Glensheen Mansion reopening with 'Never Ending Christmas'
If you've still got the feeling you missed out on Christmas because of the coronavirus lockdown, Glensheen Mansion can help you.
Starting Saturday, the Duluth landmark and historic home will reopen in all its Christmastime glory, with towering trees, lights and "hidden elves" — a holiday tradition at the mansion — on full display.
In a program they're calling "Never Ending Christmas," Glensheen will allow self-guided "Christmas General Admission and Full Mansion tours" on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Staff have used the pandemic downtime to trick out the holiday offerings. According to a news release, the new decorations will include even more Christmas trees and over 50 hidden elves — as opposed to the usual 25 — giving visitors the chance to win a prize in a "next level elf hunt."
The release says guests can also expect to be wowed by an extra-clean mansion, with housekeeping staff having been busy "doing another round of deep-dive cleaning projects."
"The floors and brass fixtures have been carefully polished and brought back to their 1910 glow," the release says. "You have to see it to believe it."
The Never Ending Christmas theme was inspired by the "NeverEnding Story" film series of the 1980s, Glensheen says, "giving guests a sense of magical escapism while on tour."
It's not clear how long this never-ending holiday will last, however. And due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be reduced capacity. Click here for more information about the mansion's admissions rules.
Like other facilities around the state, Glensheen will be reopening (again, with some limits) due to loosening lockdown restrictions; these include museums, zoos, restaurants and bars.
The relaxed measures go into effect Monday, though Gov. Tim Walz has warned they could be rescinded if COVID-19 cases rage out of control again.
