Applewood Estate Open For the Season With an Expanded House Tour

The gates are open at Applewood Estates and this year there are some new surprises to find in the former house of Ruth and CS Mott.

I'm still amazed by how many people have not taken the opportunity to walk through Applewood Estates yet. Aside from all of the history that lives inside the gates, it's just a beautiful place! Even more amazing is that it is hidden right in downtown Flint inside the Cultural Center.

My family and I spend quite a bit of time wandering the grounds from the gardens to the the stables, and everything in between. We took our first house tour a few years ago when they first started offering them, and we were blown away.

The house is reflective of the family that lived in it. You can definitely tell that there is a lot of wealth, but it's obvious that family was the focus of everything at Applewood.

I could write a book about all of the stories that we've heard from tour guides along the way, but I want you to experience it for yourself.

I will give you some insider tips thought that you should look for on your tour. Starting with a painting in the living room I won't tell you the secret, but make sure you ask about the bald gentlemen in the middle.

This year the basement is a part of the regular walking tour, and it is a must see. The highlight is the original bowling alley that CS Mott had put in place.

I honestly took about 20 pictures and videos for you to see before deciding on when to book your tour, but I think it's best to see it in person.

The pictures and stories can be shown and told all day long, but you won't grasp how much Flint history there is until you actually walk through the house.

I do want to say that any book worms will want to try and spend as much time in CS Mott's office as possible. It's called an office, but it's a mini-library filled with a ton of interesting books.

You can book tours online here or you can find out more information about the events coming to Applewood on their Facebook page here.

The house tour is a must, but make sure to allow time to walk around the grounds. There is a tree that seems like it's older than Flint itself on the front lawn. It's huge, and it stretches it's huge branches out all over the front.

Standing underneath it seems surreal. I don't know if I would say that Applewood is haunted at all, but the spirit of Flint is definitely alive there.