The independent tour company, Day Tripper of Duluth, offers kayak tours that start at Glensheen.
This is a one-of-a-kind experience. Have you toured Glensheen before and want that next-level experience? This is it.
Thanks to our friends at Day Tripper of Duluth, you can head out onto the vast waters of Lake Superior from the beautiful shore of Glensheen Mansion and see the estate from a completely new perspective. When conditions permit, you will spot the sunken breakwater and paddle up Tischer Creek nearly to the base of the house while you learn a bit about the natural and cultural history of the estate and area.
Launching your kayak from Glensheen’s shoreline is only allowed with the approved vendor, Day Tripper of Duluth.
Glensheen has created an agreement with a 3rd party vendor, Day Tripper of Duluth. The University of Minnesota Duluth and Glensheen do not operate or have any responsibility for Day Tripper of Duluth’s kayak tours.
Registration for a kayak tour is through Day Tripper of Duluth:
CLICK HERE to purchase Day Tripper of Duluth’s Kayak Tour at Glensheen
Day Tripper of Duluth is proud to offer Kayak Tours at Glensheen throughout the summer on a variety of days. Dates, times, and prices may vary.
Sundays | 9am & 11am
Wednesdays | 9am, 11am, & 4pm
Tours of the mansion can be purchased separately HERE.
Glensheen is owned and operated by the University of Minnesota. This tour does not include a Mansion tour. Tickets for the Mansion tour need to be purchased through Glensheen itself. You may explore the grounds before or after your paddle without the purchase of an additional ticket.
Thanks to the generosity of Glensheen’s donors and Advisory Council, we are pleased to offer a School Bus Scholarship. We hope this scholarship helps defray the cost of transporting your students to Glensheen, allowing them to Get Wowed and experience their community’s rich history.
School Bus Scholarships will be granted on eligibility and availability of funds.
Eligibility requirements:
Schools may receive one scholarship per year.
The maximum amount allotted is $200.
The scholarship is to defray transportation costs to Glensheen.
Applications with groups of less than forty students will be reviewed and awarded depending on availability of funds.
How it works:
Trip leaders arrange for a school bus through district/school office or third-party bus company.
School district/school business office, transportation department or bus company creates invoice.
School sends Glensheen an invoice for the transportation cost of travel.
Glensheen will pay up to $200 toward the invoice, reimbursing the school for a maximum of $200 for the cost of transportation.
This scholarship is only for the bus transportation costs.
After receiving your application, we will contact you within two weeks to let you know the outcome of your request. Completion of the application does not guarantee award of scholarship. Thank you for considering Glensheen for your student outing.
Groups of ten or more are offered a self-guided Classic Tour. This tour features original interiors in styles ranging from Renaissance Revival and Colonial Revival to Arts and Crafts. Stories of the Congdon family and others who lived and worked at Glensheen bring this magnificent mansion to life. This includes the lower level, first floor, and second floor.
We request two weeks’ notice to reserve a Group Tour.
Group Tours must have a minimum of ten people.
Credit card payments are not accepted via fax or email, but they are welcomed over the phone.
To request an adult group tour, please use this form to request a date and time. Glensheen staff will follow up with you to confirm availability and finalize your booking request.
Two complimentary tickets will be issued per bus (driver & escort) for groups of ten or more.
2024 Dates Unavailable for Group Tour Bookings:
All Saturdays May – December
Memorial Day Weekend: May 26th and 27th
Independence Day: July 4th and 5th
Labor Day Weekend: September 1st and 2nd
MEA: October 17th-20th
Thanksgiving: November 28th & 29th
Christmas: December 24th-26th
*Due to high visitor demand, these dates are unavailable for group tour bookings.
LEARN MORE
To request an adult group tour, please use this form to request a date and time. Glensheen staff will follow up with you to confirm availability and finalize your booking request.
Hours of Operation
Please note that the last self-guided Full Mansion Tour is sold 30 minutes before closing each day. Self-guided Classic Tours are sold up until the time we close.
At Glensheen, students don’t just learn about their community’s history; they step back in time. Duluth once had more millionaires per capita than any other city, and until students experience Glensheen firsthand, the Zenith City’s boom time may be hard to fathom. But when students walk the halls of Glensheen and glance up at the reception room’s gold leaf ceiling, they’ll begin to comprehend the prosperity of Duluth’s past.
This real-life history lesson is available year-round for all ages. Students receive a self-guided Classic Tour to view the mansion and an invitation to explore the 12 acres of Lake Superior shoreline.
We request two weeks’ notice to reserve a school group.
To reserve a group tour, there must be ten or more people in the group.
Credit card payments are not accepted via fax or email, but they are welcomed over the phone.
To request a school group tour, please use this form to request a date and time. Glensheen staff will follow up with you to confirm availability and finalize your booking request.
One complimentary adult ticket will be issued per ten students. Additional adults will pay the additional adult ticket price. No deposit is required for school groups.
2024 Dates Unavailable for Group Tour Bookings:
All Saturdays May – December
Memorial Day Weekend: May 26th and 27th
Independence Day: July 4th and 5th
Labor Day Weekend: September 1st and 2nd
MEA: October 17th-20th
Thanksgiving: November 28th & 29th
Christmas: December 24th-26th
*Due to high visitor demand, these dates are unavailable for group tour bookings.
LEARN MORE
To request a school group tour, please use this form to request a date and time. Glensheen staff will follow up with you to confirm availability and finalize your booking request.
On the Director’s Tour you will enjoy an exclusive Glensheen experience. As a previous tour guide and history buff, our director Dan shares intriguing stories of Glensheen and the Congdon family along the way. Not only is the entire mansion explored, but also the Nooks & Crannies spaces of previously restricted areas. You’ll see spaces such as the silver safe, which only the Director has a key for.
Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes! The beautifully landscaped 12-acre estate and grounds are his favorite.
Have you ever wondered what’s behind those locked doors at Glensheen? For the first time ever, visitors are invited to come on our most exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of previously restricted areas and secret cabinets along the way. This unforgettable journey will lead you through the second floor of the Carriage House with its hand-operated freight elevator, the boathouse and Clara’s private balcony.
This is the perfect experience for anyone who loves Glensheen and its history. The Nooks & Crannies Tour allows those who have previously visited to see new areas and hidden details, while learning more about this magnificent estate.
To learn more about the Nooks & Crannies Tour, click HERE.
The Nooks & Crannies Tour is offered on the weekends. Click here to see available tour times.
Soak in the luxurious interiors, and stories of the Congdon family.
This tour is a self-guided experience of the lower level, first floor, second floor, third floor, and attic.
Grounds Admission is included with the purchase of any mansion tour.
Interpretive signage and downloadable app with audio tour available.
The signage and app include all of your favorite information from the guided tours!
Est. Time: 1.5 hours.
FULL MANSION TOURS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE BY PURCHASING ONSITE
Due to limited capacity, Full Mansion tours sales may be paused until capacity becomes available.
For a higher likelihood of Full Mansion tour availability, we recommend:
Visiting on a weekday.
For weekend visits, try a Sunday vs. a Saturday.
Late afternoons are usually the slowest time of day.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please visit our ACCESSIBILITY page to learn more about available accommodations. For additional information or to request accommodation, please contact us at 888-454-4536 or info@glensheen.org.
Hours of Operation
Please note that the last self-guided Full Mansion Tour is sold 30 minutes before closing each day. Self-guided Classic Tours are sold up until the time we close.
(Please remember to check in with the Ticket House when you arrive to redeem your pre-purchased tickets.)
IN-PERSON: Upon arrival, all guests will be welcomed at the Ticket House where day-of tickets are available for purchase.
Want to see the entire mansion?
The Full Mansion Tour is a self-guided experience that explores all five floors of the mansion. Full Mansion tour tickets are only available for purchase onsite as capacities allow. Learn more about the Full Mansion Tour.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please visit our ACCESSIBILITY page to learn more about available accommodations. For additional information or to request accommodation, please contact us at 888-454-4536 or info@glensheen.org.
Hours of Operation
Please note that the last self-guided Full Mansion Tour is sold 30 minutes before closing each day. Self-guided Classic Tours are sold up until the time we close.