Guide to the Gilded Age Walking Tour

Overview

Public Walking Tours on the weekends April through October with seasonal on-site events at select times throughout the year! See here for current times and information or go here to learn more about each individual event.

Join Sister Celeste on this historic walking tour as she goes “off-campus” to explore the vast homes and singular landscapes on Summit Avenue and the Hill District’s southern edge.

Learn about the conventions that shaped the Gilded Age and forever changed St. Paul’s cityscape. A product of the Victorian Era who was “in the world but not of it”, Sister Celeste reveals the concealed messages that were hiding out in the open in the palatial homes and beautifully maintained gardens of some of the city’s earliest and most prestigious citizens. This tour unveils how the hidden languages of flowers, fans, gems conveyed secret messages in a society that demanded buttoned-down decorum over uncovered passion in polite society. But all that glitters is not gold for everyone in the Gilded Age! Learn how first wave immigrants often worked behind the scenes to present a seamless image for the elite and were mindful to protect their Master's jealously guarded reputations. Explore the lasting influence of a host of noted architects who left their calling cards on the nation's longest Victorian Boulevard. View the handiwork of Master Builders and celebrated architects including Cass Gilbert, J. K. Taylor, A. Gauger, Clarence Johnston, Thomas Holyoke and landscape architect Horace Cleveland.

Tour starts and finishes at Summit Avenue and Ramsey Hill's Overlook Park in St. Paul.

90 Minutes Length: 1.3 Mile Moderate walking is involved. NOTE: Ticket sales typically close online one hour before the tour begins. However, you can purchase the tickets in person on site the day of the event. Call or text 651-253-0937 the day-of to confirm ticket availability

We are monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 variant and adjusting our tour events as needed. Masks are not required outdoors at this event but are required indoors. https://www.celestial-tours.co... OR https://www.eventbrite.com/e/g...

Contact: celestialtoursstpaul@gmail.com

651-253-0937

Admission: General Admission: $20 Confirmation will be received at time of booking.