mayowood mansion christmas tour

Rochester City Trolley Tour & Mayowood Mansion

Experience two of the med-city’s major attractions in one tour, rochester city & mayo historical trolley tour .

Relax and enjoy this entertaining and informative tour featuring all of Rochester’s major historic, cultural, and architectural sites and attractions. Rochester and the “Blufflands” region boast a rich and fascinating Indian, pioneer, stagecoach, steamboat, and Civil War history. This tour offers an overview of Rochester’s fascinating medical history along with the famous Mayo family’s ties to pioneer, Civil War, and Minnesota history. By the end of this tour, you will know the inside story of Rochester’s amazing growth and transformation from a humble Midwestern farm town to world-famous mecca for the medical arts. We guarantee you will be surprised and delighted by the charm of Rochester’s many hidden scenic and cultural gems, as we focus on Rochester’s past, exciting present, and much-anticipated future Destination Medical Center (DMC) growth.

Historic Mayowood Mansion Tour! 

Dr. Charles H. Mayo, co-founder of the internationally renowned Mayo Clinic, met his eventual wife Edith Graham Mayo, a pioneering nurse anesthetist, as St. Marys Hospital opened in 1889, and together they created the Mayowood Estate just outside Rochester, Minnesota, between 1910 and 1939. 

The centerpieces of the estate are the thirty-eight room Historic Mayowood Mansion, affectionately referred to as the “Big House” by the family, and surrounding ornamental and aquatic landscape gardens.  The mansion itself is situated on a secluded hillside of striking natural beauty in the hardwood forest above the Zumbro River. 

Dr Charlie and Edith built the Mayowood Mansion in 1911, and over the decades extended the estate’s reach to more than 3,000 acres that included a man-made recreational lake, greenhouses, cottages, and eight distinct working farm operations.  Their eldest son, Dr. Charles W. (Chuck) Mayo and his wife, Alice, made many improvements to the home until their deaths in the late 1960s.  Mayowood is filled with elegant furnishings, artifacts, and  artwork from both generations’ extensive travels. 

The mansion has largely been maintained as it was when last occupied by the Mayo family and is used to interpret the lives of this famous Twentieth Century medical family.  Ownership of the Mayowood Mansion was transferred to Mayo Clinic in 2013.  In a collaborative project, Mayo Clinic, the History Center of Olmsted County and Rochester Master Gardeners are restoring Mayowood with enhancements to the house and grounds that continue the Mayo family’s tradition of hospitality.

The mansion is still open to the public on scheduled tour days, from March through October . In November and December the house is elegantly and festively decorated for the holidays, and open to the public for annual Christmas tours. 

Your group’s guided tour of this fascinating historical treasure — Rochester’s premier historic house tour — will last approximately one hour! 

HIGHLIGHTS! 

Historic Mayowood Mansion  ~ Former Home of Mayo Clinic Co-Founder Dr. Charlie Mayo, Completed in 1911

Mayowood Historic Corridor ~ Dr. Charlie’s Limestone Carriage Barn & Stables, Greenhouses, Cottages, River Bridge, Dam, & Lake

Mayo Clinic Campus ~ Largest Clinic of its Kind in the World

Downtown Rochester & Peace Plaza ~ Cosmopolitan Shops, Restaurants, & Plazas

Plummer Building ~ Original 1928 Mayo Clinic Building Designed by Dr. Henry S. Plummer

Feith Family Statuary ~ Park Honoring Founders of Mayo Clinic & Saint Marys Hospital

Calvary Episcopal Church ~ Mayo Family Church & Oldest Church in Rochester

Silver Lake Park ~ Charming Lake District Featuring Limestone Arch Bridges

Assisi Heights ~ Home of the Rochester Franciscan Community, Founders of St. Marys Hospital 

St. Marys Hospital Campus & Chapel ~ Among the Largest Private Hospitals in the World

“Pill Hill” National Historic Residential District ~ Historic Homes Built by Pioneering Doctors & Prominent Citizens 

Mayo Foundation House ~ Former Home of Mayo Clinic Co-Founder Dr. Will Mayo, Completed in 1918

Soldier’s Field Veterans Memorial ~ One of the Finest Memorials in the Country

Plummer House ~ Former Home of Dr. Henry S. Plummer, Designer of Original Mayo Clinic Buildings 

LOGISTICS! 

Your group selects the tour date, start time, and pickup location!

This private group tour is always available on WEDNESDAYS, SATURDAY, and SUNDAYS!

Please inquire via email or phone for availability on other days of the week!

Your tour combines a 1.5 to 2 hour Rochester City Trolley Tour with a 1 hour Mayowood Mansion Tour! 

Recommended duration is 2.5 to 3 hours roundtrip! 

Transportation via a 33 passenger vintage trolley or by coach! 

Your group will receive a discounted private group City Trolley Tour rate as well as discounted per person admission (for 20+ guests) to the Mayowood Mansion! 

A Look Inside: Christmastime at Mayowood Mansion

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Christmas tours are back at the Mayowood Historic Home and on Midwest Access this Wednesday, we give you a peak inside.

Tickets for tours are only available on special dates and times. Adults are $25 and children are $10. Reservations are required online only or by phone and all ticket sales are final.

If you would like to make a reservation, you can contact the History Center of Olmsted County or call (507) 282-9447.

Scheduled dates and times:

Sunday: 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm

Wednesday: 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm

Thursday: 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm

Friday: 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm

Saturday: 10am, 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm

Copyright 2023 KTTC. All rights reserved.

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Mayowood Tours resume September 1st, 2021

Mayowood history.

A tour of Mayowood Mansion is to experience the personal lives of Dr. Charlie Mayo, co-founder of the Mayo Clinic, and his son, Dr. Chuck Mayo, and gives visitors an opportunity to celebrate their amazing achievements in medicine and human service.

The 23,000-square foot, thirty-eight room mansion was built in 1910 by Dr. Charlie and Edith Mayo. The home is built of concrete construction, the first of its kind in southeast Minnesota. Once a 3,300-acre country estate, the mansion has seen many changes over the years.

Indoors, original Mayo family artifacts tell the story of their many world travels and how the home was used as a house of hospitality to entertain the community and VIP celebrity guests.

Outdoors, the mansion is surrounded by a grand terrace overlooking the Zumbro River along with beautiful botanical gardens and an Oriental Tea House.

In collaboration, the home and property is owned and operated by Mayo Clinic, while the History Center of Olmsted County conducts public tours, special events, and owns much of the original family archival collection.

Today you're invited to explore Mayowood Mansion and immerse yourself in the lives and legacy of the famous Mayo Clinic doctors who helped change the world of medicine.

To order tickets today, please call (507) 282-9447. Tours resume September 1st, 2021.

Keeping Us All Safe: COVID Precautions

All visitors and staff must wear masks while on the Mayowood Mansion property. The following are not acceptable as masks: Masks with vents and athletic neck gaiters, bandanas or crochet material. New evidence suggests they may be less effective than cloth masks.

Social distancing is encouraged.

No food or drink will be permitted inside of the mansion. 

If you are feeling sick, have flu-like symptoms, or have been in contact with someone who has recently had COVID-19, please visit us another time.

Welcome to Mayowood Mansion located at: 3720 Mayowood Road SW Rochester, MN 55902

Parking is available at Mayowood and tickets may be purchased at the mansion approximately 20 minutes prior to your selected tour time.

Directions if coming from West Circle Drive or Salem Road:

• Turn onto County Road 25
• Drive past Autumn Ridge Church on right
• Turn left onto Mayowood Road
• Once over the Zumbro River bridge, turn right and drive through the Mayowood entrance gate and up the hill to the mansion parking lot
• Alternate Salem Road Directions:
• Turn onto Bamber Valley Road (County Road 8)
• At stop sign turn right (Bamber Valley School on left after turn)
• Drive past the Stone Barn Event Center on right
• Take first left and drive through the Mayowood entrance gate and up the hill to the mansion parking lot

For additional assistance with directions, please call 507-282-9447

• Mayowood Mansion is privately owned by Mayo Clinic and is closed to the general public on non-tour days.

Mayowood Mansion Ticket Admission:

Tours resume september 1st, 2021. , to order your tickets, please call (507) 282-9447. .

• Weekday tours begin at 10am and run hourly until 3pm
• Sunday tours begin at noon and run hourly until 3pm

Regular Season Tours:

September 1—September 29: 

Tours start on the hour and run regularly on the hour. 

October 2—October 30: 

Additional Information

• All Mayowood tours are conducted by professional tour guides and tours last approximately one hour.
• Groups of 20 or more may call 507-282-9447 or email [email protected] for group pricing and guidelines.
• Visitors may purchase tour tickets at Mayowood Mansion approximately 20 minutes prior to the selected tour time.
• Photography is not permitted inside the mansion but outdoor photos are encouraged.

Christmas Tours:

Mayowood christmas tours are by reservation only and begin at the history center of olmsted county., mayowood christmas – putting on the ritz:.

2021 dates and cost:

Reservations are required

For reservations, call the History Center at 507-282-9447 .

To schedule a group tour, please email [email protected] . Dates and times are subject to change due to inclement weather or special events.

Tours begin at the History Center, where light refreshments are provided along with a short film about Mayowood and the Mayo Family. The film will begin on time at your scheduled tour time, so please arrive at the History Center 15 minutes early. Afterward, a vintage trolley will shuttle you to Mayowood Mansion and return you to the History Center at the conclusion of the tour. The tour is guided and lasts about one hour. Please let guides know if anyone needs the handicap accessible entrance. Your paid ticket also includes a self-guided tour of the Exhibit Gallery and Research Center at the History Center, which you can do before or after the Christmas Tour.

If you have questions, please call 507-282-9447 or email [email protected] or [email protected]

Special Event Tours

Special Event Tours require reservation and begin at Mayowood unless otherwise noted. You can see a full list of upcoming Mayowood Specialty Tours here. 

“Beautiful Inside and Out: Mayowood Art & Garden Specialty Tour” September 12, 2021 at 1:00 PM CST This one-and-a-half-hour experience includes a tour of the interior of stunning Mayowood Mansion, paying special attention to the artwork and the artists who created them. Once through the house, guests will tour the beautiful gardens, where gardens of the past and present are highlighted. Refreshments will be provided in the tea house. You can reserve your tickets here .  Cost: $30

“Conserving Mayowood: Past, Present, and Future” October 2, 2021 at 1:00 PM CST

This one-hour tour highlights the many preservation and conservation projects the charming Mayowood Mansion and its artifacts have undergone in recent years. Guests will discover the importance of preservation to the legacy of Mayowood. You can reserve your tickets here . 

The 2020 Mayowood Tours will look at different VIP guests who have visited throughout the years. Mayowood was once a 3,300-acre estate outside of Rochester, established by Dr. Charles H. Mayo, co-founder of Mayo Clinic. The centerpiece of the property is the 38-room mansion, completed in 1910, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. In collaboration, the home and property are now owned and operated by Mayo Clinic; the History Center of Olmsted County conducts public tours, special events, and owns much of the original family collection. Tickets can be purchased directly at the mansion approximately 20 minutes before the selected tour time. Each guided tour lasts about one hour.

Group tours available upon request by emailing [email protected]

Historic Mayowood Mansion: A Top Attraction in Rochester, MN

Thursday, March 5, 2020 2:00 PM by Experience Rochester MN

If walls could talk, Mayowood's might direct you to the white oak tree beneath which Dr. Charles H. Mayo designed the 48-room mansion. In 1911, the family moved in, and for the next nearly 60 years, three generations of Drs. Mayo lived in the stately home in the countryside near Rochester, MN.

The Mayos furnished their mansion with treasures, many collected during travels abroad.

Now Mayo Clinic owns the house and the History Center of Olmsted County the contents, and Mayowood is on display to the public. Guided tour-takers can marvel at its elegance, admire splendid antiques and see in its courtyard its designer's favorite white oak tree.

Following is a peek at Mayowood, a mini-visit that may tempt you to take the grand tour.

"A real family lived here"

The heirlooms will delight you--Chippendale chairs, Limoges china, a Belgian lace fan that belonged to Empress Josephine, Waterford crystal chandeliers, a Louis XV desk, Chinese scrolls (circa 1725), an 1810 English Regency Style four-poster bed and much more.

You'll learn about the Mayos. "What I like most about Mayowood is the generations who lived here and their stories," says Chuck Potter, manager of Mayo Clinic's historic properties. "A real family lived here, and they are absolutely fascinating."

• Charles H. (Dr. Charlie) and Edith and their six children, two adopted children and foster son. It was Dr. Charlie, his brother Dr. Will (William James Mayo) and their father Dr. W.W. Mayo who established Mayo Clinic.
• Charles W. (Dr. Chuck) and Alice and their six children and two adopted nephews.
• Charles H. II (Young Dr. Charlie) and Carolyn and their two children.

Family photos adorn the foyer walls, and a quote from Dr. Chuck introduces a story: "Imagine living in a house so vast, our children once kept goats in a downstairs room for two weeks before we discovered them."

One of the culprits was Young Charlie, who later remarked that hiding one goat was a cinch, but when they added another, the odor overwhelmed the household.

Antiques and opulence abound

Music room attractions include a 1913 player Aeolian pipe organ, a marble statue of Napoleon and a Steinway grand piano.

A carved 17th century doorframe outlines the entrance to the living room. The doorframe came from a castle in Germany, and the living room measures 1,150 square feet. The area rug is Mashhad Persian, 32.5 feet by 20 feet. It's hand-loomed and signed, and when your tour guide tells you the tale of horses in the house, you'll applaud the exquisite rug's durability.

"This whole house is huge, but to me it's very comfortable," says tour guide Jerri Peters. "You could live here."

Mayowood's many works of art include paintings and sculptures by talented Mayo children, some of whom became artists.

Treasures preserved and lost

Alice liked to keep track of how tall her children and grandchildren grew. You can view their height measurement markings on the wall by the library windows. 

But some treasures can't be viewed on the tour -- they are only retained in storytelling. For example, while playing catch in Mayowood's woods, Young Charlie and his brother Ned lost the baseball. Not their ball. This one belonged to their dad, Dr. Chuck -- the baseball signed for him by Lou Gehrig.

Guided tours take place from March to October. Then from early November until mid-December, the mansion is decked out for the holidays and reopens for Christmas visits. Plan your visit to Mayowood Mansion.

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Mayowood Mansion Christmas tours are back

[anvplayer video=”5069766″ station=”998128″]

(ABC 6 NEWS) – Christmas is right around the corner and the Mayowood Mansion in Rochester is ready to celebrate.

Last year there wasn’t a stocking or tree in sight at the mansion, but this year the home is decorated from top to bottom and ready to welcome visitors.

Each year there is a different theme for the Christmas tours and this year’s theme is Puttin’ on the Ritz.

"You’re going to see a lot of glitz, and glamour and lights and sparkle and there is going to be a lot of 1920s fashion on display," said Mayowood Mansion Tour Coordinator, Kathy Dahl.

Many of the 38 rooms have been decked out in Christmas decor.

"Each room does have a different decorator and those are made of up local businesses here in Rochester, local organizations in Rochester, as well as individuals," said Dahl.

This has been a tradition for many years after the second generation of Mayos donated the home in 1965.

"When the volunteers of the history center got together they decided to create this event as a fundraiser for the history center. And that is when the Friends of Mayowood Mansion organization was formed and they were the ones who first started the Christmas tour tradition," said Dahl.

The money raised helps keep the mansion running.

The Mayowood Mansion is a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the History Center of Olmsted County.

If you take the guided tour, you can learn more about the home’s history and Mayo family Christmas traditions.

You can learn more about the tours here.

The tours are Wednesday through Sunday.

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Holiday Fun: Rochester's Mayowood Mansion

Head south of the cities for some holiday fun and a history lesson in Rochester. Located 90 minutes south of the Twin Cities, Rochester is home to the Mayo Clinic and the Mayo family’s historic home, Mayowood Mansion .

The origins of the world-renowed clinic (consistently ranked highly in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals ) date back to 1864, when Dr. William Worrall Mayo moved to Rochester. His two sons, William and Charles, joined his practice in the late 1800s. I find the history of the Mayo brothers and their impact on Rochester fascinating, as my family has a strong connection to the city and the clinic itself.  

Photos courtesy of history center of olmsted county

One place to learn all about this history is at Mayowood. Dr. Charles Mayo created the Mayowood Estate beginning in 1911. The 38-room Mayowood Mansion, and the surrounding 10 acres, were donated to the Olmstead County Historical Society in 1965. The mansion is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This year, Mayowood celebrates its centennial. The historical society has preserved the historic house museum as it was when Charles and his wife resided there.

Ownership of the property will soon transfer to the Mayo Clinic, with the promise that the clinic will invest $3 million into restoration of the property, which was placed on the Most Endangered List for the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in 2011.

Tours of the historic property are offered throughout much of the year. This week, Mayowood’s Christmas tours began. See the house all decked out for the holidays (through Nov. 27) while learning all about the Doctors Mayo.

Make a weekend of it and enjoy all that Rochester has to offer. Need a place to stay? Check out of the Kahler family of hotels . Hungry? Might I suggest Chester’s Kitchen & Bar (Sunday brunch is great) near the Galleria and Zzest Market & Cafe (with its oft-changing menu).

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McConnell Mansion Historic House Museum

Located in Moscow's historic Fort Russell neighborhood, the McConnell Mansion (at 110 South Adams Street ) is an architectural and historic landmark. William J. McConnell, leading merchant, prominent Republican, and Idaho Governor from 1887 to 1893, built the house in 1886. On the main floor of the house are historic rooms interpreted in different time periods from 1900 to the 1930s. The second floor contains the restored master bedroom and exhibits, including hands-on activities for young visitors. During warm weather, visitors are invited to relax and enjoy refreshments in the backyard garden. The Museum Store carries books on local history, notecards from area artists, and more.

Staffed by a corps of volunteers, the museum is open Tuesday through Friday, and some Saturdays dependent on volunteer availability, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and for special events. Please call or email to verify Saturday hours. 

Latah County Historical Society to Host Victorian Christmas at the McConnell Mansion

Join the Latah County Historical Society for an afternoon of holiday merriment with the Victorian Christmas at the McConnell Mansion on Saturday, December 17 th  from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Enjoy delicious holiday treats while touring the beautifully decorated historic home. We will also be collecting donations of non-perishable food items for area food banks.

This event is free and open to the public. The McConnell Mansion is located at 110 S. Adams Street in Moscow.

For information contact: 208.882.1004,  [email protected]

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