(Photo by Dan Jandl of Duluth Visuals.)

There is a certain, special beauty in the January cold.

The days have slowed down, holiday craziness has subsided and a new year has begun. A new month, means a new Sheener along with new events.

Plus, some pretty spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Here is what we have lined up for you to kick off the year:

Events

Moonlight Snowshoe | January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Sunday Fundays | January 6, 13, 20, 27

Tours

Christmas at Glensheen | January 1–6

Flashlight Tours |Various dates

Closures

CLOSED for undecorating & maintenance | January 7–11 & January 14–18

 

Free Snowshoe Rental with Tours

With the dumping of holiday snow at the tail end of 2018, there is plenty of fluffy white stuff to play in for snowshoeing on the estate. During Glensheen tour hours of 9:00 am — 5:00 pm, guests who have purchased a tour ticket may also borrow a pair of snowshoes to explore the estate.

The snowshoes are from our friends up the hill, Hartley Nature Center. There are various sizes available, even for the miniature snowshoer. Snowshoeing makes a perfect pairing with the self-guided General Admission tour. Warm up in the mansion after frolicking about the 12-acre estate.

If guests would like to simply rent a pair of snowshoes and not take a tour, they may purchase a Grounds Pass for $5 in the Glensheen Ticket House.

Moonlight Snowshoe

Wednesdays in January | 6:30 pm — 8:30 pm | FREE

Snowshoeing continues! Join us for a moonlight hike on the 12-acre, lakeside estate at Glensheen with Day Tripper of Duluth as your guide.

Kicking off 2019’s Wednesday night series, you will have the chance to explore parts of the Congdon estate not normally traversed by the public. Check out the wooded area next to Bent Brook, explore the Lake Superior shoreline and head down the recently restored Serpentine Wall staircase to Tischer Creek.

As the chief visionary for the North Shore Scenic Drive, Chester Congdon was big on the preservation of the North Shore’s natural beauty. He embraced Northern Minnesota’s landscape by incorporating his own personal hiking trails on Glensheen’s estate.

 

(Photo by Bryan French Photography.)

Once you have hiked the snow-covered estate, head down to the lake to warm up next to a cozy bonfire.

Glensheen will have snowshoes available to borrow! Since the snowshoes are limited, please bring your own snowshoes if you own a pair. Snowshoes are not required, a good pair of boots works too. If there is not enough snow, we will still hike the estate via boots.

For more event information, please visit us here.

Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday

Sundays in January | 1:00 pm — 3:00 pm | FREE

Glensheen is continuing the new programming series for kids called, “Sunday Funday.” The new series offers parents and their young children the chance to learn and be engaged with art, history, and fun.

Please RSVP by filling out the Google RSVP form,

For the first week, come make Gingerbread houses with us!

January 6th Sunday Funday: Making Gingerbread Houses RSVP Form: https://goo.gl/forms/zbxpFY1r2hoBJd1t2

January 13th Sunday Funday: Making a Snowman at Glensheen RSVP Form: https://goo.gl/forms/FrXWxOmkL7clrXxu1

January 20th Sunday Funday: Snowshoes, and Sledding at Glensheen RSVP Form: https://goo.gl/forms/cDohK3xSNX2EnA0I2

January 27th Sunday Funday: Learning about the Original Congdon Winter Sleighs at Glensheen RSVP Form: https://goo.gl/forms/KrXgwWSVIlJ8ZUN32

21+ Flashlight Tours

January 18 — March 16 | Fridays and Saturdays

Flashlight Tours are back! First, you will need to be 21 years old to tour. This is not for kids. All of the lights in the mansion are turned off. The experience of the mansion is only illuminated by the light of your tour guide’s flashlight.

Recently added to the tour is the addition of Glensheen’s newest space available to the public — The Carriage House Living Room. Here, guests will enjoy the warmth of a live fire — the only working fireplace on the estate.

 

Inside the mansion, all the lights are turned off. Each group is accompanied by two guides who will illuminate pieces throughout the house, which allows you to appreciate our rare collection in a new way. Guests on the 21+ Flashlight Tour will see four floors of the mansion, including the previously closed third floor.

Due to the nature of this tour, patrons must be 21 years of age or older. Any intoxicated patrons will be refused admission with no refund. Glensheen requests that guests do not bring their own flashlights.

 

It’s always nicer in a mansion

As much as we love playing in the snow and embracing the cold beauty of January in Duluth, there comes a time when everyone just wants to find a warm spot to hide out.

Hence, the perfect hideout, a 39-room mansion perched at the start of the North Shore Scenic Drive. As the unofficial kick-off of the North Shore, Glensheen is the perfect stop for those coming or going from their snowy winter adventures up the shore.

So here’s a slew of photos to tempt you and show that it is always nicer (warmer) in a mansion:

So, see you soon? Below are our tour hours for January 2019.

January Tour Hours

January 1 — January 6 | 9:00 am — 5:00 pm (Last week of Christmas Tours)

January 7 — January 11| CLOSED for undecorating

January 12 & 13 | OPEN 9:00 am — 5:00 pm

January 14–18 | CLOSED for maintenance

January 19–31 | OPEN 9:00 am — 5:00 pm

For tour times and additional information, please visit us at glensheen.org.