he describes the quasi-royal etiquette of visits at Ferney; these letters were printed in the Mémoires secrets and thus helped to form the public image of Voltaire as the patriarche de Ferney.
Madame Suard (in French), 1775; undoubtedly the most glowing portrait of Voltaire left by any of his visitors, this account bursts with admiration and affection.
Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg (in French), 1775; no friend of Voltaire's philosophy, von Stolberg gives a critical account of the welcome given to some minor German royalty.
Le Comte d'Antraigues, (in French), 1776; d'Antraigues is a reluctant visitor to Ferney, but Voltaire's charm quickly wins him over; he also encounters the doctor Tissot and the actor Lekain.
Isabelle de Charrière (in French), 1777; the Dutch-born writer only gets a brief glimpse at Voltaire; she describes his strategies for avoiding unwanted visitors.
Madame de Genlis (in French), 1777; Genlis is determined not to be counted among Voltaire's admirers; a very strong statement from the opposition.
More recently
Friedrich Johann Lorenz Meyer (in German), c.1800; a brief description, concentrating on Voltaire's bedroom and the inscription on the chapel.
Marianne Baillie (in English), 1818; in addition to a description of the chateau, reflections on Voltaire's prejudice against the Church.
Louis Simond (in French), c.1818; a description of Voltaire's quarters, accompanied by several anecdotes concerning life at Ferney.
James Fenimore Cooper (in English), 1828; the author of The Last of the Mohicans gives a frowning appraisal of Ferney and its former proprietor.
Chateaubriand (in French), 1831; melancholy reflections--what else would one expect?--relating to Chateaubriand's changing political fortunes and Voltaire's religious scepticism.
Alexandre Dumas in French or Alexandre Dumas in English, 1832; Dumas pokes a little fun at the veneration that surrounds Voltaire's memory.
Stendhal in French or Stendhal in English, 1837; Stendhal reflects on the precarity of Voltaire's position during a time of political oppression and the remarkable courage he displayed in his writings.
Catherine Maria Sedgwick (in English), 1841; Sedgwick, an American novelist, gives a detailed description of the state of the Château de Ferney in 1839.
Jules Michelet (in French), 1843; Michelet makes hurried notes that give a fair idea of the state of Voltaire's dwelling 65 years after his death.
Gustave Flaubert (in French), 1845; a terse notebook description that conveys a sense of Flaubert's emotion at seeing Voltaire's quarters.
Emile Deschanel (in French), 1860; evokes both the state of the property in 1860 and memories from Voltaire's lifetime.
E. M. Forster (in English), 1939; just prior to World War II, Forster sees in Voltaire a symbol of freedom.
Ian Buruma (in English), 1999; the author of Anglomania combines modern reflections with traditional motifs during his visit to Ferney
And a Fictional Visit