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.

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!

We went with a group on the railway. There are air conditioned cars and if it is a hot day you will…read moreneed it. Beverages and light snacks are served on board. The rear car was in the family of James J. Hill. Make sure you view it. It has been refurbished but there is a schematic of the original layout. The view is mostly just trees. I am sure it is very pretty in the fall when the colors change.

We had so much fun! My husband and I packed a picnic and ate it in the train. We will be back. It…read morewas fun and relaxing. The only downside was the air conditioning was not working and it was one of the hottest days of the summer. The staff and volunteers were all so nice and helpful!

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!

Really loved this museum!! Especially the observation deck and the movie at the end . There was a…read morebread tasting and a fool proof recipe given. It was informative in terms of understanding the city culture and flour milling. Great gift shop too! I highly recommend.

Really enjoyed the tour and the docent was very informative. Had a great time…read more .

This was so disappointing. From the website and other reviews, it looks like the tour is supposed…read moreto take you inside buildings, feature interestingly dressed guides who get into character, are accompanied by a Medium, etc. We had none of that. Our tour just walked us up and down a stretch of Main Street by Stone Arch Bridge. We stayed outside the whole time (no creepy basements like we'd been promised) and didn't even make it over to the Mill Ruins on the other side of the river. The ghost hunting equipment was extremely chintzy, but that didn't bother me as much as just the way the tour felt surfacey and low-effort. The stories told were interesting, but there weren't that many of them and they were not very detailed or in-depth. Some tours I've been on, including a ghost tour, included 2-3x as many stories and facts, and they were also a lot more detailed. Our guide was very nice, fun, and did tell some interesting morbid history about NE Minneapolis, and I don't intend this review to reflect on them so I am not using their name. I'm sure they were just doing what the company tells them to do; the problem is with the company's design of the tour. Overall this tour was not worth the time or money, at least not the experience we were given.

My husband and I always do a ghost tour of some sort in each town we are in. We have been on many…read moretours in different cities. The first thing that upset me about this was it was scheduled for 8pm. We arrived at 7:30 and they weren't even open. At 8pm they opened the door only to explain they had left me a message that the tour would be at 9pm instead of 8pm. I never received that message! So we find ourselves with an hour to kill until the tour starts. I don't think Mike and I ever really determined why it was haunted as there are only 2 true large areas to visit inside. We compared notes later and neither seemed to remember why. I have no doubt there is something there, being believers, but needed more history explained, and of course for them to have contacted me directly when the time changed.

The Governor's Residence is open for tours on scattered days in the summer and a few days in…read moreDecember. You are allowed to tour the public areas: gardens, main floor and basement. The home was donated by the Irvine family and is a great example of Tudor architecture. The library was one of my favorite rooms. Surprisingly it is small, but it fits with the MN tradition of normalcy. Photos are encouraged. You must make an advance reservation and ID is required to check-in. There is free street parking available.

As soon as I found out that the Minnesota Governor's Residence was open for tour, I signed up. I'm…read morealways up for some touring in Saint Paul so this was a must, especially since I've done the State capitol tour and some state departments already. I thought this was pretty cool, you get to learn about certain areas of the house and it's history.

This is so cool! The city easily could have demolished this whole area and created a new…read moreriverfront, but instead they chose to honor these 19th century ruins. Flour is what put Minneapolis on the map as an export, and these ruins were once mills that used the power of St Anthony Falls to run. Definitely worth a visit if you're into archaeology, city history, or just want a place to walk with a pleasant view.

Mill Ruins Park in downtown Minneapolis is so named because it still contains the remnants of the…read morefloor mills (powered by the Mississippi River) that made 19th century Minneapolis the 'Flour Milling Capitol of the World', opening in 2001. It overlooks the Mississippi River, has the Mill City Museum, and is the South gateway for the Stone Arch Pedestrian Bridge. I stopped by on a cold March afternoon, and had a chance to explore it a bit, making note of places I would look at more closely on a warmer (and less wet) day.