summit avenue tours

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Because life's too short to stay home …, street of dreams, on st. paul's summit avenue, imposing mansions are remnants of the gilded age..

© Beth Gauper

Even tourists from the great European capitals are impressed by Summit Avenue.

It's not just one mansion, but one after another, all the way from the Mississippi River to the massive Cathedral of St. Paul, overlooking downtown and the state Capitol.

This five-mile stretch is one of the most splendid, best-preserved Victorian streets in the United States. The oldest are at the east end, on the lip of the bluff overlooking downtown and the Mississippi River.

The richest man in Minnesota built his home there, a 36,000-square-foot Richardsonian Romanesque mansion of red sandstone, with 13 bathrooms and 22 fireplaces.

Today, the James J. Hill House is owned by the Minnesota Historical Society, which gives tours of the 1891 house and walking tours past other mansions built with the spoils of the Gilded Age.

"It was a time when people wanted to spend a lot of money if they had it," said guide Joanne Dolney.

Of course, Frank Lloyd Wright called Summit Avenue "the worst collection of architecture in the world." One of F. Scott Fitzgerald's characters called it "a museum of American architectural failures."

But most people can't help being awed. It's not just the houses, but the stories behind them.

The walking tours start at the house of James J. Hill, a native of Canada who started as a teen-age clerk at the steamboat landing in St. Paul.

He seized opportunities, turning a side business selling wood and coal into a transportation empire: "He always had the right idea of what the area needed," Dolney said.

Eventually, Hill pushed his Great Northern Railway from St. Paul to Seattle via Glacier National Park, which he and his son, Louis, helped develop and promote with the slogan "See America First."

Hill was called the Empire Builder, and his old route, now Amtrak's passenger line across the Great Plains through Glacier, is named for him.

For his fifth house in St. Paul, he picked the best spot on the bluffs, tearing down two houses to get the lot. The rugged red-sandstone house took 300 people three years to build.

Hill's son Louis lived in the more feminine Georgian Revival house next door, which incorporates the neoclassical Beaux-Arts style popular in European capitals, which borrowed it from ancient Rome.

"We didn't trust our own styles here; we always borrowed styles from Europe," Dolney said.

The next few blocks are lined with an astonishing cavalcade of houses, with turrets, towers, columns and such embellishments as carved-stone medallions, nymphs and cherubs.

Summit Avenue hit a rough patch in the 1930s, when some people couldn't afford the taxes, said Dolney, and again in the 1960s, when many of the sprawling, energy-guzzling mansions were chopped up into apartments, some of them little better than flophouses.

In the 1970s, the city sold one mansion for $1, on the condition that the new owners fix it up.

But interest in the Victorian style picked up in the late 1970s and 1980s, along with an interest in preservation. Some of the mansions now are tony condos.

Others became elegant event centers, such as the 1901 Summit Manor house, once home to the owner of Schuneman's department store, which evolved into Dayton's and then Macy's.

Most still are private houses, such as the 1882 Queen Anne next to Louis Hill's house, and when our tour walked by, the 11-bedroom, 13-bath house was on the market for $1.995 million.

"Queen Anne is a wonderful style," Dolney said. "The houses were built with detail, detail, detail; the more detail, the better."

Other mansions were built by newspaper publishers, lumber barons, bankers and manufacturers, many of whom tweaked facades over the years.

Lucius Ordway, the plumbing-company owner whose investment in a struggling Two Harbors sandpaper company helped create the blue-chip behemoth 3M, was among many owners who shed Queen Anne turrets in favor of an Italianate or Tudor look.

"It's amazing how much a house can change," Dolney said. "People were always trying to make them more fashionable."

Then our tour stopped in front of a house that was a little too fashionable. Built in the 1970s, it's a series of low boxes with a front parking lot now shielded by sycamores behind a wrought-iron fence.

"This is not a very popular house on the avenue," Dolney said. "There were a lot of people protesting when this was built. This is what pushed people into starting a preservation group."

Today, people revere the past. Just beyond the 1928 house owned by James J. Hill's daughter Rachel — who married the University of Minnesota football player whose touchdown against the University of Michigan in 1903 helped create the Little Brown Jug rivalry — we came to the University Club on the brow of Ramsey Hill.

Some of its members had walked across the street to Eagle Park to play croquet. With the women wearing straw hats and filmy white blouses and skirts, and the men in vests and white pants, they looked like a throwback to 1912, when the club was built.

The exclusive club was a haunt of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who attended dances there.

The middle-class Fitzgerald grew up around Summit Avenue and hobnobbed with the rich, but his love-hate relationship with them is well-documented and reflected in his short stories and novels, most famously "The Great Gatsby."

"He was always on the outside looking in at the big rich houses," Dolney said.

During the summer of 1919, Fitzgerald lived in a townhouse at 599 Summit, where he completed "This Side of Paradise," his first published novel. There's a plaque in front of the house.

Another famous Minnesota writer, Sinclair Lewis, lived down the street during the previous year, at 516 Summit. The novel Lewis was working on, about the recently deceased J.J. Hill, never was completed.

At Eagle Park we crossed to the less-desirable side of the street. By the mid-1880s, Dolney said, bluff-side land that first sold for $1.50 an acre was going for $500 per frontal foot.

We passed a white pillared house Dolney called the "Gone With the Wind" house and came to a Queen Anne-turned-Tudor that was for sale for $1.885 million. On the sales flyer, Dolney looked in vain for the annual property taxes.

"They probably don't want you to know," she said. "It's a lot, usually about $30,000."

From there, we walked past painted ladies on Virginia Street to Laurel Avenue and the richly embellished 1887 Richardsonian Romanesque rowhouses where Fitzgerald lived briefly with his grandmother.

The walking tour ended at the 1915 limestone Cathedral of St. Paul , which a character in a Fitzgerald story called "a plump white bulldog on its haunches" but which draws hordes of tourists not only for its imposing facade but for its ornate interior, open to the public.

The houses on the rest of Summit Avenue, west of Dale, include Georgian Revivals, Queen Annes and Italianesque manors that are only a little smaller. At 1006 Summit, a 50,000-square-foot Tudor built in 1911 now is the Governor's Residence.

William Mitchell College of Law is nearby, and farther down, Summit splits into a boulevard, passing the campuses of Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas. A few blocks later, it meets the Mississippi River.

Today, Summit still is St. Paul's most prestigious address. It's just as it was in the 1880s: If you live there, you've arrived.

Trip Tips: St. Paul's Summit Avenue

Summit Avenue walking tours : Ninety-minute walking tours start at the J.J. Hill House and are given Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day weekend through September, $14, $10 children 5-17.

The tours often fill; call 651-297-2555 for reservations. Tickets include entry to the special-exhibit and portrait room of the Hill house.

Summit Hill House Tour: Every other year, the Summit Hill Association sponsors a tour of 10 to 12 mansions.

James J. Hill House : Regular tours are given year-round, $12, $8 for children 5-17.

Check for evening Nooks and Crannies tours and the many chamber concerts and lectures held at the house. Seasonal programs include Victorian ghost stories at Halloween and Hill House Holidays in December, with costumed actors portraying servants.

Accommodations: The Davidson Mansion is an English Cotswold manor house built in 1915 for a real-estate executive who worked for Hill's Great Northern Railway. It has nine rooms and suites, all with kitchens, and guests have access to the nearby University Club.

Dining and shopping: Just two blocks from the cathedral on Selby Avenue, in a restored 1889 Richardson Romanesque building, W.A. Frost is one of the most romantic places in town, with a tree-shaded stone patio out back.

One block to the south of Summit Avenue, Grand Avenue is the premier shopping, eating and strolling street of St. Paul.

Farther west, Victoria Crossing, at Grand's junction with Victoria, is a shopping and dining hub. Café Latte , a nouveau cafeteria with a wine and pizza bar, is very popular, especially for its desserts.

Information: For more, see Sightseeing in St. Paul .

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Twin Cities  >  Saint Paul   >  Summit Avenue Walking Tour

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Summit Avenue Walking Tour:

Location :  Summit Avenue in Saint Paul Cost :  Free, Self-Guided ( Optional Fees Listed Below ) Best Time To Go :  Try to schedule your visit around the James J Hill House tour hours which is the main attraction.  Tours run Wednesday-Saturday 10am-3:30pm; Sunday 1-3:30pm. Start :  Saint Paul Cathedral Stop :  James J Hill House Walking Distance :  2.7 Miles Time :  1.5 Hours ( +75 Minutes for James J Hill Tour ) Fun Scale :  10 out of 10

Walking Tour Overview:

Littered with historic mansions and lined with lush trees, Summit Avenue in Saint Paul is one of the most impressive residential streets in all of America!  Sitting at the head of the mighty Mississippi River, early day Saint Paul quickly became a trove of wealth from lumber harvesting, mining, railroad expansions, and many other endeavors.  The wealth came so quickly that by 1890 there were already 40 millionaires living near Saint Paul’s Summit Avenue.

As a time capsule from a bygone era, the 4.5 miles of Summit Avenue still holds 373 of its original 440 grand mansions built from 1855 through the 1920s.  These impressive mansions defined Saint Paul’s rich golden age when the street’s residents influenced the entire nation’s politics, infrastructure ( railroads ), economics ( industry & lumber ), and even literature ( The Great Gatsby ).  While crippled during the Great Depression, the spirit of peak wealth and socializing from the Roaring Twenties are still alive & well today through the preserved architecture and history on Summit Avenue.

Cant’s Miss Highlights:

There are so many amazing mansions to see on this Summit Avenue walking tour plus a couple of parks that it can almost feel overwhelming.  While each property has its own unique style and rich history, below are the five main highlights that you aren’t going to want to miss.

Can’t miss highlights:

• Cathedral of Saint Paul (#1)
• James J. Hill House (#50)
• Driscol-Warehouser House (#47)
• The “Hitching Post” House (#41)
• Blair Flats & Shelby Ave (#6)

Our walking tour map covers more details on over 50 Summit Avenue properties during a 2.5 mile suggested loop, but if you are short on time consider walking to the Madame Nina Clifford Statue (#17) and crossing the road to skip ahead to the Burbank-Livingston-Griggs House (#32).  This shorter option will cut your walk down closer to 1.5 miles while still seeing our main five can’t miss sights on Summit Avenue.

Walking Tour Sights:

1. cathedral of saint paul ( 239 selby ave ):.

About The Cathedral Of Saint Paul : With a commanding hilltop view, the giant Cathedral of Saint Paul towers over the city below.  Construction on the massive church started in 1907 with the laying of the cornerstone which was attended by over 60,000 people.  Previously, the hill was home to the Shelby Farm and then the Kittson Mansion which was considered the finest home in Minnesota.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul’s 1st service was on Palm Sunday in 1915 even though the inside wasn’t all the way done yet, but it was still attended by 7,500.  After visiting this impressive church you understand why the Vatican declared  the Cathedral the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul.

Entering the main sanctuary through any of the church’s 12 wooden doors you are instantly struck by the 186 feet tall and 76 feet wide dome which covers seating for 4,000 people.  The  massive dome  is not only amazingly beautiful but was designed with the function to give everyone an unobstructed view of the pulpit.  We especially love the 24 large  stained glass windows  sitting on each side of the Cathedral letting in the colorful light as electric lights weren’t added until 1940.

Making your way around the Cathedral of Saint Paul you’ll find statues of the apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in each of the 4 corners.  You’ll also see massive bronze works and painting honor the life of Saint Paul, the namesake of the Cathedral.  Our favorite hidden feature of the church is the Shrine of Nations in the back of the Cathedral.  The Shrine is made up of 6 mini-chapels with statues honoring the Patron Saints of the main 6 European ethnic groups that originally settled Saint Paul. The first mini-chapel has a statue St. Therese of Lisieux dedicated for the missionaries and it has an awesome plaque pointing out a stone from the castle of Rouen, France, where Joan of Arc  was a prisoner in 1431.  The  Stations of the Cross  are posted on each of the round columns and tell the story of Jesus and the cross.

Cathedral Hours :  Typically open to walk around Daily 7am-7pm.   Free Guided Tours : Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 1pm. Original Kittson Mansion Photos : 1 ; 2 ; 3 .  Website : Here .

Read More :   Our Cathedral Guide .

Video :   Inside of Cathedral .

2. Stanford Newel Castle ( 251 Dayton Street ):

About The Stanford Newel Castle : The core of this impressive limestone castle was built in 1864 for a local moneylender named Lasher.  When attorney  Stanford Newel bought the property in 1886 he quickly added the powerful tower and castle-like battlements on the roofline bringing the house up to 8 bedrooms.  If you look closely at the limestone you can tell the finish is a little different on the original blocks near the center of the house compared to the ones added in 1886.

Standford Newel quickly gained a foothold serving on Saint Paul’s first City Parks Board and also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1897 to 1906.  A park in Newel’s honor currently sits in Saint Paul’s Midway neighborhood.

Photo of the Home in 1941 :  ( Click Here ).

3. James J Hill Carriage House ( 260 Maiden Lane ):

About The James J Hill Carriage House : The delightful brick laid Maiden Lane is a charming alley straight out of the late 1800s.  We love the crooked barn sitting toward the beginning of the alley and it quickly leads to the vine-covered James J Hill Carriage House.

If it seems kind of weird that there would be a carriage house for a mansion over a block away, you’re right.  Shortly after building his mansion in 1891, Hill realized the slope by his house was too steep and needed a new carriage house.  In an effort to recycle, Hill used bricks from one of his prior mansions to build the huge carriage house you see before you.  Expect the beautiful carriage house to be engulfed by vines.

4. Laurel Terrace ( 286-94 Laurel Ave ):

About Laurel Terrace : This huge Romanesque Style  row house was built in 1887 for Will Ryley as an early version of modern townhomes.  We love the carved stone detail on the different units and the large and round Gothic tower that first greets you.  The complex is so big that it covers 286-94 Laurel Ave, 123-27 Nina Street, and 297 Maiden Lane.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s grandmother lived in number 294 Laurel Ave lived for a while which is what the building is best known for.  Later on this Summit Avenue walking tour, we will visit a number of other properties with ties to the famed writer of The Great Gatsby including his boyhood school and home.

Historic Photo :  ( Terrace in 1884 ).

5. 3 Sisters Kit Houses ( 309-13 Laurel Ave ):

About The 3 Sisters Kit Houses : This row of brightly colored homes were built for 3 sisters around 1887.  They may seem pretty plain, but interesting enough they were actually Sears & Roebuck Kit Homes ordered out of a catalog.  In a new fad of the time, you would pick out what you wanted and everything you needed to build your home was delivered to you.  We couldn’t find the names of the sisters but the one who lived in 313 married a man named Nathaniel Langford Jr whom she lived here with.

6. Shelby Avenue & Restaurant Row ( 300-400 Shelby Ave ):

About Shelby Avenue : Depending on what time of day you start this Summit Avenue walking tour, Shelby Ave is a great place to grab lunch, diner, or even just a coffee as people have been doing for 150 years.

In 1887, a cable-powered streetcar line was extended from Downtown Saint Paul and straight-up Shelby Avenue. The line was electrified in 1906 and then improved by a tunnel near the Cathedral ( ruins marked on our map ) to cut down on the steep grade up Saint Anthony Hill.  This upgrade transportation route allowed Shelby Avenue to boom at the same time peak mansion building was going on at nearby Summit Avenue.  The bustling influx led to as many as 26 businesses per block on Shelby Avenue.  The area declined after World War II and the trolleys stopped in 1954, but it has had a rebirth as the neighborhood’s Restaurant Row.

The most iconic of the Restaurant Row buildings is the huge 5-story-tall Blair Flats complex ( 165 Western Ave N ).  Also called Blair Arcade, the Richardson Romanesque-style building opened in 1887 as an apartment building with commercial space by and hotel by Frank P. Blair.  Although the outside is pretty, the architect Herman Kretz actually did a poor job designing the building as over 40% of the inside was taken up by hallways .  Ironically his revival architect Cass Gilbert lived here for a time after getting married and really disliked Kretz.  The streetcar line president Thomas turned Blair Flats into the Albion Hotel in 1911 ( later the Angus ) which closed in 1971, but was thankfully restored before being torn down.  On the first floor, we enjoy Nina’s Cafe which is named after Nina Crawford who you will learn about later on this Summit Avenue walking tour.  Historic Photo:  ( Blair Flats in 1889 ).

The neighboring  W.A. Frost Building ( 366-374 Selby Ave ) is a beautiful brownstone originally called the Dacotah Building when it was opened in 1889.  The W.A. Frost name stuck over time as it was the popular 1st floor pharmacy.  Opened in 1975, we always loved the W.A. Frost Restaurant  ( website ) which has excellent food, strong drinks, and the perfect vibe of Europe meeting New Orleans.  The interior of the restaurant gains a lot of ambiance from the historic building and they have a lush sprawling patio that is one of the best in the Twin Cities.

Directly across the street are three other popular restaurants.  These include the community staple of Moscow on the Hill  ( 371 Selby Ave,  website ), Muddy Pig ( 173 Western Ave N ,  website ), and Red Cow Burgers ( 393 Selby Ave ,  website ).  Further down Shelby you’ll find La Grolla ( 452 Selby Ave ,  website ) and Happy Gnome  ( 498 Shelby Ave,  website ) as well as Saint Paul’s curling club and author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Birthplace ( 481 Laurel Avenue ).

Chances are that you were also wondering what the green old-world building with the tower is on Shelby which is called the Virginia Street Church ( 170 Virginia Street ).  The church was built for the Swedenborgian Congregation in 1887 which many of St Paul’s wealthy residents from Boston belonged to.  It was designed by local architect Cass Gilbert as one of 6 wood churches he created.  While the Virginia Street church is rather small we like its house-like appearance, its tower, and the mesh of paint colors they used on it.

7. The “ Sunflower ” House ( 118 Virginia Ave ):

About The “Sunflower” House : This cute little house was built for Daniel Dickinson in 1883 with elaborate sunflower details carved all over the eves, trim, and railing.  For whatever reason, the next owners in the early 1900s painted and sided over all of the sunflowers and they were forgotten about. When later owners went to remodel the house in 1975 they found all the original sunflower details and knew they had to restore it.  They worked really hard to make sure that every last item carving was brought back to life in historical fashion to meet preservation standards.

The only problem with the restorations was that the owners wanted to add a front porch but had no idea which side the original porch was on as it had been removed decades earlier.  Luckily when they started digging they quickly found the original footers buried underground and were able to place the new porch exactly where the first one had been.

8. Theodore Schurmeier Mansion ( 110 Virginia Ave ):

About The Theodore Schurmeier Mansion : Theodore L. Schurmeier got wealthy as a partner in the dry goods firm of Lindeke, Warner, and Schurmeier, but he still managed to marry up.  His wife, Caroline Gotzian, daughter of Conrad Gotzian who owned the huge shoe manufacturing company C. Gotzian & Company.  The Schurmeier is well known as one of Cass Gilbert’s first projects as an independent architect, but also because it  was later moved here  from its original location at 189 Virginia Avenue.

In 1887 Schurmeier hired a new architect Clarence Johnston to build him a 2nd house at 5 Crocus Hill.  At the same time, Johnston won the contract to build the Aberdeen Hotel and decided to build it where Schurmeier’s 1st house sat at 189 Virginia.  Instead of tearing the home down they took it from its foundation and moved it here replacing a home built in 1885 for Q.F. Peet.  There was no love lost when Schurmeier switched architects for his second home as Gilbert was childhood friends of Johnston and Johnston was good later going on design over 3,500 buildings.

9. Charles P. and Emily Noyes House ( 89 Virginia Ave ):

About The Charles P. and Emily Noyes House :  Built in 1887 for Charles Noyes who owned the wholesale drug firm of Noyes Brothers and Cutler that sold to tons of pharmacies.  Noyes was wealthy and had already had two other homes on Summit ave but wanted one that related more to his roots in New England.  The Noyes ancestral home in Massachusetts dated back to the 1630s so he had this one built in its honor as one of the city’s 1st Colonial Revival houses.  Adding his own twist on the style Cass Gilbert put the front door off-center even though the porch is centered to balance out the home’s porte-cochere.  You likely won’t notice the door placement until you compare it with the central window right above the porch.  Look closely at it and the great colorful details above the windows and entry.

Noyes was an important Gilbert client. Gilbert built a cottage for him at Manitou Island ( 1884 ), and Noyes largely funded the German Presbyterian Bethlehem Church ( 1890 ) that Gilbert designed at 311 Ramsey.  The brick alley across from is original.

10. Albert W. Lindeke Home ( 345 Summit Ave ):

About The Albert W. Lindeke Home : Cass Gilbert designed the first home was built here in 1882 for Augustus K. Barnum in the spooky Second French Empire.  Later on, Barnum had the house moved near Irvine Park and sold the lot to Albert W. Lindeke.  Albert had just taken over his dad’s dry goods firm of Lindeke, Warner, and Schurmeier and had the current home built in 1909 as a Tudor Revival.

The new home was designed by Cass Gilbert’s childhood and college friend Clarence Johnston as Gilbert focused his later work in NYC. Johnston was accomplished designing over 3500 buildings and later helped design buildings for Cass Gilbert got the job to design the University of Minnesota.  The garage wasn’t added until 191 but the interesting and worn brick alley next to the garage is the original Maiden Lane dating to the 1800s.

Historic Photos :  ( Original Home in 1902 ).

11. Livingstone-Smith Home ( 339 Summit Ave ):

About The Livingstone-Smith Home : In 1898, this home was built for Crawford Livingston who was the president of the Saint Paul Gas Light Company which became Northern States Power ( NSP ) and later Excel Energy.  What was kind of odd about the situation is that Livingston never actually lived here as he stayed in his home at 432 Summit ( mentioned later on this tour ) and let his friend C.H.F. Smith live here instead.  It is hard to say if Livingston loved his other home too much to move, or if he just didn’t like the new European-style residence.  Smith was a businessman who worked at the New York Stock Exchange which is an interesting house guest for someone running a large business.

Cass Gilbert designed the home while on a trip to Europe in 1897.  He modeled the porch like a  gondola landing  in Venice where boats would pull off the Grand Canal as he envisioned Summit Ave as St Paul’s Grand Canal.  If you have ever been to Venice you’ll recognize the style as the front of the house is flat to the edge of the porch giving it one flush line.  While it may look plain at first glance, we love the details on the porch from the short Corinthian Roman columns to the triangle designs above each porthole.   Historic Photo :  ( Home with neighbors in 1902 ). John H Allen House ( 335 Summit Ave ):  Queen Anne built for John Allen in 1892 who was a partner at the wholesale grocer Allen, Moon & Company.  Instead of a regular house architect, Allen chose J. Walter Stevens who had designed many of his warehouses.   Next door at  329 Summit Ave  is a nice Victorian built in 1899 for local surgeon Charles A. Wheaton. Edward N. Saunders House ( 323 Summit Ave ):  The 1st home on this lot was built out of stone in 1863 and was replaced by this one in 1892 for Edward N. Saunders who was the President and Treasurer of the Northwestern Fuel Company.  We love the bright red brick and curved driveway of this massive home.  Interesting to note that after Saunders’ death the home became a convent for the St Paul Cathedral.

12. William B. Dean House ( 353 Summit Ave ):

About The William B. Dean House : William Dean and his wife Mary had this home built is a unique mix of Queen Anne and Victorian styles in 1882, Halt Timber added to make it a Tudor when style fell out of favor, was restored to old-style again in 2001.  William Dean House was a successful St Paul businessman, banker, and later a state senator.

Historic Photos :  ( Original home in 1895 ; Home Before Current Restoration in 2005 ).

13. Mrs. J. W. Bass House ( 365 Summit Ave ):

About The Mrs. J. W. Bass Hous : Built in 1891 for Mrs. J.W. Bass, this massive Cass Gilbert designed home was originally built as a Queen Anne Victorian-style home.  By 1903 the family got sick of the house and swapped homes with wealthy wholesale grocer Chauncey Milton Griggs.  Griggs quickly remodeled the home into a Colonial Revival style removing the corner tower, wrap-around porch, and adding the powerful Roman column outcrop with 3 roofline windows.  You can still see signs of the original design not only from 1891 on the 3rd-floor gable, but also from the bay windows that travel the height of the home’s right side which used to form the corner tower

14. Cochran Park ( 375 Summit Ave ):

About Cochran Park : The triangle-shaped Cochran Park has been a lush playground for kids to gather and play since the late 1800s.  Even local boys like F Scott Fitzgerald often played football here in the early 1900s although it didn’t officially become a city park until 1924.  Emilie B. Cochran was the driving force behind the park when she presented the land in 1923 to the City of Saint Paul in memory of her husband Thomas Cochran who was a lawyer and a real estate investor.

The Cochrans moved to Saint Paul from New York in 1867 and raised 5 kids in their home at 59 Western Avenue near the park.  Being in real estate, the family also owned another large home at 299 Summit which is now the parking lot to the Cathedral of Saint Paul.  Thomas Cochran was a very staunch Protestant and would have been furious knowing that his former home was now the parking lot for a Catholic Church.  He had died in 1906, just one year before the cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid.  Religion had already been a big dividing line in the family when Archbishop John Ireland converted the couple’s daughter Emily to Catholicism against their wishes.

In designing Cochran Park to honor her husband, Emily chose Gilbert Cass’s understudy to do the park’s shelter, curved paths, and fountains after being inspired by the City Beautiful Movement .  He did a great job on the design but unfortunately died before it opened.  Wanting to put his own stamp on the park the Cochran’s son Thomas III had St Paul native Paul Manship add the sculpture of the ‘Indian Hunter’ and his dog to the fountain surrounded by 4 bronze geese.  You may not know Manship’s name, but he is best known for his sculpture of Prometheus for Rockefeller Center in New York City.  The fountain became a huge hit not just with local school kids and most who were going to play there would say “Meet you at the Duck Pond” not knowing statue birds were really geese.

By the 1960s the homes around the park became pretty run down and the sculpture of the ‘Indian Boy’ was vandalized causing the city to move it to Como Park Conservatory for safekeeping.  A fiberglass copy replaced the original until the 2000s when residents petitioned the city to flip-flop their location and get the real one back in Cochran Park.

Commodore Hotel ( 79 Western Ave N ):  Built in 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda lived in the hotel when their baby girl, Scottie, was born.  The couple reportedly spent a lot of time drinking and partying at the hotel bar.

15. Nathan Hale Park Statue ( 401 Summit Ave ):

About The Nathan Hale Park Statue :  The Nathan Hale Statue was commissioned in 1907 by the Daughters of the American Revolution ( DAR ) to honor this American Patriot.  Even though he died at a young age, Hale is considered one of the most famous American spies .  Part of his fame is from the efforts of DAR who were influential and even started the practice of placing small flags at fallen soldiers’ graves on Memorial Day.

Nathan Hale was born in Connecticut in 1755 and had an extremely promising future as he was already going to college at Yale University by age 13.  When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Hale quickly volunteered to his local militia and started taking on assignments behind British lines.  Just one year into the Revolutionary War Nathan Hale was captured and publicly hung to death at just age 21 at the corner of 66th & 3rd in Manhattan.  Hale’s bravery and lack of fear in the face of death became famous and it’s said his last words were “I only regret having one life to lose for my country”.

The statue was done by famed American Sculpture William Ordway Partridge who was known for doing numerous busts at National Monuments.  He was a fitting choice to do the sculpture as he had studied Hale and in 1902 Partridge published a book called  Nathan Hale,  The Ideal Patriot .  That statue depicts Nathan Hale during the Revolutionary War with his hands tied behind his back, boldly waiting to be hung at the scaffolds by the British with no fear.

The Hale Statue does send a bold Patriotic message, but we feel the placement could have been better.  The Daughters of the American Revolution were quick to tout The Hale Statue as the 1st Revolutionary War monument placed West of the Ohio River , but if they would have placed it just a couple of miles always it also could have also been the 1st one West of the Mississippi River.

It is worth noting that Nathan Hale also had a very famous great-grandfather, Reverend John Hale.  The Reverend was an influential priest at the start of the Salem Witch Trials ( 1692-93 ).  This senior Hale pushed for convicting witches to “save their souls” until changing his tune after both seeing the horrors and having his own wife accused of being a witch.  A fictional portrayal of John Hale is in Arthur Miller’s 1953 play called The Crucible.

Edwin W. Winter Residence  ( 415 Summit Ave ): Edwin Winter had this big grey and white home built in 1880 around the time he became the President of the Northern Pacific Railway.  Four years later he had Gilbert and Taylor remodel it including raising the roof to add a floor.

12. William B. Dean House ( 353 Summit Ave ):  William Dean and his wife Mary had this home built is a unique mix of Queen Anne and Victorian styles in 1882, Halt Timber added to make it a Tudor when style fell out of favor, was restored to old-style again in 2001.  William Dean House was a successful St Paul businessman, banker, and later a state senator.   Historic Photos:  ( Original home in 1895 ,  Home Before Current Restoration in 2005 ).

13. Mrs. J. W. Bass House ( 365 Summit Ave ): Built in 1891 for Mrs. J.W. Bass, this massive Cass Gilbert designed home was originally built as a Queen Anne Victorian-style home.  By 1903 the family got sick of the house and swapped homes with wealthy wholesale grocer Chauncey Milton Griggs.  Griggs quickly remodeled the home into a Colonial Revival style removing the corner tower, wrap-around porch, and adding the powerful Roman column outcrop with 3 roofline windows.  You can still see signs of the original design not only from 1891 on the 3rd-floor gable, but also from the bay windows that travel the height of the home’s right side which used to form the corner tower.

14. Cochran Park ( 375 Summit  Ave ): The triangle-shaped Cochran Park has been a lush playground for kids to gather and play since the late 1800s. Even local boys like F Scott Fitzgerald often played football here in the early 1900s although it didn’t officially become a city park until 1924.  Emilie B. Cochran was the driving force behind the park when she presented the land in 1923 to the city in memory of her husband Thomas Cochran who was a lawyer and a real estate investor.  The couple moved to St Paul from New York in 1867 and raised 5 kids in their home at 59 Western Ave near the park.  Being in real estate, the family also owned another large home at 299 Summit which is now the parking lot to St Paul Cathedral.  Thomas was very staunch Protestant and would have been furious knowing that his former home was the parking lot for a Catholic Church, but the Cathedral wasn’t built until 9 years after his death in 1915.  It had already been a big dividing line in the family when Archbishop John Ireland converted the couple’s daughter Emily to Catholicism against their wishes.

In designing the Park to honor her husband, Emily chose Gilbert Cass’s understudy to do the park’s shelter, curved paths, and fountains after being inspired by the City Beautiful movement.  He did a great job on the design but unfortunately died before it opened.  Wanting to put his own stamp on the park the Cochran’s son Thomas III had St Paul native Paul Manship add the sculpture of the Indian Hunter and his dog to the fountain surrounded by 4 bronze geese.  You may not know Manship’s name, but he is best known for his sculpture of Prometheus for Rockefeller Center in New York City.  The fountain became a huge hit not just with local school kids and most who were going to play there would say “Meet you at the Duck Pond” not knowing statue birds were really geese.

By the 1960s the homes around the park became pretty run down and the sculpture of the Indian Boy was vandalized causing the city to move it to Como Park Conservatory for safekeeping.  A fiberglass copy replaced the original until the 2000s when residents petitioned the city to flip-flop their location and get the real one back in Cochran Park.

15. Nathan Hale Park Statue ( 401 Summit Ave ):  The Nathan Hale Statue was commissioned in 1907 by the  Daughters of the American Revolution  to honor this American Patriot.  Hale was born in Connecticut in 1755 and had an extremely promising future as he was already going to college at Yale by age 13.  When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775 Hale quickly volunteered to his local militia and started taking on assignments behind British lines.  Just one year into the Revolutionary War Nathan Hale was captured and hung to death at just age 21.  Hale’s bravery and lack of fear in the face of death became famous and it’s said  his last words were  “I only regret having one life to lose for my country”.

The statue was done by famed American Sculpture William Ordway Partridge who was known for doing numerous busts at National Monuments.  He was a fitting choice to do the sculpture as he had studied Hale and in 1902 Partridge published a book called  Nathan Hale,  The Ideal Patriot .  That statue depicts Nathan Hale during the Revolutionary War with his hands tied behind his back, boldly waiting to be hung at the scaffolds by the British with no fear.  The statue does send a bold Patriotic message, but we feel the placement could have been better.  The Daughters of the American Revolution were quick to tout it as the 1st monument in honor of the Revolutionary War West of the Ohio River, however, if they would have placed it just a couple of miles always it also could have also been the 1st one West of the Mississippi River.

Edwin W. Winter Residence  ( 415 Summit Ave ):  Edwin Winter had this big grey and white home built int 1880 around the time he became the President of the Northern Pacific Railway.  Four years later he had Gilbert and Taylor remodel it including raising the roof to add a floor.

16. Edward T. Buxton House (421 Summit Ave):   The first house on this lot was constructed in 1882 for Joseph Wheelock but when Edward Buxton bought the lot in 1912 he had it demolished to build the current house.  We love this house for the 3rd floor which was added in modern times.  Seeing how the 3rd floor has been worked into the architecture of the original house lets you see how far they go to preserve the historical nature of the storied homes while preserving these mansions when altering them.

17. Madame Nina Clifford ( 435 Summit Ave ):  The main attraction isn’t the tiny home but instead the chainsawed burr oak statue out front.  The wooden lady holding a parasol portrays Madame Nina Clifford, the owner of one of  St. Paul’s early brothels located in a nearby neighborhood.  The rambler home itself was built in 1954 as the 3rd house on the property.  The 1st house was built in the 1870s and was replaced but a Gothic and Queen Anne mix in 1890 by owner George T. Slade.  After Slade’s death, the house sat vacantly and was torn down in the 1930s by Olson Wrecking.  While we aren’t a fan of the 1950s rambler it is important to remember that it was built in the style popular in its day just like the homes before it was built in the styles popular in their day.  Historic Photo:  ( 2nd House on the property in 1912 ).

18. Shipman-Greve House ( 445 Summit Ave ): In 1882 Henry Shipman starting building this beautiful Queen Anne house but quickly ran out of money.  A year later Herman Greve bought the home from Shipman and finished construction.  It is considered both the first and best example of the style in St Paul.  Traditionally the style has a steep roof, dormer windows, gabled eves that stick out along the entire roofline, and a mixture of building materials.  The exterior materials go from stone on the bottom to stucco and timber on the 2nd floor, to slate on the top floor.  In 1912Frank Ford bought the home and added the left wing, blending it seamlessly into the Queen Anne style.  Later Alexandra Kalman and her husband, who were lifelong friends of F Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, moved here.  Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1888 ).

Lamplighter Statue ( 461 Holly Ave ):  One block to the North is a beautiful wooden chainsaw statue that pays respects to the local street lamps showing an 1800s lamplighter getting a little help from his daughter.  The Houses behind it are Edward Sawyer House ( 461 Holly ) from 1891 and the E.H. Bailey House ( 459 Holly ) from 1885.  The pretty red vine-covered house across the street is the George Grant House ( 462 Holly ) from 1883.  The big stone house at 472 is the William George House built in 1890, was home to Scott Fitzgerald’s grandmother Louisa McQuillan.

19. William & Bertha Constans House ( 465 Summit Ave ):  Built for William & Bertha Constans in 1886.  William moved to St Paul from France in 1850 and became work as a clerk.  He quickly noticed that there was a lot of money to be made if he clerked for many successful businesses at once and started his own firm.  Around the same time, he started buying up land in St Paul even in the year his business wasn’t making much money but it paid off.  Land prices started to skyrocket in St Paul and William found himself worth almost $1 Million.  We find his house to be the perfect balance of elegance and power.  This stout mansion blends a number of styles and brings it together with a bold contrast of red brick and white accents.

Do you notice how the left side of the house sticks out way farther toward the road than the right?  That is because the home was originally a mix of Queen Anne Victorian and Second French Empire with a huge  5 story tall square tower  on the right side above a wrap-around porch.  After Constans’ death in the early 1900s, the new owners removed the tower and porch to make it look more like a Colonial style.  Local folklore also says that the new owner was the  local casket maker  who marked his profession by adding the casket-like top to the roofline.   Historic Photo :  ( Home with a tower in 1890 ).

James Gamble House ( 475 Summit Ave ):  Built in 1883 for James Gamble. In the early 1900s, it was home to one of F Scott Fitzgerald’s best friends, Marie Hersey. Fitzgerald noted in his writings that when he was 11 he fell in love with Hersey’s cousin Ginevra King.  Next door at  485 Summit Ave ( J. A. MacLeod Home )  is a cute cottage-like Tudor home that was built for J. A. MacLeod in 1907.  If you look close the front door seems really short and we’re not sure if it was because MacLeod was a small man, or because he felt the small doors made the mansion appear bigger.

20. Cyrus B. Thurston House ( 495 Summit Ave ):  Built for Cyrus B. Thurston in 1881 and is a pretty mansion made of red brick with great contrast of bright blue trim although it was originally painted all white.  Was one of the first Victorian Queen Anne homes on Summit which is basically a Queen Anne with bay windows and porches that stick straight out.  If you look closely around the corner bay window and front door you can see the old roofline  from a porch that originally wrapped around the left side of the home.  We assume the current owners have names that start with an S & R given the  artsy family crest  painted above the door.

21. George W. Freeman House ( 505 Summit Ave ): This is a melting pot of styles designed by architect Gilbert Cass for George W. Freeman in 1884.  The blended style of the orange stone home is called Romanesque Revival, but they took it to a new level replacing stone columns with white Corinthian period Roman columns and even capped it off Spanish style red terracotta roof.  For its day the blending of these many differing styles must have made the house a great statement piece of art.  In some places, the home is listed as the Everett W. Kroeger House, but he didn’t move in until the mid-1900s.  Historic Photo :  ( Home in 1898 ).

22. Mrs. Porterfield’s Boarding House ( 513 Summit Ave ): Built for W. W. Bishop in 1891, this boarding house was home to some of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary friends.  It is one of our favorite mansions with plum colors and a cool tower.  We love the attention to detail as every eve and piece of trim has a different purple and white pattern.

23. Secret Garden ( 525 Summit Ave ):  Now a beautiful garden, the lot once held a home built for Bainbridge H. Evans in 1902 which was torn down in 1970.  With the house gone the neighbors behind the parcel at 526 Portland bought the empty lot.  They wanted to build a huge private pool but it didn’t fit the historical building code so they built the garden instead.  The Secret Garden is private, but you can see well into its beautiful depths.  The iron cast lion headgate and standing lion statues help add a flair of stateliness to the mysterious garden.

The Colonial ( 579 Summit Avenue ): This great Antebellum-style mansion with grand pillars and a double-level front porch is called the Colonial and was built in 1896.  The large Colonial looks even bigger sitting next to the tiny cottage-style home half covered in vines at  573 Summit .

24. The “F. Scott Fitzgerald House” at Summit Terrace ( 587-601 Summit Ave ):  Built as an early form of townhomes in 1889, these row houses were once home to famed author F Scott Fitzgerald.  While the family moved around a lot and there is no official F. Scott Fitzgerald House, 599 Summit is one of only two houses with a  plaque commemorating Fitzgerald .

Here are some examples of F.Scott Fitzgerald moving around over the years.  The Fitzgerald family moved from Saint Paul to Buffalo NY for a while but returned in 1908 when F.Scott Fitzgerald was 12 years old.  In 1918 F. Scott Fitzgerald was living in NYC trying to make it as a writer, but he struggled causing his fiancee Zelda to call off the engagement for a while.  Due to his struggles, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s parents let him move in with them to this row house at 599 Summit  in 1919. The following spring Fitzgerald married Zelda and his first novel “ This Side of Paradise ” got accepted for publication giving him instant fame.

Mrs. Backus’ Boarding School ( 586 Holly Ave ):  Built in 1890, this is where F. Scott Fitzgerald took dancing lessons as a boy.  Next door at  596 Holly Ave is a very colorful Queen Anne Victorian-style home with a great tower built in 1884.   Historic Photo :  ( School in 1922 ).

25. Former St. Paul Academy ( 25 North Dale Street ):  The old Saint Paul Academy is where local author F Scott Fitzgerald went to school from 1908 to 1911 and published some of his first short stories in the school magazine. The experience was a great foreshadowing that Fitzgerald was destined to be a great American writer.  The building now serves as an office building for the Academy and the front steps holding a playful  statue of a young Fitzgerald  by Aaron Dysart.

William Kirke House ( 629 Summit Ave ):  This whimsical home was built by William Kirke in 1896 as a mix between Queen Anne and Gothic.  Their architect Clarence Johnston seems to have been inspired by Hansel and Gretel with all the witch-like details.  These details start with the witch hat tower, and flow into the gingerbread trim on the eves and even to spiderweb-like bars on the front door windows.  Across the street on the corner is  624 Summit Ave ( Charles H. & Elizabeth Schliek House )  built in 1899 as a Queen Anne Gothic.

26. “Residential” Apartments ( 610 & 616 Summit Ave ): The owners of this land wanted to build an apartment building here for a long time, but local mansion owners strongly objected.  They wanted their neighborhood to keep a certain prestige and petitioned to have Summit Avenue be one of Saint Paul’s 1st residential-only neighborhoods.  It took them until 1920 to get the ordinance passed and only single and double-family homes could be built.  Strangely this double apartment building was able to be built in 1927 because the landowners of this and a few other lots managed to get themselves out of the agreement.

27. The Greve & Lillian Oppenheim House ( 590 Summit Ave ):  Built 1913 for Greve who was a wealthy real estate investor and the son of a lawyer.  Check out the view from the left with the Japanese gardens.  Designed by Firm Ellerbe Becket who also designed the Omnitheater double IMAX screen at the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Was modeled after Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style using flat line and horizontal space which looks more modern than other old houses as it plays off lines instead of decoration. Big lack of curves.  Only 1 of 2 true Prairie Styles on Summit.

28. The “Angled Drive” House ( 534 Summit Ave ):  This unique home was built in 1884 for Walter J. S. Traill who was a grain dealer that got his start at the Hudson Bay Company.  The slanted home was later owned by Homer Clark who was the  President of West Publishing which is now part of Thomas Reuters.  This one-of-a-kind mansion will definitely get your attention.

29. William Butler “Lemon Meringue” House ( 516 Summit Ave ):  This 1914 mansion is nicknamed the Lemon Meringue House for its yellow brick and white  fluffy looking quioned corners  ( pronounced coined ).  It’s a mix of Italianate and Mission Revival styles with a low-pitched roof, fancy brackets on the eves, and quioned corners.  Author Sinclair Lewis lived here from 1917-1918 and was rumored to be writing a book on James J Hill.  Sinclair, like F Scott Fitzgerald, was born in MN and considered one of the top 5 American Writers of all time.  In 1930 he was the 1st writer from the United States to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.  His biggest successes were Main Street, Arrowsmith, Elmer Gantry and many of his books were transformed into award-winning movies.

30. Addison G. Foster Home ( 490 Summit Ave ): Built for lumberman Addison G. Foster in 1883 this huge mansion has a lot more of an open side yard than most in the neighborhood and almost takes up two full lots.  This is striking because high demand for real estate along Summit Ave forced sellers to start selling by frontal foot instead of acres meaning the wider your lot on Summit Avenue the more expensive it was.  The home has an excellent roofline with a stepped appearance called crowstepped gables  and beautiful windows that mix squares, arches, and circles.  Foster left the home to be a US Senator in Washington State, but the current owners always show a lot of pride and have lawn chairs set up in the summer with their house number printed on each one.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1888 ).

31. The “1930’s Art School” House ( 476 Summit Ave ): After he got rich from investing in coal and lumber with James J Hill, Chauncey W. Griggs had this awesome mansion built for himself and his wife Martha in 1883.  We love the powerful stone blocks and a large tower, but the giant glass skylight is its most unique feature.  The huge skylight was added in the 1930s when the home was used as the  St Paul Gallery and School of Arts .  Later when you get to the James J Hill house notice how it also has a similar skylight above its art gallery wing.  If we had to describe this Richardson Romanesque style home is three words it would be Gothic Stone Castle.   Historic Photo:  ( Home before skylight in 1895 ).

32. Burbank-Livingston Griggs “ Cupola” House ( 432 Summit Ave ):  This unique mansion was built in 1862 for $22,000 which was a fortune at the time. The home was equipped with the latest technology of the day including gas lighting plus hot and cold running water. It is the  2nd oldest house  still standing on Summit Ave and at the time it was built there was only the Outlook Hotel and 6 other homes on the street.  In total 5 homes on Summit built in this Italianate Cupola style, but only 2 remain.  The style is known for its cupola watchtower, low-pitched roofs, large decorative brackets under the eves, and tall skinny windows with curved tops.  The overall look is meant to be square and balanced.

The 1st owner James C. Burbank was into steamboats and stagecoaches as a businessman.  He had Cass Gilbert design the home as one of his first professional works.  The 2nd owner Livingston was the president of the Saint Paul Gas Light Company which became Northern States Power ( NSP ) and is now known as  Excel Energy .  Livingston only lived here for 8 years before moving to 339 Summit Avenue.  The 5th owner was Mary Livingston Griggs, who in 1925 began to make significant changes inside the mansion. She added a lot of European decorations inside as well as a large art deco ballroom. Griggs went so far as to purchase entire rooms  from French and Italian mansions being demolished in Europe and move everything inside to Saint Paul.  Today the Cupola House is an upscale apartment building and has a beautiful greenhouse garden area in the back.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1880 ).

33.  The University Club  ( 420 Summit ): The University Club marked a changing of the guard from between the generations of wealthy Summit Avenue residents.  The original families moved in largely in the 1880s and when their sons were ready to strike out their own lives in the early 1900s they wanted more.  Part of this change was the building of the University Club in 1912 molded after other university clubs in London the Eastern United States.  These exclusive fraternal clubs often required invitations and always require a college education.  The funny thing about this is that many of the first-generation men including James J Hill himself couldn’t attend  as he had no college education.  Most of the self-made 1st generation didn’t even have high school degrees.  People with no college ed can now join with a special application. Women can also join now.

The huge University Club was designed by Allen Stem of the Saint Paul firm of Reed and Stem, who designed over 100 railroad stations and depots, St Paul Hotel, and co-designed Grand Central Station in New York City.  The distinctive style called Tudor Revival is known for a central entrance with large wings and a steep roof with upside-down, V-shaped gables.  Historic Photos:  ( Back of the Club in 1912 ,  Postcard of the Club from 1920 ).

34. Overlook Park:  In 1859 the  Carpenter’s Lookout Hotel  was built on this unique triangle lot sitting on the bluff looking down over the Mississippi River.  At the time St Paul was as far up the Mississippi that boats could go so it became a hot stop for hotels to accommodate wealthy travelers from the steamboats.  Being up on the bluff prior to the streetcars it wasn’t very easy to get to the hotel, but they did a great job of marketing it as a classy destination with a view.

The Lookout Hotel was built right on the edge of the Bluff with a large stone retaining wall helping to create the road up Ramsey Hill below.  The owners really took advantage of the bluff location by building the Hotel with a  2 story basement  that had windows cut right into the cliffs retaining wall.  The entire building was capped with a large observation deck.  The hotel had a fire in the mid-1880s and shortly after the owner died so the city had it tore down and turned into a public park in 1887.

The ornamental rod iron fence and retaining blocks on the cliffside of the grounds are original to 1887 when it was transformed into a park and the retaining wall was re-built.  The large statue of an eagle  holding a Serpent was created by artist Louis Saint-Gaudens for the New York Life Building in 1890 making it the oldest sculpture in St Paul.  Louis originally carved the entire statue out of marble and then made the Bronze cast you see today.  The statue sat at the New York Life Building in Saint Paul until it was torn down for urban development in 1967.  From there the statue went to the Pioneer Building and switched places with each new building owner including spending  time in a parking garage!   The eagle was finally placed into its final home at Overlook Park in 1999, but we find it really odd that they didn’t set the statue facing out toward the bluff.   Historic Photo:  ( Lookout Hotel in the 1880s ).

35. Rice-Ordway Home ( 400 Summit ):  It is hard to imagine that this huge bright yellow home with white  quoined corners  was originally built as a mix between Queen Anne and Gothic styles in 1882 for a man named Auerbach and was later bought by  Henry M Rice  as a gift for his daughter.  Residents of St Paul will know Henry’s last name because of  Rice Park  in Downtown St Paul, but there is a lot more to know about the man.  Rice came to Minnesota in 1839 before it was even a state and worked as a fur trader at Fort Snelling.  He gained the trust of local Native Americans and helped arrange a peace treaty with Ojibwe Indians in 1847.  Rice later became the Congressional Representative for the Minnesota Territory, was vital in gaining Minnesota’s statehood in 1857, and then served 3 terms in the US Senate.  Henry was passionate about education and not only served on the Board for the University of Minnesota but also as the President of the Minnesota Historical Society.

In the 1920s Lucius Ordway  moved in and did a ton of remodeling including adding a ton of stucco on the house.  Ordway had been the owner of plumbing supply company Crane and Ordway and took many risky business moves that made him beyond wealthy.  The biggest move came in 1904 when he invested $100,000 of his own money to bring the struggling  Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company  from Duluth to the Twin Cities.  The company was close to running out of money and had heavy debt, but after being brought to Saint Paul, they made a quick turnaround.  By 1916 the company, know today as 3M, had over $1 Million in annual sales from big breakthroughs with sandpaper technology.  3M continued to be innovative by creating famous products including masking tape, Scotch Tape, and Post-It-Notes.  By 2011 3M had grown to over 84,000 international employees and over $30 Billion in annual revenue.  With a huge family fortune Lucius Ordway and his daughter Sally were committed to giving to the arts in St Paul and today the cities main theater bears his name.

36.  J. R. Mitchell House  ( 370 Summit Ave ):   Built in 1909 for J. R. Mitchell, this brick Georgian Revival-style home has a beautifully pillar-supported, curved entryway.  Mitchell was the President of the Capital National Bank of St. Paul and later played a huge role in bringing the Federal Reserve Bank to St Paul.  Designed by Clarence H. Johnston who put his own touch on it by creating a setback on the left side of the home when most Georgians had a perfectly rectangle layout.  In another twist, Johnston designed a huge vault in the basement to fit Mitchell’s banking history.

After Mitchell’s death construction giant Patrick Butler bought the house and moved in with his wife Aimee Mott.  Aimee came from a ton of wealth as her dad Charles Mott was one of the  richest men in the World  from the 4 Million early shares he got in General Motors after helping to get the company off the ground.  The two of them went on to make huge strides in helping people in Saint Paul who suffered from Alcoholism and Patrick was often called the Saint of Summit Ave by the people he helped.   Mitchell House Website:  ( HERE ).

37. Rachel Hill House ( 366 Summit Ave ):   In 1884, local Dr. Daniel R. Noyes built a huge mansion here which was later bought and tore down by James J Hill’s daughter Rachel.   In 1928,  Rachel Hill and her husband Dr. Egil Boeckmann built the house you see today.  The couple, who married 3 years before her father’s death in 1916, had previously lived in numerous homes along the avenue including a few years at the main Hill mansion taking take of her mother Mary before she passed away.  Rachel Hill inherited a nice chunk of the family fortune, but her husband was also successful in his own right.  Boeckmann was a football star at the University of Minnesota, became a renowned surgeon, and later founded the Ramsey County Medical Society.   In 1967, Rachel passed away in this house at the age of 86, outliving all of her siblings.

As you look at Rachel Hill’s house looks a ton like the neighboring house you just passed at 370 Summit  until you look closely  at its details.  No expense was spared on the construction as the roof is made out of slate stone and it has a ton of white marble including the frames around all the doors and windows.  Another neat thing is the subtle quoining of the home where the corners stick out.  Most quoined homes, like the yellow one at 400 Summit, use an accent color to frame the house, but the Rachel Hill House uses the same brick throughout making it a textured experience.  While many people would call this a Georgian-style home, but it is actually considered a variation called Federal because of its distinguished details.    Historic Photo:  ( Previous Home in 1898 ).

38. The “Eyesore” Double House ( 362, 364 Summit Ave ): Locals didn’t want this built in 1977 when the new owners were replacing a rundown 1860s mansion, but there were no preservation rules yet so they protested.  They didn’t like the driveway in front of its flat, modern look.  They compromised and put the fence and shrubs out front although fences and shrubs were also taboo was everything wanted the houses to be grand and visible to the street.  They did keep the original carriage house which can be seen far down the drive on the left.

39. Watson P. Davidson House ( 344 Summit Ave ):  In 1886 a big stone house was built on the right side of this lot with a large lawn on the left.  When Watson P. Davidson bought the property in 1914 he decided to build the current house on the left lawn and tear down the old home, essentially flip-flopping the home/lawn placement.  Davidson’s Beaux Tudor-style mansion was designed by Thomas Holyoke, who had been Cass Gilbert’s protege from 1884 to 1904, and it is considered the best work on Holyoke’s solo career.  The mansion is surprisingly  14,000 square feet  even though it looks smaller from the road.

Davidson was known widely for his  love of gardening and had one of the largest gardens on Summit Avenue.  Below are a couple of photos of the garden from 1949 including one of Watson hard at work.  In the early 2000s, the mansion served as the College of Visual Arts  which closed in 2013.   Historic Photos:  ( Previous home in 1888 ,  Current Home in 1916 ,  Garden in 1949 ,  Watson in his Garden in 1949 ).

40. Thomas B. Scott Home ( 340 Summit Ave ): Thomas B. Scott had this mansion built in 1894 for himself and his wife Clare on a skinny lot so the home had to be built sideways .  In reality, the decision to rotate the house design was good financially also as land on Summit Avenue was only $1 an acre in the 1850s, but the booming wealthy neighborhood shot up to $500 a frontal foot within just 50 years!

The exterior design of the Scott Home is in the Italian Renaissance style, but has a lot of added carving details and the stone is smoothed dress stone  which was new at the time.  This unique home was designed by Allen Stem of the Saint Paul firm of Reed and Stem who designed the St Paul Hotel and Co-designed Grand Central Station NYC, and the University Club Saint Paul.  We have been inside the Scott home in recent years as it has a grand sweeping staircase spiraling above a checkboard floor and a very cool flowing layout from the kitchen through to the common areas.

Historic Photos :  ( Home’s Staircase in 1925 ,  Home in 1925 ).

41. The “Hitching Post” House ( 332 Summit Ave ):  Known as the Hitching Post House, this beautiful home was built for Edgar C. Long in 1889.  At the time Long was the general manager of the Railway Supply Company where he made his fortune.  The  iconic horse post  in the front of the house was added in the 1990s as a replica of one that stood here when the home was first built.  Staying with the horse theme, the garage on the left side of the house was originally a drive-through, covered portico to drop off visitors coming by horse carriage.

The Hitching Post House is considered the most expensive home that famous architect Cass Gilbert designed in Saint Paul at $40,000.  The home was inspired by a similar house Gilbert designed in Maryland in 1882 which was also in a Queen Anne style with a corner tower.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1890 ,  Home in 1898 ).

42. Lightner-Young Double House ( 322-324 Summit Ave):  This large brownstone house was built as a  double house  in 1886.  Attorney Will Lightner lived in the left side ( 322 Summit ) and his law firm partner George Young lived on the right side ( 324 Summit ).  Lawyers Charles McKim and Stanford White got their start working for Lightner and Young before branching out into the famous firm McKim, Mead & White.

The home was designed by Cass Gilbert and partner James Knox Taylor, as one of their first times teaming up.  The  Richardsonian-style  of the mansion is named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson’s death who died the same year as this house was built. The style incorporates a lot of patterns into the design from red stone, to brick and marble. Richardson’s influence on an entire generation of architects was profound and the year before his death 5 of his buildings made the 10 best in America by his peers.    Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1888 ).

43. William H. Lightner Home ( 318 Summit Ave ):  In 1893 Attorney Will Lightner got bored of his half of the double home next door at 322 Summit Ave and had Cass Gilbert build him a brand new home. This new mansion was done in the same style, but is considered the most  Richardsonian of Gilbert’s home designs.  By 1893 the Richardsonian style was overused and starting to go out of style, but Lightner preferred beauty over being trendy.  We love the contrast of stone colors with purple Sioux quartzite accented with red Kettle River sandstone.  A unique aspect of the time was the arched  entryway being flat to the house  as an elegant decoration instead of jutting to block the rain and snow from the front door.

44. The Old Smith “Vine” Mansion (312 Summit Ave):  This amazing vine-covered mansion was built back in 1858 for David and Mary Stuart making it the  oldest house still standing on Summit Ave .  David died the year the home was finished and it ended up slipping into a sheriff’s auction in 1860. Because of the  turmoil of the Civil War  hit the next two owners were foreclosed on from financial hardship.  The next owner was General Haupt who was the general manager of the Northern Pacific Railroad when architect Cass Gilbert worked there from 1878 to 1883.

In 1887 former president of the Bank of Minnesota Robert A Smith bought the home fresh off of being elected  Mayor of St Paul  and hired his friend Cass Gilbert to remodel it.  Frederick Driscol of the Pioneer Press,  mentioned at 266 Summit Ave,  later bought the home and had Cass Gilbert’s understudy Holyoke do further remodeling.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1888 ,  1st 6 houses on Summit in 1859 – 312 is on the far left ).

302 Summit Ave ( Forepaugh’s 2nd Mansion ):   Queen Ann Style in red stone. Joseph Forepaugh ( pronounced 4 Paw ) owned the biggest dry goods warehouse in the Midwest and got super rich off of sell goods to the Union Army during the Civil War.  He got so rich that he was able to retire in 1868 only at the age of 34.   As a showpiece of his wealth, he completed a huge mansion near Irvine Park that still stands today and has been converted into the award-winning Forepaugh Restaurant  ( website ).  The family decided to build a second house here on Summit Ave which was finished in 1889, but Joseph didn’t get to enjoy it.  Fresh off a trip to Europe in 1892 Joseph, age 58, shot himself at the Irvine Park Mansion in a fit of depression leaving his wife Mary and two daughters to move in by themselves.  Within days of Joseph’s death, one of their maids named Molly hung herself from a 3rd-floor chandelier at the Irvine Park home sparking rumors that she was pregnant with Forepaugh’s baby.

Joseph’s wife and daughters held the Summit Avenue house for nearly 50 years, but after the depression, the large home was turned into 19 apartments.  Today the large brick mansion has 6 condos taking up the right side and a single townhome/condo taking up the entire left side.  Look closely at the cast-iron details at the top of the tower beautifully mixing curved floral designs in green, black, and red.

45.  Germanic American Institute  ( 301 Summit Ave ):  The 1st house on this lot was built in 1882 by local doctor Alexander Stone.  In 1903, Dr. Stone  had his home moved  to 107 Farrington Street in Saint Paul where it still sits today.  Two years after the move, a real estate agent and insurance salesman named George W. Gardner acquired the land and had architect Thomas Holyoke build the current stone mansion.  In 1948, the  Sisters of Saint Benedict  bought the home and turned it into Saint Paul’s Priory.  In 1965 the  Volksfest Association , now called the German-American Institute, took the house over and has used it for offices and classes ever since.   Institute Website:  ( HERE ).

Albert & Louise Lindeke Home  ( 295 Summit Ave ): This Victorian Mansion may be one of the most visually impressive with a contrast of red limestone, its beautiful curved tower, and accents of yellow and blue paint.  It was built in 1885 for Albert H. and Louise Lindeke who were owners in the dry goods firm of Lindeke, Warner, and Schurmeier.  Unlike many Summit ave mansions that would change hands many times, the Lindeke’s lived here all the way until the 1930s.  They chose Architect Augustus Gauger to design their home as he had built some warehouses for them Downtown.  11-12 foot ceilings throughout.  The home’s tower was actually first built in the center of the facade, but in 1903 the Lindeke’s had firm Reed & Stem re-design it to add a porch and mimic the popular Queen Anne-style corner tower placement.  Reed & Stem were a pretty big-time firm to have redo your porch as they later went on to co-designed Grand Central Station NYC.

From 1974 to 1986 the Society of Friends or Quakers used the Mansion as a meeting hall and school before deciding it was too large to maintain.  From 2006-2009 the entire home was gutted and resorted to its later 1880’s glory with extreme attention to detail.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1902 ).  House Website:  ( HERE ).

46. George F. Lindsey’s Lumber House ( 294 Summit Ave ):  In 1859 a grand Italianate stone home was built here, but when George F. Lindsey’s bought the property he rebuilt the current home out of lumber.  Since Lindsey had gotten rich off lumber he was kind of obligated to build out of wood instead of stone or brick-like most of Summit’s other mansions.  It is considered either a Georgian Revival or Colonial depending on who you talk to.  The large neighboring building at  280 Summit Ave  wasn’t built until 1996 and was 4 separate $1 million condos.

275 Summit Ave ( Summit Manor ):   Charles Schuneman had this home built in 1901 to replace that burned down here in 1895 and it has a great blend of yellow stone with white Corinthian period Roman columns.  Today the home is called  Summit Manor  ( website ) and used for weddings. Next door to Summit Manor is  Creepy Peet  (271 Summit Ave) was originally built for Joshua Sanders who was president of the Northwestern Lime Company in 1882.  Just 5 years later Emerson Peet bought it and remodeled it to the current and creepy Second Empire style with a Mansard roof.    Historic Photo:  ( Manor with extra tower window in 1888 ).

47. Driscol-Warehouser House ( 266 Summit Ave ):   Built by Frederick Driscol of the Pioneer Press Newspaper in 1884 and is 11,000 sq feet with 8 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.  The Queen Ann Gothic-style mansion has an  awesome tower and is one of our favorite houses on Summit Avenue.  Driscol had moved to Minnesota from Boston in the 1850s and in 1860 only at the age of 26, he was elected as a State Legislator.  More impressive than how young he was elected was the fact that he was elected as a Republican in Scott County which was as close to 100% Democrat as it gets at the time.  Around the same time in 1861, Driscol bought Moribund Newspaper, renamed it the Scott County Journal, and quickly renamed it again as the Union Newspaper while it quickly grew.

As the  1862 Governor’s Race  heated up, two Republican candidates arose and Driscol’s Union Newspaper choose to back Congressman Cyrus Aldrich of Minneapolis while his competing newspaper The Press backed the current Governor Alexander Ramsey of Saint Paul.  After Ramsey won the re-election, Driscol’s Union Newspaper struggled and had to merge with The Press in 1863 to create the  Saint Paul Daily Press .  It also created a partnership between The Press’ editor Joseph A. Wheelock and Driscol.  With Wheelock’s writing and Driscol’s business sense, they turned the Daily Press into a powerhouse and by 1875.   They quickly bought out pretty all of their competition including the Morning Tribune and the Evening Mail in Minneapolis creating a strong monopoly.  With the St. Paul Evening Dispatch left as pretty much the only competitor they changed the name of their new powerhouse one last time to the current name of the Pioneer Press in 1875.  They gained a lot of wealth and influence as their office became the finest building in St Paul and they helped get Governor Pillsbury elected to 3 terms in a row.

Mansion of bought by Fred Warehouser who owned the  largest lumber company in the World .  Warehouser’s biggest break came when he bought 9 Million acres of prime timberland in the Pacific Northwest from railroad tycoon James J Hill.  This land sale by Hill was the start of what later became US Bank.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1888 ).

48. Louis Hill House ( 260 Summit Ave ):  This huge, brick Georgian-style mansion was built for Louis “Louie” W Hill in 1902 as a wedding gift from his father James J Hill.  The  original part of the house is the large barn-shaped section in the back overlooking the Mississippi River.  When Louis Hill took over for his dad as the president of the Great Northern Railroad in 1913, the front expanding of the home was added on almost doubling the size of the mansion.  When you look at the home from the side you can really visually separate the original barn-shaped part in the back and the 1913 addition.  It is interesting to note that they retained the original column portico when doing the addition and simply moved it forward.  Louie and his wife Maud were definitely socialites and F Scott Fitzgerald writes about going to a costume party here in a short story called The Camel’s Back .

Historic Photos:  ( Home being built in 1902 ,  Ballroom at Christmas in 1925 ,  Home at Christmas in 1926 ,  Birthday party before the home was built in 1895 ,  Front of home in 1905 ).

255 Summit Ave:   Finally a High Victorian Gothic Style home that looks pretty instead of scary!  Built in 1884, this bright purple double home has whimsical landscaping and a very inviting appearance.  The old stone home to the left at  261 Summit  was built in 1891 for James H Weed who had his own insurance brokerage and loan office.  While it looks old, to us it lacks the personality of the surrounding homes.

49. Horace P. Rugg House ( 251 Summit Ave ): 1887, Horace P. Rugg owned Horace P. Rugg and Co which sold both plumbing and railroad supplies.  Rugg had early served as a Lieutenant Colonel leading troops in the Civil War in 1864.  We love this home for its Decorative covered entryway on the right of the house.  It has topless women lusting playing music on either side of it capped with two angel-like child figures playing along with the women.  The carvings continue along the side of the house but have not been as well maintained as the front and appear worn.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1891 ).

50.  James J Hill House  ( 240 Summit Ave ):  Overlooking the Mississippi River from a 3-acre lot, the James J Hill House is the jewel of Summit Avenue and the  largest home in Minnesota .  This massive 36,500 square feet stone mansion was built in 1891 for railroad tycoon James J Hill.  The 5-story Richardsonian Romanesque-style mansion cost over $930,000 ( $19 Million today ) and spared no expense.  Elaborate mahogany woodwork fills the mansion complete with 13 bathrooms, 22 gas-lit fireplaces, 16 custom chandeliers, an 88-foot reception hall, and a 3 story pipe organ with 1,006 pipes.   Rare for its day the 42 room James J Hill House had central heating, central ventilation, full electricity with gas backups for the lights, full plumbing for hot and cold running water, and even had a greenhouse on its upper level.  The floor of the greenhouse was later opened up to the study below and is now used as an art gallery flooded with light.  We love the elegant stairway with a large dance hall at its base and a huge stained glass wall at its back.  The James J Hill House is impressive now, but in its heyday, it was so grand that representatives of the Vatican and even President McKinley  visited it.

To truly understand this powerful home you must know a little about its owner James J Hill.  Known as the  Empire Builder , Hill was a true rag to riches story born in Canada to immigrant farmers.  He was self-educated after the 8th grade and moved to St Paul to seek his fortune in 1956 at just the age of 17.  The frontier of St Paul was as far up the Mississippi River as boats could travel at the time and James J Hill saw a huge opportunity with railways.  As a full-blown workaholic, Hill worked his way into ownership of the  Great Northern Railway .  The rail lines were quickly expanded North up the Red River Valley to access grain and lumber to ship back to the water-powered mills in St Paul.

The Minnesota wilderness gave James J Hill’s railroad access to some of the best natural resources in the country ( iron ore, lumber, and grain ) giving his business a huge advantage to grow.  With the building of the Hill’s  Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, he was able to funnel even more of Northern Minnesota’s resources to sell to brand new mills.  The saw and grain mills quickly grew to be the highest producing in the World.  The company then set its sights on moving West, hit copper mines in Montana, and hit pay dirt when they found the Marias Pass over the Rocky Mountains.  By 1893 the Great Northern Railway was transcontinental from St Paul and Minneapolis to Seattle, the same year a huge  financial depression  hit the United States.  All of the other transcontinental railroads went bankrupt from the depression as did 50% of the Nation’s banks, but the Great Northern lived on.

In 1901, Hill and investor JP Morgan  bought the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Burlington lines which gave them control of 1/4 of all the Nation’s rail lines.  When he tried to merge all three under a single company name he was found in violation of the  Sherman Anti-trust Act  but President Roosevelt and forced to break it all up.  Hill was worth $63 Million with a total of $200 Million in assets in deserve lines which he continued to run with great success, all though he felt personally crushed.  One of his last deals was selling 9 million acres of timberland which set the foundation for what later became US Bank.

James J Hill died in the home from a long bout of untreated hemorrhoids in 1916 at the age of 77.  He sought help late with a home visit by the famous Mayo Clinic brothers but by that point, his condition was too far gone.  Surprisingly, the very detailed-driven Hill died without a will and when his wife Mary died just 5 years later she also did not have a will prepared.  This created a lot of issues for the couple’s 10 children who bought the home in 1925 and donated it to the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul.  In 1978 the Minnesota Historical Society acquired the home and has been giving year-round tours ever since.  You can still see James J Hills influence directly around the Twin Cities from not just the Stone Arch Bridge and Libraries he built, but how his work helped the entire metro to grow and be what it is today.

House Tour Hours:  Wednesday-Saturday 10am-3:30pm; Sunday 1-3:30pm; Closed major holidays.  House Tour Cost:  Adults $9, Seniors & Students with ID $7, Kids $6.   Art Gallery Hours:  Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm; Sunday 1-4pm; Closed major holidays.   Historic Photo:  ( Home in 1891 ,  Greenhouse in 1891 ,  Home in 1895 ,  Home in Winter of 1895 ,  Postcard of the mansion in 1907 ).   James J Hill House Website:  ( HERE ).

Other Nearby Sights:

1. Old Street Car Tunnel:  When Streetcars were added to Selby St in the 1890s they had problems with the steep grade of St. Anthony Hill (Cathedral Hill) in the Winter and the Selby tunnel was built going under the hill and the cars ran here until they service stopped in the 1950s

3 lines ran down Grand, Selby, and Rondo Avenues.

1. MN History Center:

1. MN State Capitol:

1. Downtown St Paul:

1. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Birth House ( 475-481 Laurel Ave ):  These apartments are known as San Mateo Flats and were built in 1893.  In 1896 when Fitzgerald was born here, at home, in the second-floor apartment on 481.  one of two houses with a plaque commemorating FSF.

He was named for his famous distant cousin on his father’s side: Francis Scott Key, who course composed The Star-Spangled Banner.

Only lived here for 2 years before his dad lost his job and they had to move to NYC where they stayed until 1908 when they came back and rented a house on Summit Ave.  Behind the apartments is the  St Paul Curling Club  (470 Selby Ave) where residents have been using sliding and sweeping stones across the ice since 1912.

1. Grand Avenue:    http://grandolecreamery.com/

1. Governor’s Mansion ( 1006 Summit Avenue ):

Across the street is great chainsawed wooden statue of a maiden hold a water jug

2. The “Dentist Cottage” ( 161 Cambridge Street ):  Hidden 3 blocks south of Summit lies one of the most romantic houses in St Paul.  This farm style home was built in 1887 for Dentist David McCourt.  It was similar to the layout of a Queen Anne with a corner tower, but the house was shaped like a barn with a silo-shaped tower.  It was the first house built around Macalester Park and was the start of a very cute neighborhood with winding roads.  Even though the home only cost $3,000 McCourt had to sell the home in 1897 to one of his neighbors G.O. Somers after he ran into bad money problems.  Somers looked the farm theme and had a new Carriage House built behind the home also shaped like a barn.

On your way to Shadow Falls check out the  Pierce and Walter Butler House ( 1347 Summit ) .  It is a huge French chateau-like brick mansion.

1. Shadow Falls & Mississippi Lookout:

On your way to Shadow Falls notice the huge mansion on the north side of Summit with has a curved driveway at  1855 Summit.

1. William R. Marshall House ( 496 Marshall Ave ):  To amazing Queen Anne style homes side by side with. This home was built for William R. Marshall in 1891 who had served as MN’s Governor from 1866-70 fresh off of serving in the Civil War.  The street bears his name. Neighboring 492 was built for Captain J.W. Jacobs in 1891 who is said to have served with Marshall

One block to the South is the  Judson Bishop (193 North Mackubin St)  which was built in 1882 by local engineer Judson Bishop who managed the St Paul Railroad and lived in the home with his wife Mary.  Looks very similar to the Norman Bates Motel from Hitchcock’s thriller Psycho.  This style of home is called Second Empire Style and was inspired by the French with a Mansard roof and central tower.

One block North you’ll find the quaint stone  David Luckert Home ( 480 Iglehart Ave )  which was built for David Luckert way back in 1858 making it one of the oldest homes in town.  In the time it was built the road was called Saint Anthony Road and was the main carriage route from Saint Paul to Saint Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis.

Stepping stone theater now a church

The Steppingstone Theatre Then and Now

http://uneedahome.com/idx/mls-4360337-340_summit_avenue_st_paul_mn_55102

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Summit Avenue

Top ways to experience Summit Avenue and nearby attractions

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Summit Avenue - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• (0.21 mi) 9 Bedroom Historic Summit Mansion With Pool And Hot Tub
• (0.78 mi) Historic District BnB
• (1.96 mi) The Saint Paul Hotel
• (1.62 mi) Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown St. Paul
• (1.99 mi) Celeste St Paul
• (0.11 mi) Cafe Latte
• (0.11 mi) Bread & Chocolate
• (0.08 mi) Billy's On Grand
• (0.16 mi) Brasa Rotisserie
• (0.09 mi) Chipotle Mexican Grill

HISTORIC CATHEDRAL HILL & SUMMIT AVENUE WALKING TOUR

Religion and riches and mansions…oh my!

Dominating the skyline, the majestic Cathedral of Saint Paul stands proudly as gateway to the city’s most scenic and historic neighborhood. Here the Victorian era’s movers and shakers, immigrants and servants, and priests and industrialists created a slice of St Paul which defined the golden age. Stroll past stately mansions on Summit Avenue and learn how residents such as James J Hill, F Scott Fitzgerald, and Cass Gilbert created the city’s colorful past. Includes a sweet treat along the way.

Tour Information

• Public Tour: 9am-11am Saturdays & 10am-12pm Thursdays (Jun - Sep)
• Private Tour:  Select your own day and time!  Contact us  for availability and booking
• Public Tour:  $45 per person
• Private Tour:  Varies depending on number of guests
• Begins and ends at the Cathedral of Saint Paul ( 239 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102 ) at the foot of the grand staircase (east side facing Summit Ave and Cathedral Hill Park)
• See relics of St Paul’s Gilded Age as you walk through the Hill District
• Stroll America’s longest uninterrupted street of Victorian mansions
• Learn the stories of how servants, industrialists, early settlers, Catholics, and prominent architects created what Mark Twain called “the last great city of the east”
• Stand in awe in the shadow of railroad baron James J Hill’s palatial home
• View the majestic Cathedral of Saint Paul
• See the former residence hotel where F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Ma Barker stayed
• Historic buildings and some of the city’s best, trendy, and popular restaurants
• View downtown and the State Capitol from atop one of St Paul’s famous hills
• Researched and accurate historical facts
• The expertise of a fun and knowledgeable Tour Guide
• A sweet treat along the way

Dominating the skyline, the majestic Cathedral of Saint Paul stands proudly as gateway to the city’s most scenic and historic neighborhood. Here the Victorian era’s movers and shakers, immigrants and servants, and priests and industrialists created a slice of St Paul which defined the golden age. It includes stately mansions along Summit Avenue, where it was fashionable to see and to be seen, as well as green spaces, Mississippi River overlooks, and repurposed historic buildings with secret tales to tell. Learn the stories of James J Hill, F Scott Fitzgerald, Cass Gilbert, Ma Barker, and more famous, wealthy, and notorious figures from our capital city’s colorful past.

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Prettiest street in the Twin Cities: The historic and beautiful homes of Summit Ave.

St. Paul, Minnesota home to the most Victorian homes in America – on one street

Without a doubt, the prettiest street in the Twin Cities is Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota. The parade of beautiful homes on this promenade runs nearly five miles, and according to Visit St. Paul , Summit Ave., also features 373 of the original 440 historic homes as well as “the longest stretch of Victorian-era homes in the United States.”

And you’ll find other charming architectural designs from other eras on Summit Ave. that’ll make you ask, “Why am I not living here?”* Architectural masterpieces such as St. Paul’s own Downton Abbey, the historic James J. Hill House (Great Northern Railway magnate), to a couple of St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald’s homes and stomping grounds (including a National Historic Landmark) to many more gilded mansions and architectural wonders all line the iconic Summit Ave.

*Want to become a Summit Ave resident in St. Paul, Minnesota? Here are the current homes and condos currently listed on Zillow (also gives you a sneak peek inside some of the most beautiful homes on Summit Ave.).

This post contains recommended links to products and services. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. While you will not accrue any additional costs to support my blog, I may receive compensation if you purchase these products and services. All images are taken by kmf and  available for digital download .

Where can I take a walking tour of Summit Ave?

As a guest of the Minnesota Historical Society, I was fortunate to take 10 history walking tours in the summer and fall of 2019. Several of the St. Paul walking tours with the Minnesota Historical Society focused on the gorgeous Summit Ave. and Cathedral Hill neighborhoods. Local guides shared stories about the social history, architecture and preservation of these stunning mansions of St. Paul.  

While the Minnesota Historical Society is currently open, check their website for the latest availability of tours and operational hours of their historical buildings. For example, the James J. Hill House on Summit Ave. is open a few days a week, but you can admire the 36,000-square-foot home’s exterior – and National Historic Landmark – that sits on three acres from outside the gates. For a behind-the-scenes look of what’s inside, take a virtual tour of my Nooks and Crannies experience at the James J. Hill House .

Additionally, you can take some virtual history tours of the Twin Cities on the Minnesota Historical Society website .

Note: With the exception of the James J. Hill House, all of the Minnesota Historical Society walking tours in the Twin Cities were exterior only; no interior tours of the Summit Avenue homes.

Self-guided Summit Ave in St. Paul, Minnesota tour options

I recommend parking (lots of free curbside parking) near the James J. Hill House to begin your own self-guided Summit Ave. walking tour.

What’s the address for the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota?

The address for the historic James J. Hill House is 240 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102. It’s usually where I start when I show visitors the beautiful Summit Ave.

If you or other members of your party have limited mobility, then driving along Summit Ave. is also very scenic. It’s also important to note that that some of the sidewalks are uneven or cobblestone to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood’s history.

Summit Ave photo gallery and brief history tour

Words will never capture the beauty of the historic homes of Summit Ave. So I’ll let the photos of the prettiest street in Minnesota do the talking.

Caption sources: Most of the content provided in the Summit Ave. captions are gleaned from my Minnesota Historical Society walking tour notes. For accuracy, I’ve also verified and/or gathered additional content from the Minnesota Historical Society, Visit St. Paul and Zillow websites.

240 Summit Ave. | The James J. Hill House

251 Summit Ave.

This historic home located at 251 Summit Avenue was built in 1887.

255 Summit Ave.

This pretty home at 255 Summit Ave was built in 1900.

260 Summit Ave | Louis Hill House

Next door to the James J. Hill House at 260 Summit Ave. is a home he built for his son, Louis, in 1912.

266 Summit Ave. is for sale

If you’d like to live in a mansion from the Gilded Age, this home located at 266 Summit Avenue is currently on the market for $1.53 million (as of the post’s published date). It was built in 1884.

271 Summit Ave .

This lovely Victorian home is my second favorite on the beautiful Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minn. Located at 271 Summit Ave., this home was built in 1882.

275 Summit Ave.

This beautiful home, Charles Schuneman House, sits on a corner lot at 275 Summit Ave. was built in 1901. It replaced the original home, built in 1880, that was destroyed by fire.

302 Summit Ave.

For those living in the Twin Cities, you’re probably familiar with the ghost stories associated with the former Forepaugh’s restaurant. This historic home located at 302 Summit Ave. is the former home of Joseph Forepaugh who moved here in 1891.

312 Summit Ave. | David Stuart House

You’ll find the oldest house on the prettiest street in St. Paul at 312 Summit Ave. The David Stuart House was one of the original homes built on Summit Ave in the 1850s. Several other prominent Minnesota residents have also called this mansion home over the years including a Civil War general and a former mayor.

This oldest house on Summit Ave in St. Paul is one of my husband’s favorites – especially because the doorknockers remind him of Ebenezer Scrooge’s house in the black and white 1951 version of A Christmas Carol.

318 Summit Ave .

This beautiful historic home at 318 Summit Avenue was built in 1892.

332 Summit Ave .

Built in 1889, this historic home is located at 332 Summit Avenue.

335 Summit Ave.

This historic home was built in 1892 and is located at 335 Summit Avenue.

344 Summit Ave. | The Davidson boutique hotel

If you’d like to stay on the prettiest street in the Twin Cities, The Davidson Hotel (formerly Davidson Mansion) is located right in the heart of the historic avenue (344 Summit Ave.). According to The Davidson Hotel’s website, this English Cotswold Manor was the home of Watson Davidson who worked for James J. Hill’s railway company. Originally built in 1915 as a single-family residence, this boutique hotel features nine units.

353 Summit Ave.

This historic home at 353 Summit Ave was built in 1882.

365 Summit Ave.

This majestic home at 365 Summit Ave. was built in 1894. According to saintpaulhistorical.com, the owners of this house exchanged houses with Chauncey and Mary Giggs.

370 Summit Ave.

Summit Ave is perfect for a stroll in any season – and especially pretty in autumn when fall colors are peaking. A view of 370 Summit Avenue from across the street.

475 Summit Ave .

This beautiful home at 475 Summit Ave is one of my top three houses on the prettiest street in the Twin Cities.

476 Summit Ave. | Chauncey Griggs Mansion – the most haunted house in Minnesota

Yes, this four-story Victorian mansion on Summit Ave. with solar panels is believed to be haunted by up to six different ghosts. Built in 1883 by Chauncey Griggs (who made his fortune in grocery stores), you can find this historic home at 476 Summit Ave.

Considered by some as the most haunted home in Minnesota, the Chauncey Griggs mansion on Summit Ave. takes on a little more sinister look in black and white. Unless you’re my husband who started singing the The Addams Family theme song when he saw the pic.

513 Summit Ave. | Mrs. Porterfield’s Boarding House

Here’s another view (from across the street) of my favorite house on Summit Ave. Located at 513 Summit Ave, it was formerly known as Mrs. Porterfield’s boarding house when F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in the neighborhood in 1919. I believe this Queen Anne is a single-family residence today.

516 Summit Ave. | Former home of Nobel-prize winning Sinclair Lewis

A Minnesota native and Pulitzer Prize winner for Literature winner called Summit Ave. home at one point (or at least leased it for a year or so). You can find the historic home of Sinclair Lewis at 516 Summit Ave. Fun fact: Lewis declined the esteemed literary award as at the time he did not believe one author should be recognized over another.

599 Summit Ave; F. Scott Fitzgerald House (Summit Terrace)

One of the most iconic homes on Summit Ave is the F. Scott Fitzgerald House. Designated as a Registered National Historic Landmark, this rowhouse at 599 Summit Ave. was built in 1899. This is where he penned his first novel, This Side of Paradise.

1006 Summit Avenue; Minnesota Governor’s Residence (National Register of Historic Places)

You can find the Minnesota Governor’s residence at 1006 Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minn. The governor’s home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1345-1347 Summit Avenue: Pierce and Walter Butler House

This duplex located at 1345-1347 Summit Ave., built in 1900, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

2022 Summit Avenue; Dr. Ward Beebe House

A little different from many of the homes in the area, this three-story stucco house (aka Dr. Ward Beebe House) at 2022 Summit Avenue is a prairie-style home and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic preservation efforts in St. Paul, Minnesota

Most U.S. cities featured a promenade of showcase mansions in the late 1800s/early 1900s; however, they were destroyed as new developments replaced the historic homes. St. Paul is unique as they put laws into place to preserve the historical integrity of the homes. Although some of these homes on Summit Ave have been converted to apartments and condos, owners must heed the historical preservation guidelines.

What famous St. Paul native didn’t fall in love with Summit Ave homes?

It’s reported that St. Paul’s very own F. Scott Fitzgerald (who lived in a couple of different homes in this and nearby historic neighborhoods) was not a fan of Summit Ave. or anything ostentatious (“characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice”).

Here’s one of his oft-repeated quotes.

“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. They are different.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald (Anyone else read that quote in Leonardo DiCaprio’s voice?)

On that note, this concludes my tour of some of the most beautiful homes on the historic Summit Ave. – the prettiest street in St. Paul, Minnesota. Keep reading to learn about some other nearby historic places of interest. And let me know which Summit Ave historic home is your favorite in the comments.

FAQ: Can I take pictures of the homes on Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota – the prettiest street in the Twin Cities?

Yes. Although I still feel kind of weird taking photos of people’s homes on Summit Ave. I know someone who used to live in this historic neighborhood. He said that people taking pictures of his and other homes is part of the experience of living on the prettiest street in the Twin Cities.

When our tour with the Minnesota Historical Society stopped at one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s homes, the next-door neighbor came out and provided some additional insight about the home. And I spoke briefly with the owner of the allegedly haunted house (the Chauncey Griggs Mansion at 476 Summit Avenue). I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a ghost because he was winterizing the home and carrying patio chairs.

Of course, be mindful that families live in these homes and to always be respectful when walking through the Summit Ave. neighborhood.

What’s nearby Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota?

As long as you’re on the prettiest street in the Twin Cities, make sure to stop by these nearby points of interest and historic places when touring Summit Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota.

633 Fairmont Avenue | Former home of Nobel Peace Prize winner Frank B. Kellogg

Just a few blocks from Summit Ave (approx. 0.25 miles) at 633 Fairmont Avenue, you’ll find this beautiful National Historic Landmark built in 1889. It is the former home of the 1929 Nobel Peace Prize winner Frank B. Kellogg (who also served in the U.S. Senate and as the U.S. Secretary of State).

Cathedral of Saint Paul

The breathtaking Cathedral of Saint Paul is located near the James J. Hill House on the corner of Selby and Summit Ave. in St. Paul. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Cathedral of Saint Paul is home to the Shrine of the Nations. The Shrine honors the national patron of saints of many of the immigrants that settled in Minnesota.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul offers weekday one-hour tours Tuesday through Friday with the exception of holy days and civil holidays. The church is also an active place to worship so tours may be canceled for other reasons. You can also visit on your own. Until then, here is the Cathedral of Saint Paul’s virtual tour.

The Commodore Bar & Restaurant

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birthplace

St. Paul native F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on the second floor of this historic home located at nearby 481 Laurel Avenue. He and his parents lived there until he was two years old.

Germanic-American Institute

The 140-year-old building located at 301 Summit Avenue is home to the Germanic-American Institute, a non-profit that focuses on the culture of German-speaking people. It’s also a popular venue for special events like weddings.

Nathan Hale statue – Daughters of the Revolution

You can find a statue of patriot Nathan Hale, donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution, at the corner of Summit Ave. and Portland in St. Paul. Minn. Hale, who was executed by hanging by the British during the Revolutionary War for spying, is known for his quote, “I only regret that I have but one life to live for my country.”

St. Paul Academy

F. Scott Fitzgerald attended the St. Paul Academy 1908-1911 and published his first short stories in the school magazine. The former location where Fitzgerald attended is located just off Summit Ave at 25 Dale Street North. Interesting note: While Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise , was an overnight success, The Great Gatsby was not well-received. It only become critically acclaimed after Fitzgerald’s death.

The University Club

The University Club of St. Paul was constructed in 1913 and is located at 420 Summit Ave.

I have hundreds of other images of Summit Ave – the prettiest street in the Twin Cities – and neighboring neighborhoods. Will save them for another time. Or come follow me on Facebook , Instagram or Twitter as I will share more photos in the coming days and weeks.

Pin it for later: Prettiest street in St. Paul, Minnesota – Summit Ave. tour

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Twin Cities-based blogger sharing memorable emptynester, solo, family and girlfriend-getaway adventures, as well as my day hiking adventures (including all 66 Minnesota state parks), latest book reviews, and updates on my quest for the best adult mac and cheese. Also two WIPs: historical fiction and psychological thriller

86 comments

It is a very pretty street! I think the house for sale is beautiful, but then, most of them are! You have great photos and I love the video!

Thank you so much and love that you loved the video of the prettiest street in St. Paul. When I saw the real estate sign for that home, I had to check out how much it cost. I would love to live there!

Summit Ave is adorable! I love old Victorian style houses.

I love the Victorian homes also – especially the ones on Summit Ave – so many!

Victorian homes are always a favorite! I grew up in one so they have a special place in my heart. Great photos!

That’s so awesome you grew up in a Victorian home. When I was young, my grandmother lived on the top floor of a Victorian home. What I remember most is that there was a huge wraparound room that was our toy room. So that’s probably another reason why Victorian homes have a special place in my heart also.

Thanks for the article. Our house, the Kellogg house was built in 1889, not 1899.

My pleasure! Thank you for letting me know (I’ve updated the post). You have a beautiful home in the prettiest neighborhood in the Twin Cities.

Never did I know that there were all these Victorian style homes were in Minnesota! They are so beautiful, I love the property. Thanks for taking us on a little drive in your video.

I knew Summit Ave and the nearby neighborhoods had a lot of Victorian homes, but had no idea that they had that many and that it’s the most in the entire U.S. That’s pretty special. I’m so glad you liked the driveby video. That was just one section of Summit Ave. I’ll need to take a video of the other end closer to the Governor’s Residence.

These homes are all so beautiful and different. Historic homes are so intriguing to me.

Summit Ave is such a pretty street – definitely no cookie cutter houses here! Love this historical neighborhood.

It’s a really gorgeous street. All the houses have so much individual character, and plenty of history. Of course the Chauncy Griggs Mansion is the one that interests me most. 6 ghosts- excellent.

I’m not surprised! I started reading up on the ghosts but stopped as it was freaking me out too much. I do love all the different personalities of these homes.

I love this style of home. These homes are incredible, I would love to go on this tour.

I love the Queen Victorian homes especially. I think you would love this tour of Summit Ave.

These buildings are so beautiful, I love the Victorian architecture. Chauncey Griggs Mansion sure looks haunted. Not sure if this is down to your amazing photography though 🙂 I could imagine living there but not sure I have the $1.53 million spare.

You’re too kind! I think the B/W filter on the Chauncey Griggs Mansion did give it a bit of a more sinister look. I don’t have that kind of spare change either. One of the mansions was transformed into a boutique hotel (and kept its historical spirit) so would love to stay there some time.

Wow I had no idea St. Paul had such a gorgeous architectural history! And Victorian houses at that. I think the F. Scott Fitzgerald houses piqued my interest because I’m such a huge fan!! Would love to visit the twin cities 🙂

I hope you get to visit the Twin Cities one day. Summit Ave is one of my favorite places with all its history and beauty. It was cool to take the F. Scott Fitzgerald walking tour and walk in his footsteps.

What a fun tour of the prettiest street in Minnesota! Older neighborhoods like this are so appealing because the houses are so different from each other. This street reminds me of the neighborhoods in northwest DC where I used to live. I used to love walking around them and gawking at houses I could never afford!

DC definitely has some beautiful historic homes! I love walking around the Summit Ave neighborhood.

Wow! These homes are so beautiful and full of history and character. I would absolutely love to stroll down this street and explore the beauty and historical treasures of these houses.

I keep learning new things so every time I walk around Summit Ave it’s a new experience.

I LOVE historic homes and beautiful neighborhoods. You’re making me want to visit. I really hope I get to someday. I love all the info you give about each home and the pics are fantastic!

Thank you so much! I love historical homes also so am happy to share with like-minded individuals. I hope you can visit!

Looks like Summit Ave is the place to be!

Summit Ave is definitely the place to be for hits history and beauty.

I used to drive by these houses when I was in college and had no idea the history behind them. They were always just the street with the huge houses. So cool to read this post about what I took for granted. Excited to go back with new eyes!

So happy to hear you’re going to check Summit Ave out again with new eyes. I’m really enjoying my Minnesota staycation as I’m learning so many cool things right here in our own backyard.

Those are some gorgeous homes. I love that you gave the history. The leaves are awesome…makes you want to run through them.

Thank you! It was such a perfect autumn day when we took these latest photos on Summit Ave. On other tours, it was one of the hottest days of the summer and even one rainy day. Summit Ave is still the prettiest street in the Twin Cities regardless of the weather and season.

What a beautiful street and gorgeous historic homes! I would love to take a tour down Summit!

Thank you! If you’re ever in the neighborhood, let me know and would love to give you a tour of the prettiest street in the Twin Cities – Summit Ave.

What a great find! This would be such a lovely walk! Especially with the beautiful fall colors!

Thank you so much! Fall is especially a beautiful time to stroll through the historic Summit Ave – the prettiest street in the Twin Cities (maybe even Minnesota).

I had no idea there were so many historic homes like this in Minnesota. I love historic homes, have done a tour of them in Nola and Rhode Island. These are great though and impressive. Great street to create a ghost tour.

I’m sure these historic Summit Ave homes have a ghost story or two to share.

Omg, these houses are absolutely gorgeous!

I agree! These historic homes definitely make Summit Ave the prettiest street in the Twin Cities – maybe even all of Minnesota.

I absolutely love historic mansions! I wish I could tour the interior of all of them as well. Thanks for the beautiful photos!

My pleasure! I wish I could tour the interior of all these historic Summit Ave homes also.

These houses are so cool! I’d love to check them out. I’d really love to see the one where F. Scott Fitzgerald was born. I love history and literature!

I love history and literature also! Loved taking the F. Scott Fitzgerald walking tour…learned so much about him and Zelda and his St. Paul native roots.

Karen, do you know if you run by these homes during the Twin Cities Marathon? I would run it just for that. These are gorgeous!

It does appear that the Twin Cities Marathon does run by the historic homes on Summit Ave. – at least from the past couple of years. Of course, 2020 was different and it was virtual. That’d be awesome if you ran it…I’ll make a sign and cheer you on!

Beautiful architecture. I love the Victorian style.

I love the Victorian homes also – and so cool that Summit Ave in St. Paul has the most Victorian homes in America.

I visited several years ago but didn’t see such gorgeous homes! As a fan of the paranormal, you had me with the Chauncey Griggs Mansion! Thank you for this article. Love it!!!

Yes, you would definitely love the Chauncey Griggs Mansion! And thank you!

Wow Karen! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this gorgeous street! I love the look of each of them and so glad the city decided to protect them so all could enjoy for years. Very cool that residents don’t mind photos being taken too. I definitely want to stay at the Davidson Hotel one day!

Summit Ave is a pretty special place for history and beauty…and am so grateful everyone is so inclusive to share this lovely neighborhood – one of my favorite places and things to do in Minnesota.

What a cool street! All those houses are huge, so I can see it would be fun to wander along and see them all. I love the idea of the 10 history walking tours.

Still, it must be so strange for the people that live there to have people taking pictures of their homes!!

Thank you so much. It was such a fun and educational series of walking tours along Summit Ave and the Twin Cities.

I never thought of Minnesota as a place to visit, but your photos are gorgeous, so it’s definitely on my bucket list now when I’m brave enough to fly again.

We’re not flying yet either so am enjoying our staycation here in Minnesota. Discovering and rediscovering so many hidden gems throughout the state and the Twin Cities with lots of fun and educational things to do.

Wow! All of these homes are so beautiful. I would love to visit this area. I still haven’t been to Minnesota yet. 🙂

Minnesota is rich in history and beauty – natural and architecture. Hope you get the opportunity as there are lots of fun things to do in Minnesota and the Twin Cities.

All of these houses look so lovely! I would love to visit some day!

Touring Summit Ave is one of my favorite things to do in the Twin Cities.

What an impressive area. It reminds us of a town in the Finger Lakes of New York called Skaneateles – same era of architecture and wealth. We’ll jump over to youtube to subscribe now too!

Thank you so much! I used to live in New York, but we never made it to the Finger Lakes region – I’ve heard it’s beautiful.

I would enjoy the Self-guided Summit.

Summit Ave is a great walking tour – guided or self-guided.

Historical reference like these are so intriguing! I loved this! Thank you!

Thank you so much! Love learning about our local history in Minnesota and these walking tours along the iconic Summit Ave neighborhoods were fascinating.

What a pretty street indeed in St Paul! And the city itself looks gorgeous as well. I’d love to drive or walk down Summit Avenue! Those houses are amazing.

Thank you! Summit Ave is such a pretty street and one of my favorite things to see in the Twin Cities – so much history and beauty.

I agree with your husband. I kinda dig the David Stuart house for some reason. What a collection of houses!

Yes, the David Stuart house is pretty special. Love all the historic homes on Summit Ave.

Gorgeous Victorian houses and what a rich history. Thanks for sharing

My pleasure…so happy other are enjoying one of my favorite neighborhoods in the Twin Cities!

Wow! What a beautiful parade of Mansions. We have a neighborhood simulate to that in Louisville, but perhaps not quite as many homes. While I love looking at them from the outside, I always think they would be a bit creepy to live in or grow up in. I really liked the yellow one that belonged to a Nobel prize winner.

Thank you! I’m sure Louisville has some beautiful neighborhoods like this as well. That yellow one is a bit different from the others – although all of them are pretty unique.

This is my kind of street! I love how historic all these homes and they are so pretty to look at as well.

Thank you! You would love to wander the historic Summit Ave – it really is the prettiest street in the Twin Cities.

Wow, this IS the prettiest street in the Twin Cities! All those gorgeous Victorian homes in one place… what a great place to walk.

Summit Ave in St. Paul is indeed the prettiest street in the Twin Cities. I love wandering and admiring the historic homes in any season.

We really do need to plan to visit the Twin Cities. I love the detail in Victorian homes and would spend hours wandering the streets in an area known for the most Victorian homes in America. The variety in the design is fascinating. And cool to find so many big houses have been restored. It would be hard to pick my favourite.

I hope you get the opportunity to visit the Twin Cities. I especially love the beautiful historic homes on Summit Ave in St. Paul, Minn. it’s difficult for me yo pick my favorite Victorian home.

I need to take a walk down this part of Summit Ave! I’m usually on a different part of Summit and I can see I’m really missing out. Love love these historic homes, and your fabulous photos.

Thank you so much! I’m always mesmerized by the history and beauty of the Summit Ave homes. And the avenue of gorgeous homes stretches for five miles so lots to see and admire!

Wow, Summit Avenue is definitely a stunner! I live in a historic neighborhood in Baltimore & love walking around admiring all the lovely homes. Love the reminder to be respectful of people’s homes! I love to photograph beautiful homes, but also feel a little weird doing so 😅

Same! I love wandering down historic streets like Summit Ave in St. Paul. I would love to see the beautiful historic homes in Baltimore.

A historical walking tour is a great way to see the streets and houses. And learn more about the history too. Your post can help to create a good self-guided tour along Summit Ave. and move at your own pace. I might be tempted to wait for an open house for the lovely old house that was for sale on Summit Ave.!

That’s a great idea to go to an open house on Summit Ave. All these homes are so beautiful to view in a walking tour in St. Paul, MN.

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James J. Hill House

Explore the iconic 36,000-square-foot mansion built in 1891 for railroad titan James J. Hill. Visitors will marvel at the intricate wood carvings, stained glass windows and other surprises that adorn this gilded age treasure. Guides will immerse guests in the story of James J. Hill, his wife Mary, their 10 children and the domestic staff who worked in the home. Visitors can take a guided tour or explore the home at their own pace. Seasonal walking tours on Summit Ave. and Nooks & Crannies tours are available seasonally and with limited availability.

James J. Hill House 240 Summit Avenue Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102

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Things to Do | Summit Hill House Tour returned Sunday after a…

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Things to do | summit hill house tour returned sunday after a 5-year hiatus, this year, there’s a lot of interest.

Well-appointed lodgings like these luxury street-car apartments were the height of luxury for singles and young couples escaping the city along the new electric streetcar line. The building on Goodrich Avenue is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

A Neoclassical Colonial Revival , a1903 Louis Lockwood mansion, was built for a real estate investor and is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

Built in 1862, the Burbank–Livingston–Griggs House is an Italianate villa-style home on Summit Avenue that is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

A brick and stone Clarence Johnston mansion, full of grand spaces, is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

An 1898 Queen Anne house on Summit Court is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2028. (Courtesy of Summit Hill Association.)

A richly adorned and ornamented 1891 Queen Anne, well preserved with finely detailed woodwork, is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

A 1903 family home built by Swedish builder Olaf Holm for himself and his wife, Anna, featuring an updated floor plan and original details, is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

A 1903 Gust Carlson home with a grand central staircase and a three-story addition, full of antiques and family heirlooms., is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

An updated 1907 Louis Lockwood Colonial Revival home filled with original art-glass and hand-carved wood details, is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

A 1905 colonnaded duplex in the Neoclassical style, with double porches framed by distinctive art nouveau wrought iron railings and remodeled interiors, is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

This Chaska brick Colonial home is an example of American Arts & Crafts interior design with a mosaic tile porch, hand-carved balustrade and an original carriage house, is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

This John M. Doherty Queen Anne is one of the oldest homes in Crocus Hill and home to several civic leaders in Minnesota, with original Victorian design elements and a carriage house and is part of the Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of the Summit Hill Association.)

The 1920s Prairie-style home of David Heide and Michael Crull, spouses as well as colleagues and designers at David Heide Design Studio, will be part of the 50th Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. The home features many original details as well as a backyard oasis. It is one of 13 homes as well as four public spaces on this year's tour. (Courtesy of William Wright)

David Heide, left, and Michael Crull, spouses as well as colleagues and designers at David Heide Design Studio, have spent more than 20 years working together on their 1920s, Prairie-style home on Lexington Parkway that will be part of the 50th Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of William Wright)

The 1920s Prairie-style home of David Heide and Michael Crull, spouses as well as colleagues and designers at David Heide Design Studio, will be part of the 50th Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. The home features many original details as well as a backyard oasis. It is one of 13 homes as well as four public spaces on this year's tour. (Courtesy of Rich Michell)

David Heide and Michael Crull's updated bathroom is still true to the style of the 1920s, thanks in part to the vintage feel of the tile found at the Fantasia Showroom located at International Market Square in Minneapolis. The Prairie-style home, located on Lexington Parkway, will be part of the 50th annual Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of Rich Michell)

A screened enclosure serves as the "summer living room" for David Heide and Michael Crull's home off Lexington Parkway that is part of the 50th Summit Hill House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (Courtesy of William Wright)

The popular Summit Hill House Tour returns — finally — on Sunday.

“It’s been a 5-year hiatus,” says Monica Haas, executive director of the Summit Hill Association, the nonprofit that hosts the popular event.

It was 2018 when people last got to tour properties on or near Summit Avenue during the event, which is typically held every other year to raise money for the association’s community projects and programs.

“We had planned our full tour in 2020, but that was the pandemic, so we ended up canceling,” Haas says. “We tried a virtual tour a year and a half later, but there was not a lot of interest, so we ended up canceling that as well. This year, all the stars aligned to make it happen.”

This year, there’s a lot of interest.

“Ticket sales are going crazy,” Haas says.

It’s not just post-pandemic excitement driving people to purchase the $40 tickets.

“There are really great houses on the tour, many that have never been on the tour before, so it will be a chance for the public to see homes that they haven’t seen in the past,” Haas says. “We also have a couple on Summit that are really spectacular, from the Burbank-Livingston-Griggs house next to the University Club all the way to the Dittenhoffer mansion on the 800 block of Summit.”

There’s some literary interest on the tour, too.

“The house on Summit Court is rumored to be one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s former haunts, supposedly a friend of his lived there. They had a pretty great time as kids,” Haas says.

When it’s not on the tour, the 1888 Queen Anne on Summit Court — designed by Cass Gilbert and James Knox Taylor and tucked away near the University Club — is a short-term rental, since the owners are currently living in and renovating a neighboring home.

Called the “ Gatsby Getaway ” on Airbnb, the house is currently listed at $790 a night (the price varies).

The homeowners, architect Jeff Wrede and Realtor Linda Wutzke, are former west metro residents who decided to make a fresh start in St. Paul after their nest emptied. The Summit Court homes are two of the many older homes they’ve taken on over the years.

“The reason we like old homes is there’s so much detail you just can’t find in new construction,” Wutzke says.

Prairie-Style gem

Down the street on Lexington Parkway near Summit Avenue, a 1920s home on the tour has undergone more than 20 years of nurturing.

The Prairie-Style home is in good hands with spouses David Heide and Michael Crull, who are also colleagues and designers at the David Heide Design Studio .

There’s been plenty of work done on the interiors of the home through the years including, recently, a blue-tiled bathroom renovation that shows how a space can be updated while reflecting the aesthetic of the home’s original time period.

But the public might especially enjoy how the couple has reworked their backyard.

“Because we are on a busy street, you can’t really park out front,” Heide says. “So, with an addition, the house has been reoriented to welcome visitors off the alley and through the garage and that’s how we’re going to bring people in on the tour: They’re going to come up the alley and come to the garage and see our vintage 1966 Buick that’s all shiny and turquoise, then they’re going to come into the backyard oasis and through the back door, which is what we do, too.”

The yard isn’t just a transition, it’s a destination.

“Before, it was just kind of scrub trees and some bits of fence,” Crull says.

A focal point now is a screened, freestanding enclosure — their “summer living room” — that is something many Minnesotans might covet, especially during mosquito season.

“The little summer house pavilion in the backyard and a lovely brick terrace have redefined how we use the backyard,” says Crull.

Summit Hill House Tour

What: A self-guided tour of 13 mansions, historic family homes, duplexes and streetcar apartments that provide a cross section of one of the most well-preserved Victorian neighborhoods in America. There are also four churches on the tour.

When: Noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8.

Tickets: $40 for general admission tickets.

Info/tickets: Summithilltours.org

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   Any of our regularly scheduled tours can be chosen for a private tour for a minimum of 6 people. If you want a more general city sampler tour, we can put that together too.   We limit the walking tours to maximum of 20 guests. If there are more, we can add another guide and split the group into two tours to accommodate 40. If the group is more than 40, we can add a third guide to accommodate up to 60.  Contact us for your next group outing, party, or just for fun! 

Gangsterland Walking Tour of Downtown St. Paul  - Walk the same St. Paul streets frequented by famous gangsters of the 1930’s! Learn why St. Paul rolled out the red carpet for the likes of John Dillinger, the Barker brothers, Baby Face Nelson and many more. Find out why Minnesota was so important to Prohibition and the bootlegging industry. You’lll enjoy looking at beautiful buildings while learning about gangsters and a lot of history about St. Paul along way. In case of heavy rain or in the winter, this tour is conducted in St. Paul's extensive skyway system.

Ghosts & Gables Haunted Summit Avenue Walking Tour  - Join your Victorian ghost guide for a relaxing 1.2 mile stroll along Saint Paul's historic Summit Avenue, considered one of the most beautiful streets in the country. View the many stately Victorian mansions of this preservation district while hearing stories of the hauntings within that will perhaps give you a shiver, a tingle or a laugh. You’ll also learn some fun St. Paul history along the way.

Union Depot  Haunted  History Tours  - St. Paul’s gorgeous Union Depot train station was the dream of railroad baron James J. Hill and was the largest construction project of the 20th century in St. Paul. Hear how the railroads literally shaped the city of St Paul, hear the fiery past that let to its creation. Learn why it was important to gangsters and prohibitionists and hear some ghost stories for the building along the way. The tour is almost entirely inside the Union Depot and will happen rain or shine. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Irish - Take a stroll through beautiful historic downtown to hear about the Irish legends who help shape St. Paul, from godfathers to good guys! Hear how Irish mobster Dapper Dan Hogan set a dubious precedent, how Archbishop John Ireland and the Catholic church dramatically shaped the city, how Irish police chief John O’Connor dealt with the city’s gangster problem. Also hear about some of the city's most famous Irish residents like author F. Scot Fitzgerald and Madame Nina Clifford. In case of heavy rain or in the winter, this tour is conducted in St. Paul's extensive skyway system. - AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE TOURS ONLY

CynCity Specialty Tours - CynCity partners with local businesses and organizations to provide unique experiences and delightful entertainment.  Examples of tours and events we provide include tours of St. Paul Brewing, 11 Wells Distillery, Heimie's Haberdashery, Union Depot, CHS Field and the St. Paul Saints. We also do special tours and events as part of  the  Saint Paul Winter Carnival. Watch our homepage for the special events and how to purchase tickets.   

Haunted Gangsterland Walking Tou r of R ice Park - Can't decide between gangsters and ghosts?  Get the best of both in our new tour which begins in beautiful Rice Park, which is surrounded by several haunted buildings!  Join our entertaining guide with thrilling tales gangsters and corruption which haunted Saint Paul less than a century ago...and of the spirits they left behind.  In case of heavy rain or in the winter, this tour is conducted in St. Paul's extensive skyway system. - AVAILABLE  FOR PRIVATE TOURS ONLY

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Welcome to st. paul's #1 rated ghost tour.

Mansions of mystery and misfortune lie in the heart of Minnesota’s capital. Uncover the origins of St. Paul and the unsettling sins spawned from its rise.

With a 2000-year-old history, St. Paul harbors a disturbingly dark chronology mired in ghosts and villains that spans centuries before European contact. Take a Twin City Ghosts Tour and explore a past obscured in misery, mayhem, and murder.

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THE EXPERIENCES YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT

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Welcome to Twin City Ghosts

St. Paul’s placid veneer, its homely streets, cobblestone avenues, and handsome architecture turns wicked once twilight sets in and the sun goes down. Discover why the city is home to some of the most haunted locations in America.

The Black Heart of St. Paul 

The most liveable city in America is a melting pot of culture, lively individuals, and restless, unhinged spirits. Tragedy, adversity, and untimely deaths play a role in attracting sights and sounds that would make anyone question their own sanity. In the background of ideal scenery and picturesque views is a shadowy avenue that few dare travel – one that leads to the darkest pit of this haunted region. There are haunted locations in every corner of this burgh, places where visitors have been teased by past misdeeds and shadowy undertakings, with phantom shockwaves still sending tremors to those in its path.

The area that is St. Paul was once a battle-hardened wasteland. This was a dark, disturbing place in history where nomadic tribes and pre-indigenous groups fought violently for supremacy. Where tribes shed their blood and tears, and where sweat and hardship fertilized the fields, when food, grain, trees, and land were commodities worth dying and drawing blood for. Perched upon an ancient Indian Burial Mount, this delightful area is cursed by its unwelcomed proximity to the sacred, tainting every building that’s taken a piece of this holy space.

Adventure into a new frontier of dark tourism and learn the terrible truths behind this homespun and iconic place – Welcome to Twin City Ghosts.

What Will I See?

St.paul’s witching hour and the lives it took.

Summit Avenue is known as one of the most famous streets in the nation not only for having the longest stretch of Victorian-era houses in America but for being a breeding ground for the wealthy, the famous, and the grandiose. The indulgences these socialites were exposed to, however, played a part in the demise of many of their earnings, and lives, as was the case of Mr. Joseph Forepaugh.

Visit Forepaugh’s 2nd Mansion where you’ll learn about the entrepreneur’s rise to wealth and his transgressions that resulted in the suicide of his Irish maid, Molly. Following the discovery of Joseph and Molly’s affair by Mrs. Forepaugh, Mr. Forepaugh’s mistress hanged herself from the 3rd-floor chandelier, reportedly in response to Joseph choosing to stay with his wife. Molly wouldn’t be the only casualty in this modern-day soap opera. 

Joseph too committed suicide, allegedly because of his inability to get over the loss of Molly. The devastation of this torrid love affair and its Romeo and Juliet-type ending left a lasting wound on the mansion, one that remains open and oozing with paranormal happenings and ghostly sightings of the unfaithful pair. Molly is said to make creepy appearances at various parties, walking down the hallways and sometimes locked in a gaze before vanishing. The manic ghost of Joseph Forepaugh has also been seen, most often running up and down the stairs in a panic.

Trapped in Forepaugh’s mansion for eternity yet seemingly light years apart, the tortured lovers aren’t the only past residents whose agitated souls are trapped on Summit Avenue.

The Summoning of David Stuart

In the same year Minnesota became a state, successful sawmill owner David Stuart built what is now the oldest house on Summit Avenue. Take a stroll with Twin City Ghosts to The Old Smith “Vine” Mansion, a two-story Italianate-styled house that leads the way in more than just original design and structure. 

Sadly, Mr. Stuart would not be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor as he passed away the year the building of his immaculate home was completed. His spirit would get no rest, however. Hear the actual accounts of his wife’s dark dive into the occult and the lengths she went to in an attempt to contact him. Going through nearly her entire inheritance, she did more than contact her deceased husband – she trapped his withered soul in the home along with a variety of other spirits of the not-so-friendly kind.

More than a century after the attempted conjurings, the vengeful ghosts continue to instill terror into visitors of the house in the most tormenting of ways. Horrifying accounts include visitors claiming to hear a menacing disembodied voice verbalizing some of the most horrid things imaginable, sending chills down the spines of those who cross paths with the evil entities. Stay focused on your tour guide, or you may be the next to be accursed by the dead.

Why Is St. Paul So Haunted?

The dawn of disease.

The development of Summit Avenue included a place for children as the area was growing at an exponential rate with individuals of all ages. Discover Cochran Park, a piece of Summit Avenue that served as a play area for children in the 19th century. This donated piece of property was designed to be a safe haven for children to run and play worry-free. This dream endeavor, however, would soon turn into an amusement park of nightmares.

Unsanitary conditions and diseased livestock would be the culprits of constant pandemic flare-ups, and the kids would be the carriers of these deadly illnesses. What’s transpired since has been a cause of panic and horror for visitors and locals alike. Visions of emaciated and distraught children can be seen in the waters of the duck pond as well as the petrifying sounds of their anguished screams and cries. The pain that reverberates in the park can be felt in the air, and seen by unsuspecting visitors – you might just be next.

The Underworld Rises

It’s hard to believe that such a quaint city with gorgeous sweeping river views was once home to one of the largest brothels in the Washington Lights District, and it was run by one of the most successful madams of all time. Twin City Ghosts takes you on an intriguing ride through a true heatheness era for St. Paul. Visit the Madame Clifford Statue and unveil the seedy side of this opulent piece of the city, where the nefarious ruled the area and the wicked called home. 

Madame Nina Clifford owned the streets, paying off officials to turn a blind eye to her debauchery. Nina ran her brothels successfully until she passed away in 1929 but she’s not done yet. The madame continues to roam Summit Avenue wearing her 1920s best dress, possibly searching for her next group of ladies of the night to continue her life’s work. Her spirit is not so much menacing – unless she’s coming for you.

Why St. Paul’s Past Won’t Die

Before the Dakota Sioux called the area their home; years before traders, trappers, and outlaws roamed this frontier, and before vengeful mobs hung criminals on the steps of City Hall, St. Paul was already experiencing a seemingly endless supply of pain and misery. 

From beginning to end, St. Paul is filled with eerie stories of the dead and terrifying documented haunts with each stop serving as an opportunity to feel the energy of the souls that once walked these shadowy streets in their earthly form. Get ready to feel your skin crawl, not knowing what’s right around the corner.

What So Special About the Twin City Ghosts Tour?

Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime experience .

Walk with us as we peer behind the curtain and stare deep into the eyes of some of the human monsters, sinister stories, and bizarre tales that hide behind each building’s elaborate turrets and seemingly idyllic gables. Discover the remarkable Rice-Ordway Home, a location that rivals the medium business.

Owned by Lucius Ordway, a multi-millionaire investor of 3M, the home was donated to the Arts of St. Paul but his spirit has never left. It’s said that visitors of the home have been known to experience sudden bolts of inspiration and life-changing revelations that have led them to find new fulfilling purposes. Will Mr. Ordway change your life? There’s only one way to find out – join us for a Twin City Ghosts Tour.

See a Different, Darker Side of a Light-Hearted Destination 

Explore Summit Avenue in St. Paul with our expert guides as they take you through opulent roads where you’ll stand under the shadows of gray gothic buildings while they narrate unbelievable stories of torrid romances, blind avarice ambitions, and inflamed artists engulfed by madness and creativity.

Embark on a journey through this dark and haunted destination as we unearth sinister truths of a tainted road only ghost fans can appreciate. Uncover The Chauncey Griggs Mansion where the brooding presence of a former employee who hung herself in the home can still be felt, ominously. And as one of the most haunted locations on the tour, she’s not alone. Meet the rest of the restless spirits that inhabit this sweet but deceitful road of luxury. 

Be Part of A Growing Community 

Journey with us through St. Paul’s haunted history — a past that lurks behind the city’s shining veneer. Book this once-in-a-lifetime experience, and be part of a growing community of investigators of the afterlife, whether first-time hunters or seasoned veterans. 

The Twin City Ghosts Tour is a sensory experience that can’t be missed, one you’ll remember for the rest of your life — and recall in your nightmares. If you’d like to walk the haunted streets of St Paul and see the city in a truly unique way, book your tour with Twin City Ghosts today. Experience the unexplained where many have bore witness to the unknown and the unexplained. 

Become one of them tonight.

* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *

Preview The Most Haunted Locations In St. Paul

Forepaugh’s 2nd mansion.

This idyllic Victorian-style home on Summit Avenue was peacefully inhabited by Joseph Forepaugh and his family until a sordid affair between Joseph and their Irish maid, Molly, fractured the family unit. Tragedy struck when Joseph chose his wife over Molly, causing Molly to hang herself in the home and later, Joseph committed suicide in the woods. Not surprisingly, the mansion is haunted by both Joseph and Molly, with their spirits frequently being spotted throughout the home—Molly residing in the top floors and Joseph staying near the basement.

Chauncey Griggs Mansion

While there have been several owners of the Griggs home over the years, none have stayed long thanks to the strong paranormal presence within the house. One of the primary ghosts in the house is a maid who worked in the house at the turn of the 20th century whose ghost has been seen like a white mist all over the mansion. The mansion’s besetting caretaker and gardener haunt the library in the home. His ghost has been seen and felt in this room, and people have heard the rustling of papers when no one was there.

The Fitzgerald Theater

Built in 1910 as a memorial to Sam S. Shubert by his brothers who were leaders in the entertainment business, this elegant theater acquired its current name, The Fitzgerald Theater, in 1994 in honor of the famous author who, at one time, called Minnesota his home. When the building was being renovated in 1985, there was a false ceiling that was removed and unexplained happenings began. Plaster fell from the ceiling, revealing a shadowy man walking along the catwalk, and tools vanished and reappeared in different places. There is another visitor to the theater from times past and the staff says her voice fills the auditorium with song.

6 Reasons to book your Twin City Ghosts tour right now!

1) you want to immerse yourself in the terrifying history of st. paul .

Connect with the lifeblood of this region and soak up some of the hidden histories of St. Paul. A place where every corner has a story, where every house has a skeleton to hide, where every person has a sin they would rather not shed light on. Our tour is thoroughly researched and based on facts — from history books, recorded accounts of hauntings, and documented ghost sightings. 

A study at Princeton University may have proven the existence of ghosts. Researchers at Princeton University have been studying paranormal phenomena in a scientific context for almost 30 years, through a department called “PEAR”, which stands for “Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research”. PEAR is a scientific study of consciousness-related physical phenomena.

“Nearly three decades of intense experimentation leave little doubt that the anomalous physical phenomena appearing in the PEAR studies are valid, and are significantly correlated with such subjective variables as intention, meaning, resonance, and uncertainty… The primary importance of operator intention and emotional resonance with the task at hand, along with the operator-specific structure evident in the data, the absence of traditional learning patterns, and  the lack of explicit space and time dependence clearly predicate that no direct application or minor alteration of existing physical or psychological frameworks will suffice. ”

2) You Have A Dark Sense Of Humor

Some of us like our stories, like we like our steaks, bloody and rare. Some of us love a good Agatha Christie Mystery, enjoy curling up to a great Stephen King, and wait anxiously for the next installment of our favorite slasher franchise. Some of us need that extra jolt of darkness when it comes to our stories. We are part of a community that enjoys a good scare — that anxiously wants our veins to bulge as our hearts get flooded with adrenaline. We need that kick. We are a vast community and, to us, there’s nothing more scintillating than a good fright on a cold dark windy night. 

3) You Need Something To Do That’s Different – a chilling date night

Life, sooner or later, becomes a bit dull. You feel like you’re just going through the motions, repeating the same routines over and over again. The same restaurant. The same bar. The same movie theater. The same re-hatched superhero movie. Step out of your comfort zone and book something different — something that’s strange, bizarre, ingenious, and exciting. Come with us on a once-in-lifetime trip and see the world from a different POV. 

Did you know that our bodies release different hormones when we are thrilled or scared? Most of them influence attraction. There’s a reason why scary movies and roller coasters get the blood pumping and give that date night a different stimulant. Join us on this less than romantic tour, yet highly titillating – it’s good for bonding. 

4) You Are Looking For Inspiration 

You need a tale that inspires — that makes you dream new dreams, and create your own stories. You need lore that helps you look at your hometown in a new light. Come with us as we travel through stories that are anything but tame. Stories that make you appreciate how weird and strange the world really is. Stories that allow you to believe in the impossible, and make you rethink what you know about reality. Stories that question the tangible, and the rules of physics — the rules you hold to be true. 

5) You Already Took All Those Architectural Tours

You’ve slugged through all those tours — been up and down Summit Hill and bore witness to some of this nation’s most awe-inspiring buildings. You’ve heard the tales, and the angles, and the motifs. You’ve memorized the style. You’ve been told the difference between Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque. But now, the lights have gone down. The city is painted in moonlight hues and the orange-yellow glare of streetlights, the shadows have grown deeper, the buildings more menacing. Now, you want context, you demand subtext. Come with us as we go beyond what you can see, and what the academics can tell you, and help you experience St. Paul like never before. 

Our guides will take you on a wild theme park ride – they will interact, they will question, they will command the group. Are you sick and tired of all those terrible tour guides? The ones that seem to slide by with the bare minimum? Our experienced guides will take you on an experience you will never forget. They are the polar opposite of traditional. Get ready to scream, to laugh, maybe even shed a tear. 

6) You’re a snowbird in for the winter

“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”  —Nick Carraway.

Hemingway’s peculiar friend, the second half of that legendary couple – full of fire, madness, and passion – of Zelda and Scott, the man who wrote some of America’s best novels – full of quotable passages, and memorable scenes – F.Scott Fitzgerald once lived on St. Paul. If you’re a Gatsby fan, new or old – introduced to the writings of the genius by Baz Luhrmann’s and Leonardo DiCaprio – you simply can’t miss this thrilling ghost hunt. Why? F.Scott once called Summit Hill his home. The wordsmith and lyricist penned his first scribble at St. Paul and his house, with its eerie unkempt hanging gardens, soot covered brickwork, and chipped oval openings is full of mysteries and scandals. Get an inside look at the mind of F. Scott as we visit his Victorian retreat and dream of bootleggers, lavish decadent parties, and a green light at the end of a peer.

Further Reading

In the metro

Alexander Ramsey House

Historic Fort Snelling

James J. Hill House

Mill City Museum

Minnehaha Depot

Minnesota History Center

Gale Family Library

Minnesota State Capitol

Oliver Kelley Farm

Sibley Historic Site

In Greater Minnesota

Birch Coulee Battlefield

Charles Lindbergh House and Museum

Comstock House

Folsom House

Forest History Center

Fort Ridgely

Harkin Store

Historic Forestville

Jeffers Petroglyphs

Lac qui Parle Mission

Lower Sioux Agency

Marine Mill

Mille Lacs Indian Museum & Trading Post

Snake River Fur Post

Split Rock Lighthouse

Traverse des Sioux

W. W. Mayo House

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Summit Avenue Walking Tour

240 Summit Avenue St. Paul , MN 55102 United States

$16-20/MNHS members save 20%

About This Event

Take a 90-minute walking tour of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, highlighting the Gilded Age mansions lining the elite avenue and the people who owned and built them. Guides will talk about the architecture, social history, and current preservation issues of this historic neighborhood.

The tour starts at the James J. Hill House and covers 1.5 miles. All areas are accessible for those with mobility concerns, but some side streets are cobblestone and have historic stone curbs. Tours do not include home interiors.

Questions? Contact us.