“The honeymoon stage” is a term coined to represent the beautiful beginnings of relationships. The time when you didn’t know that your partner was the type of person who puts their toilet paper under instead of over (yikes). The honeymoon stage, when date night becomes a regular adventure, when you’re doing new things with your new person and loving every second of it. Reality eventually sets in, and take-out and Netflix replace your adventurous date nights. You settle into your new routine with your partner, reminiscing on that honeymoon stage.
At Glensheen we believe in honeymoon moments. Relationships can’t be 100% amazing all the time because the world we live in isn’t 100% amazing all the time. So what are honeymoon moments? We’re glad you asked. Honeymoon moments are those little instances that happen when you’re able to sneak away from the demands of life for just a little while. When you find time to hold their hand, look into their eyes, and feel like a teenager in love again. Life is full of honeymoon moments and at Glensheen we know that we have plenty of that “grab-them-by-the-hand-snuggle-in-close-be-in-awe-of-life-together type of moments” for you to share.
Glensheen Overview
Glensheen technically falls under the category of House museum but we’re so much more than that. We’re a community space, a bucket-list attraction, and a landscape of serene Lake Superior shoreline. The mansion was built in 1908 for the Congdon family. They were one of the richest families in Minnesota, and one of their favorite pastimes was travel. They took their family all over the world and were known for having to buy entire sets of luggage just to bring home their global purchases. All of this travel experience they brought into the construction of Glensheen. All throughout Glensheen you will see walls lined with mohair which is made of Angoran goat hair, art glass from the Linden Art Glass Company and Quezel Art Glass Company.
Here is a quick overview of what you can expect. It is a five floor mansion that has been preserved mostly to what it looked like in the early 1900’s. Glensheen is built on the shores of Lake Superior, and Tischer Creek runs right through the property. This creek allowed for a unique landscape on the estate, including the stone arch bridge the Congdons built. Remember those honeymoon moments? This will be one of them when you see it. There is also a carriage house, a gardener’s cottage, and a boathouse connected to a 100ft pier that juts out into Lake Superior. So Glensheen sounds cool, but why is it a great date option? Let’s dive in.
Top 10 Photo Spots
You just got back from one of the best dates ever, you had tons of fun, tons of laughs, and memories to hold on to for awhile. You also had a super cute outfit, and just as you get home, put your hair up, and change into sweats — BOOM — it hits you! You didn’t get any photos together! Well at Glensheen, that won’t happen, because there are just too many amazing photo spots.
Inside the mansion non-flash photography is not just allowed, it’s encouraged! This means that you and your hunny can strike a pose in front of that Numidian marble, imitate any one of our many statues, and get that unique stained glass background that makes your outfit pop. Once you head outside there’s even more great options. Whether it’s an action shot of skipping rocks on Lake Superior, a picture where you’re surrounded by any of the amazing flowers we grow at Glensheen, or jumping in front of the fountain. There’s so many amazing spots we can’t talk about them all, but we’re going to list our top 10.
- The Stone Arch Bridge – one of the Congdon’s favorite spots on the estate. So much so that when they had postcards made, they had the bridge in the front and their mansion in the background!
2. Lake Superior – some call it a freshwater ocean, some call it the big lake, but no matter what you refer to it as, its beauty and strength shines through in every photo. The perfect background for the perfect couple.
3. Juliet Balcony – like the name says, this is the perfect spot to immerse yourself into a Shakespearian romance. Many photos are taken here to get that perfect new profile picture.
4. Formal gardens – Your first view of these gardens is from the Juliet balcony, as you walk around you’ll see 20+ different types of plants and flowers to ogle and take close-up photos of.
5. Boathouse pier – this pier juts out into Lake Superior and provides the perfect spot to sit and dip your toes in the water. Soak in the sunshine and take some snapshots as you sit atop Lake Superior.
6. The fountain – this one is pretty self-explanatory, it’s a real fountain!
7. Dante Statue
8. Living room (here is where you’ll find that Numidian marble fireplace) – the living room is a great spot to pose as if you’re just casually going about your day (in a mansion-haha as if).
9. In the carriage house with our cow Lillian – Lillian is super friendly and cute, and doesn’t smell bad at all! She is great at posing for photos because she excels at making sure she keeps her eyes open.
10. The reception room (One of the coolest rooms in the mansion, especially if you look up).
Picnics!
Reason 775 why Glensheen is the perfect date spot, we encourage picnics! That’s right, take your tour and build up an appetite, then when you’re done grab your picnic lunch, your picnic blanket, and your picnic partner and set up anywhere on the grounds. You could pick the rocky shoreline of the Lake, the shade of the pine trees, the rock bed of Tischer Creek, or any of our awesome flower gardens. Something about munching on a PB&J while the waves crash on the shore, bees buzz in the garden, and your hunny sits nearby just hits different.
Fun Fact: We have plenty of proposals at Glensheen every year.
Check our Events Calendar For More
Glensheen is also known for being a stellar event venue. Just last year we were voted the second best outdoor music venue in Duluth. Whether it is our concerts on the pier, our beer gardens, or our beach club, there’s sure to be an event that will make the perfect double-date night for you and your friends. Head here to learn more https://glensheen.org/calendar/ (Due to COVID-19 we are currently closed to the public but as soon as it’s safe to re-open we plan on bringing you tons of new events!).
We”ll See You Soon!
Thanks for reading, we look forward to having you and being a part of your honeymoon stages soon. Head to https://glensheen.org/tours/ to grab tour tickets and learn more about one of the best date nights in Duluth!
