Bentleyville’s History
From a Backyard Vision to a Holiday Tradition
Our Story
In 2001, Nathan Bentley began decorating his home in Esko, MN, for the Christmas season. Over the next two years, his holiday light display grew bigger and brighter, earning the nickname ‘The House with All the Lights in Esko.’ Then, in 2003, Nathan transformed his display from a simple drive-by attraction into a magical walkthrough experience, complete with weekend visits from Santa Claus.
The 2025 season marks the 22nd year of Bentleyville “Tour of Lights”. 17 years have been located Bayfront Festival Park and the first 5 years were at Mr. Bentley’s homes in Esko and Cloquet, MN.
Bentleyville Through the Years
2004
Bigger, Brighter, Bentleyville
In the summer of 2004, Nathan Bentley and his family moved to rural Cloquet, MN, bringing a new name—Bentleyville—and a bigger vision. To draw visitors, he built a grand 78-foot-wide, 24-foot-high entrance castle glowing with 45,000 lights. Over 500 illuminated snowflakes adorned the trees, and dazzling displays grew each year. Fire pits offered warmth for roasting marshmallows, while Santa became a nightly guest, gifting children winter hats and cookies.
2005
Cookie House, Popcorn, and More!
A ‘Cookie House’ was built, offering free cookies, coffee, and apple cider to visitors. Paved walking paths made Bentleyville fully accessible for all guests. A Popcorn Building was added to hand out fresh popcorn as guests strolled through the light show. A food and toy drive was also started to benefit the Salvation Army in Carlton County.
2006-2007
Shuttling Visitors
As Bentleyville’s popularity grew, so did the traffic problems on the narrow, dead-end country road with limited parking. Neighbors expressed concerns about the increasing congestion. After just two years and an estimated 35,000 visitors, Nathan realized the solution was to create parking lots in nearby horse fields owned by local residents. Nine 72-passenger school buses were hired to shuttle guests from the parking areas to Bentleyville’s entrance.
2008
Reimagining Bentleyville
After five years of hosting and transporting over 72,000 visitors by bus, Nathan decided to take a break in 2008 to re-evaluate how the event was functioning.
Fall 2008
The Next Chapter
In the fall of 2008, Nathan received a call from the office of Duluth City Mayor Don Ness, inviting him to discuss the possibility of hosting Bentleyville Tour of Lights at Bayfront Festival Park. Seeing the potential of the new location, Nathan agreed to a one-year trial. Planning began for the monumental task of moving Bentleyville to a venue four times the size of his original home. Nathan formed a Board of Directors, established a 501c3 nonprofit, and enlisted his original Bentleyville team of 25 to help organize and plan the move.
2009
A Bright Future for Bentleyville
The excitement surrounding Bentleyville’s move to Bayfront Park grew, and so did the support from local businesses eager to bring more visitors to downtown Duluth during the cold, snowy months of November and December. On Friday, November 27, 2009, Bentleyville Tour of Lights illuminated its millions of lights for the first time at Bayfront Park, drawing thousands of onlookers.
Bentleyville has grown from a two-month hobby into a year-round operation, becoming one of Minnesota’s largest events. Nathan Bentley is involved in every decision, working setup days, attending meetings, and being present every night from lights on to lights off. You’ll often spot him strolling the park in his red staff coat and ‘Mayor Bentley’ cap.
How Bentleyville Got Its Name
As Nathan went all out with his displays, a friend sarcastically began calling it ‘Bentleyville’—a playful nod to Dr. Seuss’s Whoville. The name quickly caught on with visitors, and ‘Bentleyville Tour of Lights’ was born.
The Growth of Bentleyville: Recent Highlights
2020
Keeping the Tradition Alive, One Car at a Time
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bentleyville was transformed into a temporary ‘Drive-Thru’ experience, ensuring the event could continue safely for all.
2021
Together Again
Bentleyville returned to a walk-through experience with the theme ‘Together Again,’ celebrating the joy of being reunited in the holiday spirit.
2022
More Space, More Gifts, More Joy
Bentleyville elevated the gift shop experience with the addition of a 4,000 sq. foot store, offering a wider selection of hats, clothing, treats, and souvenirs for visitors to enjoy.
2023
Celebrating 20 Years
Bentleyville celebrated its 20th Anniversary with special events every night, featuring hotdog night, live music, reindeer, local dance groups, and fireworks.
2024
Brighter Lights, New Traditions
Bentleyville has introduced a Cider House, celebrated Rudolph’s 60th Anniversary with special displays, and completed a full renovation of the 128-ft LED tree, now featuring all-new RGB lights!
2025
Coming Soon!
Our Achievements
USA Today
Voted #1 Best Public Holiday Lights Display
Minnesota Parent
Voted #1 for Best Holiday Experience In Minnesota
Best of Best
Voted #1 for Best Attraction