In Business: Brainerd & Little Falls Chambers Team Up for ‘Business After Hours’

The Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce and the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce typically don’t collaborate on events, but the opportunity arose last Tuesday for a special gathering at Linden Hill Historic Estate in Little Falls.

“This is our first Business After Hours that we are hosting [in] partnership with Brainerd Lakes Chamber,” exclaimed Purva Watten, Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce CEO. “How exciting is that?”

Linden Hill Historic Estate is a member of both chambers, so staff from both organizations jumped at the chance to join forces.

“Mr. Matt [Kilian, Brainerd Chamber director] reached out and he’s like, ‘Hey, they are in Little Falls, but at the same time, you know, there’s going to be people that are coming from Brainerd, so why don’t we just host it together as they are a member of both our chambers?’ And that’s how that happened,” Watten elaborated. “We are always very excited to receive new people and show our wonderful town off.”

The estate has been open to the public since 1995, but the buildings there have stood for more than 100 years.

“Linden Hill is a nine-and-a-half acre historic estate tucked into the Mississippi River here in Little Falls, only a couple blocks down from downtown,” explained Julia Mueller, the estate’s executive director. “It is a property that is centered around the two historic homes on the estate: the Weyerhaeuser mansion and the Musser mansion.”

Chamber staff feel that meeting at the estate is a perfect way to not only network, but to also learn the ins and outs of a business that many may not have the opportunity to ever see.

“You get to learn about the events they put up for the community, but you also get to learn about the events you get to, you know, have here,” added Watten. “Weddings, business retreats, they can do it all. And you get to live in a nice historical house while you do that. So that’s the big attraction for Linden Hill. It’s just a very beautiful place with a fantastic history.”

Linden Hill hosts many events throughout the year, and a full calendar can be found on their website.