Tours

Cathedral of Saint Paul

The City of Saint Paul was known as the Pig’s Eye Settlement until in 1841, when the first Catholic priest in the area, Fr. Lucien Galtier, dedicated his log chapel on the bluff to Saint Paul, requesting that the settlement adopt the name as well. The Cathedral of Saint Paul is now a civic landmark and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paul and Minneapolis. More than 2,000 households from approximately 200 zip codes name the Cathedral as their home parish. One of the finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture, the Cathedral was designed by E. L. Masqueray. The cornerstone was laid on June 2, 1907. The first liturgy was held on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1915. Work continued on the interior for decades. On October 14, 1958, it was consecrated by Archbishop William O'Brady, securing its place among the premier houses of worship in the United States. It was placed on the National Register of Historical Buildings in 1974. Our tour will be led by one of the local priests who knows the history and architecture of this beautiful building.

James J. Hill House

Rugged stone, massive scale, fine detail and ingenious mechanical systems recall the powerful presence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway. Guides lead tours that help you imagine family and servant life in the 36,000 square-foot Gilded Age mansion, the setting of the public and private lives of the Hill family. The James J. Hill House is a National Historic Landmark.

Summit Avenue

Our tour ends with a ride along Summit Avenue, the longest stretch of beautifully restored Victorian homes in the country.

Rasmussen’s Bloomington Campus

Rasmussen Bloomington, MN college campus offers in-demand degrees and the customized support needed to achieve academic and career goals. SUPPORT+, a unique network of student support services that extends from admissions to career services is customizable based on needs and available at no additional cost. Tour Rasmussen College and see their state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Lab, which is housed in a “green” building.

Augsburg College

Set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, Augsburg College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to more than 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. The trademark of an Augsburg education is its emphasis on direct, personal experience. Our tour features Augsburg’s Gage Center. Designed to be accessible to all students, the Gage Center assesses individual student needs and strives to facilitate seamless student support through the collaboration of a unique set of support services. Located on the second floor of the Lindell Library, one of the primary hubs of the Augsburg campus, the Gage Center offers a collaboration of Academic Advising, the Academic Skills Office, Disability Services, and TRIO/Student Support services. It also houses the Groves Accommodations Lab, providing assistive technology and testing accommodations.

What trip to the Twin Cities would be complete without a visit to the Mall of America? Besides its 520 stores and 50 restaurants, the Mall of America includes Nickelodeon Universe, Sea Life aquarium, and a Lego store with a 34-foot tall Lego robot. Spend Friday evening shopping, snacking, or just exploring. There is no tax on shoes and clothes in Minnesota!

Tour the historic Wabasha Street Caves. Once the site of sandstone mines, the caves were also home to a romantic night club and the purported site of mobster misadventures. Then, with a nefarious gangster or his moll as our guide, take a bus tour to explore the sites of night clubs, kidnappings, and gun battles associated with 1930s gangsters like John Dillinger, Babyface Nelson, and Ma Barker. Oh, yes, St. Paul has a colorful past!