This tour is a wonderful way to learn about St Paul. Andy was an exceptional tour guide and took…read morecare of us on both the segways and with a bunch of fascinating information about the area. Highly recommend for locals and visitors alike!

Awesome trip! It really helps me get my bearings in an unfamiliar city when I can find a tour…read morethat covers some ground AND provides some local history. Our guide Jim did a great job sharing the history of the twin cities. This area is ideal for a Segway tour since there are bike paths and parks everywhere. Segways are NOT difficult to master and I recommend this tour as the best way to acquaint yourself with MSP!

My family wanted to do a tour so we did- I was surprised at how many people were on this tour-…read moreplace was packed. Really interesting to learn the history of the site, kind of a whole twist and turn of story that is unexpected. There are actors who provide the tour. If you are someone who likes history, this would be great for you!

Very awesome tour, Led by Mary/Rosie the Riveted. What a fun night! Loved the outside views and old…read morecars. They decorated the entire place. The tour was an hour long and very story focused which was so fun. Hot tip: Very dark so watch your step or bring small flashlight. I tripped a few times. So be careful! Hot tip: beautiful view of St. Paul capitol nearby! Hot tip: go to Cosettas for dinner after!

My wife and I hit a new pub in St. Paul called the Blue Door before touring this cool old Victorian…read morehouse of one of the first governors of Minnesota. We had some awesome burgers and beer before our free tour the Historical Museum was giving of its properties this weekend. We entered the house feeling full and happy from a couple of Surly Furious pints and signed up for our tour. We entered the house with a great guide dressed in a top hat and suit of the 1800's when Ramsey would have lived in the house. The house was one of the few in old time Minnesota with gas lighting and running water. There was a bathtub and even an indoor water closet. It was interesting that there were chamber pots around the house because women did not like to remove all the bussels and stuff. They showed the bells and talking tubes for the servants to be called upon. They showed the kitchen and offered baked cookies from the oven. The children's' rooms were well adorned and Ramsey had a play room for the children up in the attic along with the servants' rooms. The whole layout was perfect, great character actors as guides and pretend servants. Even though they had a lot of people taking the tour, they kept it well run and you quickly became envious of such a large, cool house. Highly recommended for a crummy day outside when you're looking for something to do. Hey, and it's educational!

I had a bizarre experience here today. I walked into the Gift Shop and hung out looking at stuff…read morefor 20 minutes while people were talking in the back. I wanted to pay admission and walk around the house. Finally, I peeked in the back and some lady said, "are you Dustin?" Huh? When she saw I was just a member of the public she hurriedly hustled me out the door and told me they were closed for staff interviews and did I not see the sign, etc. I did see a small, handwritten sign on a dry erase board, but I was confused about why the gift shop would be wide open, lights on and merchandise unattended if the entire place was closed down. All the sign said was that there were no tours, not that the entire building was closed. I thought it was possible to take a self-guided tour even if staff were "busy." Honestly I haven't been to very many historical sites where self-guided tours are forbidden. Basically, the point of this weird experience is that whatever non-profit is running this place is extremely disorganized and unable to communicate something as basic as being closed to the general public, not to mention the fact it can't even secure its premises. It's pretty irresponsible to leave the front door open and an entire gift shop unattended. I could have walked off with half of their stuff and no one would have been the wiser. On her way to rushing me out the door, the lady acted very annoyed and mumbled something about what they can't do because of budget cuts, even as she was discouraging me from making a purchase from their gift store. To me, this illustrates exactly why non-profits are in dire straights. They want charitable donations from everyone even while turning down opportunities to become more self sufficient. A similar thing happened a week or so ago when I attended an evening lecture on 19th century spiritualism with a friend at the Ramsey House. We arrived late and didn't have the chance to pay for our tickets until it was over. I had to ask three people how and where to pay. No one made any effort to bother us for money, and had I not been extremely proactive, it would have been free for my friend and I, but not for the taxpayers. This is ridiculous, and perfectly illustrates why non-profits do not deserve financial support. This place can't even manage to collect money from people attending an event. It isn't like we slipped in quietly or secretly either. To many organizations, "non-profit" doesn't simply mean they don't make any money, but that they actively throw it away.

Today the James J. Hill house was the starting point for the Summit Avenue Walking Tour by the…read moreMinnesota Historical Society. Thoroughly informative and enjoyable. Josef was knowledgeable and a charming storyteller. The tour lasts 90 minutes and covers 1.5 miles of walking. One of the highlights was seeing the park where F. Scott Fitzgerald grew up playing baseball and the Commodore Hotel behind it where he and Zelda were often socializing. We saw multiple Victorian era architectural styles including Queen Anne, Romanesque, and Tudor Revival. Lots of historical stories, an enjoyable walk, highly recommend!

James J. Hill House is spectacular. It is a feat of ingenious to see all the beauty that went into…read morethis home. I have been on a tour here twice and have enjoyed each one. The tours were in different seasons, so we were able to see different parts of the home. Thank you to everyone that works on the upkeep of this magnificent home and spreads the history of how it came to be. Go support them and learn more about MN history!

I attended a story telling at the celeste hotel and at first I was a little taken back because I…read morethought we would be touring the actual hotel. When I walked in i sat down quickly as the crowed peered at us for being late. The story was going on and it was very informative there was murder and death and excitement. We learned about the history of some of the local homes and the people who lived there as well as the events that took place. The story was exciting and the story teller spoke well. It was not in a monotone fashion. The story tell kept the crowed on their feet and being someone who loves history it was nice to see old photos and hear the stories tied to them. Lots of research and preparing took place to make this happen and I will be planing to attend more of these events.

I did the Gilded Age walking tour on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, MN and it was fabulous! I would…read morehighly recommend it!

The Reading Room is an excellent space for an intimate wedding. There were about 150 guests and the…read moreceremony took place in the front of the room, with elegant tables behind for the plated dinner reception. Waitstaff circulated with hors d'oeuvres as we waited in the receiving line, keeping everyone engaged. I loved the library theme, from the Save The Date library book cards to the tables identified by famous authors. We were seated at Dickens, our dinner preferences printed out on beautiful bookmarks. The three-story ceilings are reached by massive bookshelves with upstairs hallways for reaching those high books. The flowers were gorgeous and organic and the catered food was delicious from salad to dessert. It's not an inexpensive venue, but it is warm and intimate once you get here. We ran into detours, slow trains, and closed roads so we had our Uber let us out about a 1/4 mile away because we were about to be late. We literally made it in as the ceremony started. Road construction, closed roads, detours, and slow freight trains don't show up on your travel map!

A stunning interior historic space and building. If I were doing research here, I think I'd find it…read morevery enjoyable. Using it as a meeting space wasn't the greatest, since the speakers had power point presentations with lots of writing, and because the seating had to be deep and narrow, it was hard for those in the back. Sound also was splotchy, and the bathrooms are small and at the front, so you have to walk in front of everyone to reach them. As a stop to see something beautiful--it's a must if you're in this city.

I've done a few state capitol building tours in my day, and have seen the outside of several more,…read moreand this is hands down the biggest and most beautiful I have ever seen. My sister, son and I came in the middle of the day on a Wednesday in August. You don't need to sign up; anyone can wander in and go on a tour that they have scheduled throughout the day. It's even free, though they of course gladly accept donations. Being from NJ, I was struck by the midwestern friendliness of everyone in the building. Nearly everyone engaged me in friendly conversation the whole time. The tour was 45 minutes and was incredibly interesting. Learned all sorts of facts about the building and Minnesota in general. We were the first tour to be able to go on the roof in three months as they had just finished up renovations. If you're not on a tour, you're allowed to just wander the building at your own pace. Definitely a must see for those interested in history and architecture!

What a beautiful State Capitol! So rich in art, sculptures, history & knowledge! Amazing! It was…read morerecently renovated & they had many insight & antidote of the before & after. Really a beautiful property to tour if in town.

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! You have to make an appointment, but…read moreyou can often get one on the spot if you just call. The proprietor, a retired professor named Dr. Seth Hawkins, also lives on the premises. It's such a cool place, you really have to see it to understand. It's like three or more museums in one. The basement is entirely devoted to the country of Slovenia. There is a room devoted to President Garfield and other presidential artifacts, and a room devoted to baseball. And interesting knickknacks everywhere as well as truly beautiful works of art. At Christmas time, there is a tree entirely covered with paper money from all over the world.

We took the Tasting Tour of St. Paul Brewing and 11 Wells Spirits and really enjoyed it! (Note:…read moreThis tour is not featured on the website. Click "get tickets for all tours" to see when it's available.) There is a lot packed into this tour so you won't have time to get bored! You start with a sample of one the the beers while you hear some history of Hamm's brewing. Then, into the brewing area to learn hownits done and sample another beer. Finally, (at least in summer) head outside for a scavenger hunt and another beer sample. And then, it's a short walk across the parking lot to 11 Wells for more history, samples of their spirits and explanation of rhe distilling process. And a game of trivia! The guides are so friendly and animated! It really was a fun evening. Highly recommend.

We've been wanting to do this tour for a long time, and it was well worth the wait!…read more Cynthia and Bick have such an amazing passion and knowledge of the history of Saint Paul, it was a really special time with very unique hosts. Not "kitschy" at all - on the contrary just packed with stories, information, and humor. Small group, easy to ask questions - really well done! This is a 'must do' for anyone who lives in, or is just visiting St. Paul!

A must do if you're visiting or as a local as well! For under $25 each you can see d time on the…read moreMississippi and the surrounding banks , hearing how it started and grew into the twin cities. Highly recommend and maybe do a couple of times a summer .

Fun, no frills cruise down the Mississippi and back. Informative pre-recorded narration, but very…read morehard to hear from the back upper deck. Especially when there is a group of women talking loudly non-stop. LOL! A very good value and something different to do in the city. No outside food or beverages are allowed, but they do have snacks and sodas available. This would be even more fun in the fall when the leaves are at peak color.