Mayowood Mansion Reopens for Tours Ahead of Holidays

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A Rochester favorite is back open to the public, after a year off because of the pandemic.

Mayowood Mansion is now open for tours, just in time for the holiday season.

Tours at the Mayowood Mansion have been going on for 30 years, but last year was the first time that the tours had to be canceled.

Organizers say they are excited to welcome visitors back to the property.

Outside of Mayowood Mansion — Outside of Mayowood Mansion(KTTC)

“It’s a long standing tradition,” Mayo Clinic Director of Historic Properties Chuck Potter said. “There’s a lot of people that come out every year.”

A popular holiday tour in Rochester, Mayowood Christmas, is back open after a year off.

“So they get to go through all the rooms and get to see all the elaborate decorations,” Olmsted County History Center Collections and Exhibits Curator Dan Nowakowski said. “One cool thing I was able to do with the decorations is make a champagne tower. To collate with the champagne towers, I actually have two historical outfits, one of a suit and the other one of a 1920s flapper dress.”

This year the theme is “Putting on the Ritz”.

Champagne towers with 20s suit and flapper dress — Champagne towers with 20s suit and flapper dress(KTTC)

“We did it for a celebration because Mayowood is back open,” Nowakowski said. “Unfortunately, last year we had to close because to COVID, so we kept with the theme of putting on the Ritz and make it more party like, and glitz and glam.”

All of the rooms are hand decorated by various groups from the community and it takes months of planning.

“I’d say thousands of hours is the best answer I can give you, because for me, my family, and some of the staff from the historical properties, alone we have over 450 hours into it this year,” Potter said.

Organizers say visitors often leave the tour feeling inspired.

Dining room decorated for Christmas — Dining room decorated for Christmas(KTTC)

“People really enjoy and have fun because you get to see the different rooms and how different people decorate and all the different styles, and it gives them ideas for their own homes when they want to start decorating,” Nowakowski said.

“There’s an agreement and we work together and so the history center conducts the tours and does those things as part of their fundraising efforts and things for the history center,” Potter said. “Mayo Clinic owns and maintains the property.”

Tours run Wednesday through Sunday, until the middle of December.

For ticket information, click here.

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