This Christmas season, special Christmas tours of the keeper’s home at Split Rock Lighthouse are being offered. On Saturdays December 14, 21 and continuing daily December 28-31, visitors can learn about winter life and Christmas traditions of the 1930s.
For a fee of $20 for adults and $10 for children (Minnesota Historical Society members enjoy 20% off), guests get to make a vintage-style ornament to either decorate the tree in the keeper’s house, or to take home as a souvenir of their tour.
Stories of life at the lighthouse at Christmastime are also shared. One is from Ileana Covell-Myers, daughter of former Head Keeper Franklin Covell, who served as keeper from 1928- 1944. Ileana Covell-Myers wrote in a letter, “Just before Christmas the Sayles boy and we were playing games at our dining room table in the evening (after dark). Alla sudden [sic] there was a tap-tap on the window, Scared us half to death and here was Santa Claus peaking [sic] in the window. When we got over our fright we ran outside – no Santa then Dad showed us a light moving across the sky and said ‘there goes Santa with his sleigh[‘] When we got old enough to know better we found out Santa was Mr. Sayles and the light was a falling star.”
To hear more tales like the one mentioned above and to experience the Christmas of 90 years past, be sure to include a trip to Split Rock Lighthouse. The Christmas tour is offered at 2:30 p.m, and only ten people are admitted per tour. Tickets can be purchased online at https://cart.mnhs.org/99519/99524. This tour does not include access to the lighthouse.
