ehrman mansion tours

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

This elegant 1903 Queen Anne–style mansion on the lakefront is also known as Pine Lodge. Guided tours take in the richly detailed interior, including marble fireplaces, leaded-glass windows and period furnishings.

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Take the tour. - Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

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• Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

Take the tour.

We did the guided tour here so as to be able to see and hear about the main house. Another old estate built by the wealthy and donated to California for the enjoyment of all. The mansion itself is super cool and old with alot of history and cool, old stuff still inside. The grounds are beautiful, scenic and quiet along the shore of the lake.The tour is short, and it allows you to see things you could not see on your own.

This was a great tour located in Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine State Park. Parking was plentiful, many with nice shade. The tour guide was really well informed and made history of the place come alive. We got to see the living room, dining room, many bedrooms upstairs and kitchen. The “mansion” was intentionally not opulent but rather had “rustic elegance”. It just feels very airy, comfortable and welcoming and had many forward thinking features for its time. We could imagine how relaxing it must have been to be invited as guests back in the day. We very much enjoyed this tour. The rest of the park was also very nice, not crowded like the other parks in the area. There is a pier in front of the mansion where the water is so clear that you can see the rocks below. We enjoyed sitting on the small beach and just relaxing for a few hours after the tour.

What a marvelous mansion we have seen at lake Taho . Also amezing Lake view we enjoyed a lot . Vijay kumar phagre from Bhopal MP INDIA .

If you enjoy historical homes, you won't be disappointed by this gem. It's been well appointed in period pieces and decor. The park is about an hour drive from S. Lake Tahoe, and well worth the trip. The park is also nice, but the kids will be bored during the tour, which is guided. Get your tickets at the gift shop.

We stopped in on a whim on our way to another adventure. So glad we did! We had no idea what we were in for. I can just imagine the home during it's heydey and would love to come back for a tour. The view of the lake, the dock, the beach...extraordinary! Clean restrooms were a bonus.

Such a wonderful place to slow down and enjoy the lakefront. Big lawns and beautiful to stroll around the old buildings. I have never been when the tours were going so I can't comment on those. Mostly level ground and a lot of shade trees. Even a tennis court you can play on.

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Not just for history buffs, these tours of historic Lake Tahoe manors showcase the Tahoe lifestyle of yesteryear, when early magnates built their summer retreats and family estates.

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Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

In addition to two miles of lake frontage with a long stretch of sandy beach and a network of nature trails through the dense forests,  Sugar Pine Point State Park  is home to the  Hellman-Ehrman Mansion  (also known as Pine Lodge), a summer home built in 1903 by San Francisco financier I.W. Hellman. The mansion one of the finest examples of a by-gone era of summer retreats found along the shores of Lake Tahoe. The property, containing the estate and 2,000 acres, was sold to the State of California in 1965. This National and State landmark is now open to the public for tours during the summer months by the Sierra State Parks Foundation.

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Vikingsholm Castle

Emerald Bay provided the setting for one of the first summer homes at Lake Tahoe. After a few sales, in 1928, Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight bought the land with the desire to build a summer home that would compliment the magnificent natural surroundings. Emerald Bay reminded her of fjords she had seen on numerous travels to Scandinavia. She commissioned her nephew by marriage, Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect, to design the home.  Vikingsholm  was completed in the fall of 1929 and is considered one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the United States and is open for tours during the summer months.

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Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion is located at Sugar Pine Point State Park just south of Tahoma on Highway 89. The land was purchased in the late 1800s by well-known west coast banker Isaias W. Hellman. Architect Walter Danforth Bliss was hired to design this summer home that was made largely out of local, natural materials, and was completed in 1903. Sugar Pine Point State Park and the mansion represent the opulent post-mining period when wealthy businessmen built elegant summer homes at Lake Tahoe.

Originally called Pine Lodge, the grand yet informal summer home was considered to be one of the finest in the High Sierras in its heyday. After Hellman’s death, one of his daughters went on to take care of the mansion. She eventually married Sidney Ehrman. The Ehrman family took care of the property until 1965 when it was sold to the State of California to become apart of Sugar Pine Point State Park . The Hellman-Ehrman Mansion is a great example of the opulent tradition in Lake Tahoe summer homes. Take a trip back in time while experiencing a beautiful afternoon on the shores of Lake Tahoe.

TOUR INFORMATION: For tour information call 530-525-9507 (Summer Only) 530-525-9528

Parking Fees: $10

PRIVATE TOURS AND SCHOOL GROUP TOURS: Private and school group tours can be arranged by calling the Sierra State Park Foundation office at 530.583.9911 or [email protected]

Weddings and Special Events Hellman-Ehrman Mansion is a popular venue for weddings at Lake Tahoe . The beautiful setting and historical buildings make for a magical backdrop for any special event. Book your wedding, school/family reunion, or corporate dinner well in advance to ensure you get your special day reserved. Special Events Office: 530-525-5060

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Lake Tahoe’s Ehrman Mansion loaded with history, charm

Local Local | Jun 12, 2015

About Sierra State Parks Foundation

The Sierra State Parks Foundation began in 1974, when a group of citizens formed a committee to save the Ehrman Mansion from demolition.

The foundation is a nonprofit organization with the goal of filling the gaps not met by the funding provided to State Parks by the state of California.

SSPF provides education, interpretation, historic restoration and cultural and environmental preservation. The foundation obtains funding through special events, sales at gift shops and by membership donations.

Last year, the group paid for a $100,000 electrical upgrade to the Ehrman Mansion, and this year they are restoring the ceiling on the front porch of the building as well as restoring the gardens on the grounds.

Visit www. SierraStateParks.org" target="_blank">Bold">SierraStateParks.org or call 530-525-7982 for more information or to obtain membership.

TAHOMA, Calif. — While Sugar Pine Point State Park includes a mile and a half of prime Lake Tahoe frontage, its charming lakeside setting and Pine Lodge (Ehrman Mansion) are much less known than the Vikingsholm castle and Emerald Bay a few miles to the south.

But the mansion is a captivating structure with a unique history; the lakeside lawn and grounds are beautiful and easily accessible by car or along the west shore bike trail; and the walk along the beach and other lakeside trails is a perfect way to quickly and easily get a stunning vista of Lake Tahoe.

“It’s really a hidden gem of the West Shore,” says Heidi Doyle, executive director of the Sierra State Parks Foundation.

A DETAILED HISTORY

The first non-native to live at Sugar Pine Point was General William Phipps from Kentucky, who built a cabin there in 1860. His second cabin still sits near the North Boathouse on the parks grounds.

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In the late 1800s, Isaias Hellman began purchasing parcels of land in the Sugar Pine Point area. Hellman arrived in America from Bavaria with little money and eventually started his own bank. At the time of his death in 1920, he was the President of Wells Fargo Bank.

In 1903, the family home to be known as Pine Lodge was completed. It was built of native granite, pine and cedar and was designed by Walter Danforth Bliss, son of DL Bliss, and architect of the recently built Tahoe Tavern, which was then the showpiece hotel in Tahoe City.

Hellman chose Bliss as his architect because he wanted to craft a home similar to the design of Tahoe Tavern. Bliss was paid $22,000 for his work, which was about the same amount of money it cost to construct it.

Upon Hellman’s death, his youngest daughter Florence Ehrman inherited the property, which stayed in the family until after her death when the house and the park lands were sold to the state in 1965.

QUITE THE ESTATE

The lodge is a fine example of what is known as California Craftsman style architecture, many of the traits of which carried over to become Tahoe style.

Thirty-minute tours are available several times a day during the summer. Arrive early to take sit under the large covered porch overlooking the lake, and imagine yourself enjoying this view every day.

From your seat, notice the two round rooms at each end. To the south lies a billiard room, and to the north is a lake view room designed for luncheons.

Once you enter the lodge, a large living room sits to your left, and dining room on the right. Both hold massive fire places that were used for summer heat, as the home was unoccupied in the winter.

In the dining room, the table sits more than 20, and the walls are lined with hand-woven strips of redwood. On the second floor, there are eight bedrooms, including six for guests and two large and airy turret rooms used by family members at each end. These turrets, similar to the one at Vikingsholm, define the character of the structure.

At the time it was built, the 11,000-square-foot Pine Lodge and grounds were entirely self-sufficient, which was a requirement since the only access to the property was via boat.

There was electric lighting and indoor plumbing, quite a luxury at the time. Water came from nearby General Creek, and power was originally provided via a generator.

Portions of the house were set aside for the up to 27 people who cooked and served the meals, made the beds, took care of the children and maintained the grounds.

In the winter, the help would harvest ice from a pond on General Creek, which would be kept cold in the ice house until it could grace the drink glasses of the guests months later.

SURROUNDING AMENITIES

In addition to the Pine Lodge, the lakeside portion of Sugar Pine Point includes the Nature Center and Gift Shop, Butler and Maid’s cabins, the Children’s House, North and South Boathouses and Phipps cabin near General Creek.

To the north of the lodge, about two miles of hiking trails lead through the woods and along the lakeshore. West Shore Sports rents kayaks from just below the lodge, where you can wind your way along the shoreline to Meeks Bay and Rubicon to the South or Tahoma and Homewood to the north.

Across the highway lies the large Sugar Pine Point campground and General Creek Trail, a six mile loop popular for hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

During the 1960 Winter Olympics, these trails, and others that have since disappeared under housing developments, were the location for the cross-country skiing events.

Tickets to tour the Ehrman Mansion can be obtained at the Nature Center and Gift Shop operated by the Sierra State Parks Foundation. Tour tickets are $10 per adult, and parking is $10 (Or you can access the park via bike trail without charge).

Tim Hauserman, a nearly lifelong resident of Tahoe City, is a freelance author and cross-country ski instructor. He may be reached at [email protected] .

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Tours & Attractions

Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park

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This beautiful park along the shore of Lake Tahoe features a year round operated campground, the Ehrman Mansion and Sugar Pine Point Nature Center.

Ehrman Mansion is one of the most beautiful historic summer homes on Lake Tahoe and is open for guided tours mid-June through September 30.

The beach at Sugar Pine Point State Park is primarily sand, and is located within the historic zone, near the popular Pine Lodge mansion. Its size varies with the water level of Lake Tahoe. Two portions of the beach are located north and south of the mouth of General Creek. The north portion is accessed thru the Zberg Preserve north of the historic zone, and the south beach is accessed from the lawn near the mansion itself. The beaches can also be accessed by boat and a pier is available for briefly loading and unloading. In addition, a waterside trail extends to the south boundary of the park and quiet smaller rocky beaches on the outer Meeks Bay.

Parking is $10 per vehicle and charged year around. The beaches rarely fill but can be crowded during peak periods. A nearby picnic area is available, and camping is located across the highway in the General Creek campground. Dogs are not allowed on trails or beaches but are allowed in the picnic area and campground.

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Ehrman Mansion, Sugar Pine Point State Park

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

For those who wish to explore what life on Lake Tahoe was like in the late 1800s/early 1900s, a trip to the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion is a must-add historical attraction when visiting the area. From the months of May until September, guests can visit the beautiful building and take a tour to learn all about life there. The tours usually run around 30 minutes and include looks into the main building as well as several of the outbuildings that are located on the property.

Sights of the Hellman Ehrman Mansion include:

Caretaker's lakeside cottage

The children's house

• Maids' quarters
• Butlers' quarters
• Coach House
• Power House
• Dressing Room
• Two Boat Houses
• Boatman's Cabin
• The Ehermans' boats, Comet and Cherokee

The real jewel of the tour is the main home, which is an immaculate homage to the lives of the original owners. Inside, guests can see original furniture, the luncheon room, a game room, and the family's collection of ornate Navajo rugs along with Indian baskets. Other highlights of the main residence include the fully-furnished living room, dining room, kitchen, and the spiral staircase along with staff quarters.

History of the Hellman Ehrman Mansion

Built in 1903, the grand summer home of I.W. Hellman was a sight to behold in its prime. The building was situated on nearly 2000 acres of beautiful Lake Tahoe property and was used as a home for both Hellman, his daughter and her daughter's husband. Many guests visited the home when the Hellman-Ehrman family resided there, and they participated in recreation activities such as fishing, swimming, and more. The house was acquired by the California State Park organization in 1965 and has been maintained as a tourist attraction ever since.

For a unique look into the once-grand history of summer homes in Lake Tahoe, be sure to add a vacation getaway to the intricate Hellman-Ehrman estate. Not only can guests embark upon a tour of the home, but they'll also be able to enjoy all of the activities that the Hellmans and the Ehrmans did back in the early 1900s.

• Approximately how long could a customer plan to spend at Hellman-Ehrman Mansion? The guided tours are about 30 minutes. Guests typically spend about 1-2 hours here all together.
• Are wheelchairs and strollers available? Is there a rental fee? Wheelchairs are available.
• Is Hellman-Ehrman Mansion handicap accessible? Yes.
• Is photography & video recording allowed? Yes, cameras are allowed.
• For what ages is Hellman-Ehrman Mansion appropriate? This is great for all ages.
• Is parking available at Hellman-Ehrman Mansion? Is it free? Yes, free parking is available at the location.

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