Wander Minnesota: Flashlight Tours At Glensheen
What's there to do in Duluth in the deep dark of winter? Glensheen has an answer: the return of the Flashlight Tour.
You might think this seems like more of a Halloween event, and it certainly could be, but let's be honest—isn't there something delightful about the idea of sneaking around a grand old mansion with a flashlight in the dead of winter?
The tours, which take place on Friday and Saturday nights through March 12, are $25 and give visitors the unique chance to explore the 39-room, 27,000-square-foot mansion lighted only by flashlight (and the flashlights are used by the tour guides—tour participants will not have lights of their own).
Admit it—even if you've visited Glensheen several times, you likely haven't seen it from this perspective before. What might look grand or quaint in the bright light of day (and electric lighting) will seem completely different.
Maybe even foreboding.
Or, in the case of this doll (named Evangeline and made with real human hair and eyebrows) , not just foreboding, but downright terrifying.
Keeping that sense of foreboding (or terror) in mind, you'd do well to consider whether or not to bring children. That said, the Flashlight Tours have been popular in the past, and the Glensheen staff has some suggestions for those coming for the first time:
- Dress warmly and plan to explore outdoors. Yes! You can explore the grounds in the dark!
- Use your smartphone's camera. You're not allowed to use flash, and the stabilizers on most smartphone cameras are often better than on regular cameras. (And share your photos with Glensheen by using #glensheen in your posts.)
- People who are seeing Glensheen for the first time in a flashlight tour often wish they knew what it looked like fully lighted. So plan to take the regular tour before you go, if possible.
- Make it a date night! You've wanted something different to do—here you go.
For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Glensheen website.
What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.
