Enormous fairy-tale castle in Eagan is back on market after $1M price drop

Want to live like Twin Cities royalty? There's a castle for sale, set on a secluded hilltop in Eagan that was once the kingdom of former Northwest Airlines CEO Steve Rothmeier.

It looks like something out of a fairy tale, with its turret, imposing entrance and enchanted woodsy setting. And it's now back on the market, a relative bargain at $1.995 million after a magic-wand price drop of $1 million.

Back in 1985, the exec who led the airline during its pre-Delta days, built his grand Germanic castle on 2.6 wooded acres just a few miles from the airline's headquarters.

Designed for corporate entertaining, the nearly 9,000-square-foot house includes a banquet-size dining room, a soaring great room with a "minstrel's gallery" for musicians and garage space for seven cars, plus a guest apartment and a Bavarian-style prayer chapel.

Rothmeier died in 2014, not long after selling the home to the current owners, a couple who completely updated it for modern family living. They also added a large two-level owners' suite with an entry foyer, sitting room, a spalike bath with dual vanities, a double shower and a huge walk-in closet with its own fireplace.

The couple put a French spin on the decor, replacing the heavy oak railings on the circular staircase with wrought iron and swapping the rustic floor tile with white Carrara marble and black granite.

The recently renovated kitchen, in trendy black and white, boasts a large island and a separate breakfast room.

Rothmeier's former prayer chapel is now a home theater. But his huge oak-paneled home office with a fireplace still overlooks the wooded grounds through a curved wall of windows.

The grand house, which was on the market for $2.995 million in 2017, is now priced well below replacement value, according to Lakes Sotheby's agent Julie Regan.

The home offers "fantastic style and high-end finishes," said Regan, plus a "private and parklike setting while conveniently close to both downtowns and the airport."

And the attached guest apartment is still part of the package, so bring your royal nanny — or your mother-in-law.

Julie Regan, 612-230-3159, Lakes Sotheby's, has the listing.