The Breathtaking Mansion In Minnesota You Must Visit This Year

Glensheen, the former Congdon estate in Duluth, is, perhaps, the most breathtaking historic home in Minnesota, if not the region.

Glensheen is a 27,000-square-foot mansion sitting on 12 acres of prime Lake Superior shoreline in Duluth.

The home was commissioned by Chester Congdon, a prominent attorney and businessman with deep ties to the area's iron mining industry. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1908.

The 39-room residence was gifted to the University of Minnesota in 1968, and it is the most-visited historic home in the Upper Midwest.

Tour options include the gardens and exterior spaces of the estate.

The estate's gardener's cottage and carriage house are also open to the public.

Enjoy walks across the manicured grounds down to the Lake Superior shoreline.

Poke your head inside the impressive boathouse, and stroll out onto the pier, once the largest private dock on the lake. Then, spend some time at the water's edge taking in the scenery.

Tischer Creek bisects the property, but a lovely stone bridge spans the stream.

A full mansion tour is also available for those who wish to see more of the home's interior.

The mansion tour affords visitors the chance to explore all five floors of the residence.

You can get a glimpse at how the other half lived a hundred years ago.

Throughout the year, Glensheen hosts a variety of special events, like a pumpkin hunt. The mansion also sports seasonal changes in decor.

What's not included in most tours are details about the mansion's chilling past. Have you visited Glensheen? Did you take a tour, or were you there for an event? If you love visiting historic residences as much as we do, don't forget to check out the fascinating James J. Hill House on St. Paul's Summit Avenue.