Bentleyville Tour of Lights in Duluth reopening Thursday after storm damage
Bentleyville Tour of Lights, the beloved holiday tradition in Duluth, Minnesota, will reopen Thursday evening after "significant damage" from Tuesday night's storm caused a temporary closure.
"Our team and volunteers worked throughout the morning to repair displays, restore pathways, and ensure the grounds are safe for guests," Bentleyville said in its announcement. "We appreciate the patience, understanding, and support from our community as we navigated the weather challenges."
The attraction will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Organizers said continued wind gusts reaching speeds of 45 mph were hampering the clean-up effort on Wednesday.
Dubbed "America's largest free walk-through lighting display," Duluth's Bayfront Park is transformed into Bentleyville USA each holiday season, featuring millions of holiday lights that draw more than 350,000 visitors a season.
It first debuted in the Cloquet yard of founder Nathan Bentley in 2003, and became so popular over several years that Duluth offered him park space in 2009.
"You're going to see 12 miles of lights. You're going to see 5 million lights. You are going to see the tallest man-made Christmas tree in the United States here," Bentley told WCCO in 2022.
Bentleyville is no stranger to setbacks. In 2019 and 2023, it was struck by thieves and vandals, with the most recent case involving the theft of thousands of dollars' worth of power cords and equipment, as well as a 128-foot Christmas tree.
Bentleyville USA is set to run through Dec. 27. Visitors are encouraged to make donations to the Salvation Army.