Jessica: I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but you are mistaken. We can briefly discuss the crime as needed. Sometimes it won’t be brought up, but that’s a matter of individual preference. I have a schedule of weddings in front of me, including yours assuming your last name starts with a particular letter of the alphabet. If I work your wedding I will talk to you.

I visited the Glensheen mansion about two years ago with my aunt and cousins. I had prior, yet very limited, knowledge of the murders at the mansion and was so intruiged to be taking this tour. We passed through many of the amazing rooms the mansion has to offer, and were on the second floor when I began to get antsy…”when were they going to tell us about the murders?” I thought to myself. We toured Elisabeth’s bedroom and continued down the hall to an area with several smaller rooms roped off and an old elevator. The tour guide, with her back to the elevator, was facing the small rooms in preperation to explain about the various artifacts in the small rooms behind the crowd. I couldn’t hold my tongue anymore, and asked the guide whether it was true or not that there had been a murder in the mansion and if the rumors of hauntings were true. Her demeanor seemed to change a little and she answered that yes there were actually 2 people murdered and explained a few reasons why the guides do not mention the murders (one being children, and there was one small child on our tour) and simply said yes she had known of a few stories throught the years, but never seen anything herself. I respectfully quit asking questions at that point because of the child, but I was dying to hear more. My mind was distracted a little as the guide began again to explain about the artifacts and I was facing away from the group looking at the glass on the elevator door. I then saw a figure come up from the basement level, stop on the second floor, where the door never opened (as it should have, being that it stopped on that floor) and the elevator went back down to the basement. Literally the minute the elevator disappeared the guide turned the groups’ attention to the elevator and began to tell how the elevator was now only used once a year on Christmas to move decorations from the attic. My jaw dropped and I exclaimed to her that there was just someone who came up and went down in the elevator. She said “really?” and was very puzzled. No one else in the group saw the figure come up or go down in the elevator. We were all full of doubt and excitement through the rest of the tour, where to my suprise the tour guide was waiting for me and told me that she couldnt find anyone who had been in the elevator, but also tried to convince me that it had to have been one of the staff members. I beg to differ simply because WHY did no one else see that happen? There were probably 15 people standing in a cramped area, and no one but me saw or heard a thing. I am now SO intrigued and cant wait to return and hopefully visit the 3rd floor!! Thank you to all who care for this lovley estate ~ it truely is a treasure!

Wow…I just read nearly all of the 300+ posts on here and wanted to post a little more. Some very interesting posts, some quite useless…but thanks to those who added to the conversation and were informative! I was in Duluth again just last week and we drove up the shore for an after-graduation dinner, and passed Glensheen on our drive. I noticed for the first time the cemetary next to the estate that some people spoke of. No one mentioned this nor did I notice it during our tour! I love old cemetaries, so I am delighted to learn about the cemetary and it’s history. I will be sure to check it out next time I visit. Another thing I didnt mention in my previous post (and should have!!!) is that I would highly reccommend visiting Glensheen, (I would love to get hitched there
too!)first for it’s beauty, technology, art, originality, and HISTORY but secondly, I would recommend it highly to anyone who believes in the paranormal. Whether or not you see something, the FEELING of the place is undescribable…and remember that ghosts dont want to be looked for, so dont go expecting to see/feel them…if they want to contact you, they will. Either way…keep the money rolling in to this amazing estate ($40,000 to heat per year!?!?) And to the person who posted that the fee was too pricey…I would say with access to the amazing carriage house, all other out-buildings, grounds, lakeshore, gardens, cemetary (Yay!! )and everything you get to see inside the MAGICAL and AMAZING main house, that this tour is WELL worth the money and I am actually amazed that they bring in enough money each year to do the up-keep! If this isnt worth the money, what is…a new video game??? GO VISIT! SPEND THE MONEY ~ IT’S WORTH IT!!! Finally, I just want to say I hope that people remain respectful of the home and keep it prestine (and not STEAL ~ how terrible!) so Glensheen can stay open to the public for generations to come.

VGS, I’m just going off of what I’ve experienced at the Mansion. I’ve been to the Mansion about 15 times in the last 5 years, and in every tour that I’ve been on, Someone will ask about the Murders, and EVERYTIME it is stated that the UMD does not want this beautiful Historic home known only for such a terrible and tragic event. Even though I find the claim of paranormal events completely intriguing, I hope people do see the Congdon Estate in its entirety and not only for a tragic past. I will definitely post if I do myself experience any phenomenon . I’ve already told my fiancé that I will not be roaming the grounds alone !!

Prior to 2004, we were not allowed to mention a thing about the crimes. In fact, there was a canned speech we were to give if asked. In 2004 we were allowed to talk about it using discretion. Many older docents do not care to discuss it because they personally knew the Congdons (I did not). Younger tour guides always mention it. Maybe you always had older guides!

Brooklyn: It’s funny you should mention the elevator. The other day several docents were allowed to see “behind the scenes” at Glensheen. As we talked, it turned out that *I* was the only one who had ever ridden the elevator (no one else would do it)! A few years ago I expressed interest in the elevator, so one of the caretakers/janitors/cleaning people asked me if I wanted to ride in it. Usually I say no to things like that, but I figured it was safe. As I was going up they yelled out, “If it stops between floors, you’ll have to crawl out!” It didn’t, but it was an experience! It’s probably 50 years old and has not had maintenance on it because no one officially uses it (it’s just for putting vacuums or other heavy things in it).

As for paranormal activities, I pray over the house before my tours. When people ask me if it’s haunted I say, “Not on MY tours!” So, if you want ghosts you’ll probably have to go with a different guide.

By the way–some docents will discuss the crimes in more detail after the tours. Glensheen sells a book, “Will to murder.” It’s in its third edition and I’d guess there will be a fourth edition in a few years. Every time the major star in the book does something, we need to come out with a new edition.

I read that there is a bed and breakfast next door? Is that correct and if yes please tell me how I can book a stay!

I read that the sister’s house is now a B & B? Is it still in business and if so, could you please tell me how to contact them?

Brooke: It’s a great house from what I have been told and is only two doors down. However, it’s now owned by a private family! I’m sorry.

I agree with Jon and everyone else, because i just went thier like last week ( may 25 2009) And i did not feel any “cold spots” or screaming,it was only a nice tour of a Very old mansion. People shouldnt be saying its haunted and that is why the guides dont talk about it but the real reason they dont want to upset the Congdon family by telling people about their ancestors dying in a house that is now being toured in.

I dont know why people are saying that the staff cant talk about the murders. Everything I have read up on it says that they can. You just have to ask the guids to do so and to just sak at the end of the tour and they will do so. I will re-post and tell you about my time visiting after I do. I move there in July and will deffently be going there.

I dont know why you all are saying that they cant talk about the murders its not true. They can you just have to ask at the end of the tours and they will answer your questions. I have read up on it all. and pluse they also sale a book about the murders that happened there in the gift shop. so if they wernt alowed to talk about it then they wouldnt sale the dang books there. Read up on it Google Glensheen Mansion and go to the wikipidia and it tells you right there that they can and WILL talk about it at the end of the tour. They probably dont just come out and say things because there are kids in the tours and some people just dont want to hear about a lady getting brutaly murdered in her house. I will be moving to Duluth in July (2009) and I will re-post and let you all know how I found Glensheen Mansion to be and if they talked about the murder. I bet they will if you ask them at the end of the tour like it says on Wikipidia…. have a good day.

I used to work at the house and things like lights turning on and off definetly happen however it is likely due to old electric wires that paranormal activity. This lighting problem happens in all old homes. I
spent a lot of time in the house and trust me it is not haunted by the women who tragicley died in the home. There have been rumored sightings of a small boy identified as the Congdons son who died when he was 3, however the boy died long before the Congdons moved into Glensheen so it is unlikely.

When I was a high school senior in the fall of 2004, the small high school choral group that i was in was asked to perform at a function being held by the estate, and in exchange for the performance, we were given exclusive access to take our own self guided tours, it was while on the second floor where the old woman and her nurse were murdered, i had noticed that it had grown quite loud from all the people walking around and talking, but the instant that myself and the two others with me that it instantly became deathly quiet, which made us a little unnerved, and until this time, i had always been a little skeptical of the whole theory of haunted houses, and i actually made a statement out loud to this effect, and it was at that precise moment(because i will never forget this) all of the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention, as if they were being brushed up by a hand, almost as if to prove to me that in some way this house may be visited on occasion by “spirits”. It put a little bit of fear into me, and i will always remember.

I visited the mansion with my mother and not once did anything wierd happen. I believe its all just folk lore

I have been in the mansion many times and have been on every single floor, i haven’t have any weird things happen to me. I believe there are spirits still walking around the mansion and i also believe that many of you people are making up these stories. If you have felt creeped out in the house you probably just where paranoid that its so big and people have been murdered which scares you and makes you jump at every little thing.

Y’all think Glensheen is nice? The Congdons had a BIGGER version in Washington State. A portrait of that house used to be in Glensheen. I took two tours at Glensheen. The last had access to the 3rd Floor and Attic. After seeing the rest of the mansion the 3rd floor was extremely sparse. The attic was one of the best truss style attics I’ve ever seen.
You want to see great examples of pride in worksmanship? The hand carvings on one side of a room will be within 1/8 of an inch height difference of those on the other side of the room. Considering they had no laser siting then I found it to be incredible.

Mike

hi my name is christine i live close to the house
i do really think it is true that the house is deeply hunted
i was dreaming of wanting to sped two night there to see it my self

The house which the family still owns is in Yakima, Washington, and is called Westhome. http://westhome.org/ From the people with whom I have spoken and who have actually been inside it, it is not furnished like Glensheen at all. I believe it’s more of a Southwest theme. Interestingly enough, it is not available to all members of the Congdon family–only certain ones.

No I’m thinking Congdon Castle.

Mike