Top Six Things Inside the Governor's Mansion, According to Holiday Tour Guides

For only two days this year, the Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion opened its doors to the public.

Hundreds of Coloradans wandered the mansion's halls on Friday, December 8, the first day of the free holiday tours, taking in the history of the 115-year-old building and the storied treasures inside. Like John Hickenlooper before him, Governor Jared Polis does not live in the mansion, but it is used for official events, including occasional tours.

While being inside the mansion was a rare event for most, many of the tour guides have spent decades of their lives volunteering there, learning the stories behind each artifact.

Here are the highlights of the Governor's Residence, according to the people behind the scenes:

Celebrity Piano
A 1914 Steinway grand piano sits in the mansion's drawing room; it was signed by Liberace after he played the instrument during a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 1969. The signature of famous Irish musician Phil Coulter can also be found inside the piano.

Another musician had the unique honor of playing the historic instrument: mansion tour guide Edna, a music major in college, who played the piano during a Christmas party a decade ago. After running the tours since 2000, Edna says the piano is still her favorite item in the mansion.

"I love the feel of the piano, I love the sound of the piano," Edna says. "I hope I get to play it again."
Wall of Governors
The governor's room houses photos of every past and present Colorado governor, along with their spouses: the first ladies and Colorado's first-ever first gentleman, Marlon Reis, Polis's husband.

Lead tour guide Leslie, a former teacher, says she loves bringing children who tour the mansion into the room to discuss what the governor does and what they would do if they were the governor of Colorado. A tour guide for eleven years, Leslie says she always asks the children what the photos of the governors have in common.

"They're all men," Leslie answers. "What about having a lady governor? Which one of you girls would like to be a lady governor? That's why I'm very drawn to the room. I want to bring that possibility to all our young girls, that they could be governor."
Gold Star Christmas Tree
Although Polis is Colorado's first Jewish governor, several Christmas trees are spread throughout the mansion. One holds a special meaning this year: The Gold Star tree in the drawing room is decorated with the names of over 350 Coloradans who lost their lives during military service, printed on top of the state flag.

The mansion will host a reception for the Gold Star families in the coming days, says Carrie Spanton, residence coordinator.

"They really did a lot of background work to be able to get that tree in a way that would honor the families," Spanton adds. "When you look at it, it's sitting there and looks beautiful, but the intention that went behind it — people really cared about getting it right."
The Palm Room
Keeping with the seasonal theme, the palm room hosts multiple holiday artifacts. Three massive Christmas trees line the back wall, and a Hanukkah menorah is displayed in the side room, representing Polis's faith.

Taylor, a tour guide for fifteen years, says the room is her favorite in the mansion because of its significance to Edna Boettcher, the lady of the house for 35 years before the building became the governor's residence in 1960.

"I live through the spirit of Edna," Taylor says. "She loved to entertain, and this part of the house was built after the Boettchers bought the home so she had a place to do that entertaining."
The Drawing Room
The drawing room contains the heart of the mansion's history. After its completion in 1908, the first big event there was held inside this room: the wedding of John Evans II and Gladys Cheesman, the daughter of Walter and Alice Cheesman.

Vicky, a tour guide since 2019, treasures the "love story" of the room, explaining how the childhood sweethearts wed in front of the fireplace, with Gladys walking down the staircase to meet her groom instead of walking down an aisle.

After Gladys died, in 1974, John returned to the mansion. "He went to the stairs where his bride had come down all those years ago, he looked up, and you could almost see him, apparently, envisioning her coming down those stairs. He wept," Vicky says, noting that he passed away shortly after the visit. "He was in love with her until the day he died."

Only three items belonging to the Cheesmans remain in the mansion: A Tiffany clock and two candelabras, which are tour guide Gloria's favorite items after working in the mansion for ten years. "Walter Cheesman just did so many wonderful things for Colorado," she says.
Library Antiques
The shelves of the mansion's library are filled with some of the oldest artifacts in the building — and many of the tour guides' top picks — including the complete works of Thomas Jefferson, a signed copy of A King's Story: The Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor, and several first editions.

"There is an amazing collection of limited-edition books that are spectacular, with hand-painted title pages," says Shellie, a tour guide since 2013. "They're really quite gorgeous."

Also in the library is a Louis XIV French cylinder desk made by one of the king’s own furniture makers, one of just a few left in the world, says Carol, a tour guide for seven years. "It's very unusual, very rare."  The tours will continue on Saturday, December 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 400 East Eighth Avenue. Entry is free; no reservation is needed.