On June 12th, Glensheen Mansion, the historical Congdon estate, celebrated Chester Congdon’s 161st birthday in style. The City of Duluth officially announced June 12th as Chester Day due to Chester Congdon’s success in Minnesota’s iron ore industry and his development of North Shore Drive, among other accomplishments.

Glensheen Mansion was very proud to have the Mayor of Duluth take an active part in its Chester Day celebrations. Mayor Ness signed an official proclamation while wearing a mustache in the spirit of Chester Congdon. Engaging respected community members like the Mayor is what helps make the mansion feel connected to Duluth.

Chester’s Glensheen Mansion has been a vital and historical mainstay for Duluth’s tourism industry for decades now. Since it opened in 1979, the mansion has been visited by approximately 3 million people.

Visitors from all over the country visited Glensheen to help partake in the historical day, donning Chester inspired mustaches given upon arrival. At points, not a man, woman, or child was seen without one. Tourists were delighted to be ‘stached and enjoyed touring the estate in Chester’s image.

Longtime Glensheen employee Irene Nelson even indulged in the ‘stache affair and had a great time doing so.

Chester Day mustache selfies were abound as guests toured the mansion. The opportunity to wear a fun ‘stache in a unique environment inspired guests to post their Glensheen adventures across social media.

Glensheen involved its online audience in a photo contest, asking individuals to post an entertaining, mustached photo in the week following up to the event.

It was exciting for Glensheen to receive hilarious posts from its online audience. The winner of the photo contest (pictured above) won a $100 cash prize.

Chester Day was great to showcase that Glensheen is not an isolated tourism island, but rather an integral part of the historic narrative of the region. Plus, it was an excuse to have a little bit of fun above beyond the usual experience — hence the stache.

Check out more of Glensheen’s Chester Day Photos below!