The Bachelorette at Semple Mansion
When Bachelorette Michelle Young brought her suitors to her hometown of Minneapolis, ABC chose the award-winning Semple Mansion for an extravagant hometown group date night. The popular show aired Tuesday, November 16, 2021. You could see Michelle, her admirers, and all four beautifully decorated floors of the historic 20,000 square-foot Italianate mansion, originally built in 1899. ABC brought over 100 crew members to shoot the reality show onsite August of 2021.
The Semple Mansion, an award-winning venue, appealed to producers for its elegant ambience and historical architecture. Since a major renovation in 2006, the mansion has hosted over 1800 weddings. Therefore, making it the perfect location for the most romantic show on television.
Similarly, in the fall of 1905, The Semple Mansion served as a romantic backdrop for the coming out party of the beautiful Rebekah Semple. She was the daughter of hardware magnate Frank and his wife, Anne. Debutante Rebekah searched for the man of her dreams from among 500 of the region’s wealthiest and most eligible bachelors. She was even photographed holding one of the hundreds of roses that adorned the mansion for the occasion.
116 years later when Michelle, ABC, and her male admirers arrived, the Mansion again welcomed a young woman seeking true love. Michelle’s enchanting evening included bestowing her roses on the men she chose as most likely to win her heart. Semple Mansion Executive Director, Katherine Bailey, says about the experience,
“The Semple Mansion is a perfect filming location for a show like The Bachelorette; the premise of the show is to get married and that’s what we specialize in . . . weddings!”
It’s amazing how life comes full circle!
Rebekah Semple poses for her Debutante Ball, 1905.