Dr. Charles H. Mayo, a co-founder of the internationally known Mayo Clinic, created the Mayowood Estate in Rochester, Minnesota between 1911 and 1938. The estate once comprised of 3000 acres of woods and distinct farming operations.
The centerpiece of the estate is the thirty-eight-room Historic Mayowood Mansion, affectionately referred to as the “Big House” by the family, and surrounding ornamental gardens. In 1965 the Mayo family donated the home and ten acres to the Olmsted County Historical Society. Two years later, due to its architectural and historical prominence, Historic Mayowood Mansion was declared a Minnesota Historic Site by a legislative act and in 1970 the mansion and landscape were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since undertaking ownership, the Society has operated Historic Mayowood Mansion as a historic house museum. The mansion has been maintained as it was when last occupied by Doctor and Mrs. Charles W. Mayo and is used to interpret the lives of this famous medical family.
Historic Mayowood Mansion will be undergoing significant renovations as part of an operating agreement with Mayo Clinic. The Mansion and grounds are open to the public during the summer season and other times for group tours and special events.
