Duluth is a city with many gems. Attractions, historic sites, spectacular views of the lake. Having grown up there, I try to visit with my kids regularly to explore the many things the area has to offer.
My family was invited there by MustSeeDuluth.com to experience their 3-attraction pass, but we also got to visit another attraction – Glensheen Mansion.
Glensheen Mansion is the most visited historic home in Minnesota, and is right along the shore of Lake Superior. It’s a 39-room mansion on 12 acres that includes gardens, bridges and beautiful views of the lake.
The Classic Tour is most popular with families. The prices start at $15, and you can add on their Treasure Book for kids for only $1 each. We bought the book and my 7-year-old was super excited to follow along as we went through the many rooms (my 10-year-old was a bit old for the book but liked the tour). There was a page for each room/area with objects to find, and interesting information for kids. It also made a great keepsake, and when you get through the tour, kids get a little prize in the gift shop (which was a souvenir coin).
For the Classic Tour, you can do either one with a tour guide, or the self-guided option. We did the self-guided tour. It works well for anyone who wants to take the tour at their own pace, though I kind of wish we had done the guided option. I think we would have learned a lot more, as we found ourselves moving pretty quickly through the tour. But with kids it’s probably a good thing to let them set the pace! And they do have staff in all the rooms who can answer questions, so you can ask as you go.
The Mansion was built by Chester and Clara Congdon between 1905 and 1908. It cost them $854,000 to build it at the time, and has 27,000 square feet of living space!
The family made their fortune from setting up iron mining in the region. They had 6 children. You can see furniture, clothing, and hobbies throughout the home. The family entertained in their lower level, and had bedrooms for women and girls on the 2nd level, and for men and boys on the 3rd level. This included guest bedrooms. There was so much to see!
And then you go outside to the back which had a beautiful fountain, boathouse, carriage house, vegetable garden, and even a place where the University of Minnesota keeps bees.
Overall, touring the mansion is quite the experience. My kids enjoyed it, especially with the treasure hunt book. Though again, I think the guided tour would have been more interesting and educational as I think we would have learned a lot more. But still, it was fun to go from room to room at our own pace.
There are many other tours available, including the Full Mansion Tour which includes the 3rd floor (ours didn’t). And they’re available year-round, which makes for a good stop if you go to Duluth for Bentleyville during the holidays, or any other time of year.
Overall, I think Glensheen is interesting and educational for everyone, including kids. I wouldn’t recommend taking younger kids, like under 5 years old. Even my 7-year-old wanted to touch more things than he was allowed to, but he enjoyed going through the house with the Treasure Book. I definitely recommend the book for kids.
Glensheen is open for tours 9:00am – 4:00pm every day. Learn more about Glensheen on their website here: https://glensheen.org/.
Read also about our experience with the MustSeeDuluth.com 3-attraction pass, and our stay at the Inn on Lake Superior!
(Disclosure: We were given free passes and accommodations to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.)
