Vikingsholm dates back to 1929, when it served as the summer home of Lora Josephine Knight. After visiting Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden for design inspiration, Knight had the 38-room house constructed using only natural materials from the area—no nails, pegs, or spikes. She also built a small teahouse on Fannette Island in the middle of the bay, accessible by boat, kayak, and canoe. Lake Tahoe boat tours often pass by the Vikingsholm, and cruises that visit Emerald Bay share history of the house and the area. You can also spy Vikingsholm from the air by helicopter tour. To see the interior of the house, you must be on a guided tour led by an official state park guide.