Jan 13 2010
James J Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota
We’ve driven past the largest house in Minnesota several times, and have spotted it from the Minnesota History Center, the skyways, and 35E as we visit other locations. It took a cold winter day to draw us inside, however.
The James J. Hill House was the grand home of railroad magnate James J. Hill, founder of the Great Northern Railroad (which, coincidentally, ran through my hometown in North Dakota) and other railroads. (I learned during the tour that the Sherman Antitrust Act was enacted because he and his associates eventually created a railroad monopoly.)
The home is now operated by the Minnesota Historical Society and is shown by guided tour. With three stories plus a basement, it’s something to see. The woodwork is ornate, the organ is beautiful, and even the laundry room is impressive. Although built in the 1890′s, the home had all of the modern conveniences, including thirteen bathrooms.
Tours are led by white-gloved guides, and it’s a “no-touching” tour from start to finish. I was a little nervous about this, but our kids, ages 3-8, did well on the 70-minute tour. There’s lots to see, not too much furniture, and plenty of rooms so the tour keeps moving.
I’ve been told that a nooks and crannies tour is offered sometimes, which goes into even more areas of the house, and that kids really enjoy that.
Although the James J. Hill House wasn’t the kids’ favorite stop of the day (they preferred Grainland at the Minnesota History Center), they all learned something at the big house.
If you’re in the Twin Cities and want to see some history, be sure to see the Minnesota History Center, but also see some of the historic homes like the James J. Hill House, Alexander Ramsey House, and Sibley House, as well as Historic Fort Snelling and the State Capitol.
This reminds me of some of the old buildings (including the Carnegie Library I blogged about) in Sandusky, Ohio. I love seeing old buildings like this and having the opportunity to explore them
Dominique´s last blog ..Where I live: Detroit Film Theater kicks off winter season January 15
I’ve done the same thing – well, the drive by a gazillion times but have yet to stop. My hubby is a history buff so I think I could convince him to stop in for the tour. He avoids art museums ‘artfully’ but this is something I wouldn’t even need to trick him into. THANKS for the review!
Cathy Spicer´s last blog ..Keep the Faith…..
[...] our visit to the James J. Hill House last weekend, we stopped at the Minnesota History Center for a while. We visit the History Center [...]
[...] (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children. Her family has visited the James J Hill House, as well as many other Minnesota Historical Society [...]