The Freemasons of Minnesota began planning long ago to provide comfortable housing for their senior members.

As early as the 1860s, the organization realized it needed to start saving money to build “a real home, not an institution” for aging Masons and their loved ones. 

Thanks to that vision, the Minnesota Masonic Home on the banks of the Minnesota River in Bloomington is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Much has changed, of course, since in the community’s first resident arrived on Aug. 3, 1920.

Today, the community is operated by the nonprofit Minnesota Masonic Charities and offers a wide spectrum of services for all older adults — not just those with connections to the Masons.

Options include independent living townhomes, assisted living and memory care, plus long-term, skilled-nursing and transitional care.

In addition to those continuum-of-care services, the community also boasts 100 physical, occupational, speech and massage therapists and five therapy gyms furnished with state-of-the-art equipment. A 100-bed transitional care unit (TCU) can accommodate therapy seven days a week.

The Minnesota Masonic Home’s historic, 83-acre campus was once the summer estate of Marion Savage, owner of the famed racing horse, Dan Patch. 

The Masons purchased the land from Savage in 1918 for the purpose of building a retirement community. In 1989, after a variety of changes and expansions over the years, the community became certified through Medicaid/Medicare and opened up admissions to all.

Today the grounds’ historic buildings and independent living homes sit nestled among green lawns, ponds, walking paths and mature trees. At the center of the campus is the historic main lodge, which features an indoor Town Square with a beauty parlor, museum, general store, diner, library, game room and exercise facility.

Most notable, however, might be the latest addition to the campus — the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, which was completed in 2016 and includes a Masonic museum and library, plus a new 443-seat auditorium and theatrical venue, which hosts public matinees and evening performances year-round.

Residents here needn’t venture too far to experience the arts; the cultural events come to them instead.

Upcoming shows, all open to the public, include Rainy Days & Mondays: The Music of the Carpenters at 1 p.m. Jan. 22 ($32); The Colorful Music of Russia with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra at 3 p.m. Feb. 16 ($12–$15); and From the King for the King: The Gospel According to Elvis at 1 p.m.
March 11–12 ($32).

Minnesota Masonic Home

WHERE: 11501 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington

AGES: 55 and older 

NUMBER AND TYPE OF UNITS: 56 independent living rental townhomes; 45 assisted living apartments; 94 skilled-nursing care beds; 100 transitional-care beds; 20 secured memory-care beds

COST RANGE (single resident):

• Independent living (850–1,524 square feet) costs $1,577–$2,821 a month and includes water, trash removal, lawn care/snow removal, an oversized single-car attached garage, an in-home washer/dryer, a monitored emergency alert system, and plumbing and appliance repair. Meal delivery is available for an additional fee. Pets are welcome. Residents have access to community facilities, services and activities, plus priority admission to all areas of the home, as needed. 
• Assisted living (studio to 2-bedroom units) costs $2,017–$3,363 a month and includes kitchenettes, heat, electricity, air conditioning, water, trash removal, cable TV, use of community common areas, on-site laundry facilities, wear-and-tear maintenance, dining services of any two meals daily, weekly housekeeping services, staffed activities programming and transportation for weekly shopping, plus priority admission to any community facilities. Additional home-care nursing services and medication management are available with additional fees. 
• Long-term, skilled-nursing and memory-care housing: Medicare and Medicaid are accepted. These costs are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Health. (See health.state.mn.us.) Options include private and semi-private rooms, three meals and two snacks daily, an on-site chapel, activities, outings, special events and entertainment. Podiatry, dentistry and optometry services are also included.

INFO: 952-948-7000, mnmasonichome.org