2009 Summer Walking Tours

Celebrate summer this year by enjoying a historic walking tour! The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission and the Minneapolis Department of Planning and Economic Development (CPED) invite you to enjoy one (or more!) of its guided walking tours of historic sites in Minneapolis. Tours will explore areas that range from Minneapolis cultural gathering places and residential neighborhoods, to bustling commercial and industrial areas, to the theaters of Hennepin Avenue and the remnants of the city’s once extensive streetcar system.

Tours are brought to you free of charge by the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, except for the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line tour, which has a fee of $5.

While reservations are not required, a ticket is required and is available starting 15 minutes before each tour.

Tour sizes are limited, so please plan to arrive early to ensure your spot.

2009 Summer Walking Tour Brochure

Pioneers & Soldiers Memorial Cemetery

Co-sponsored by Friends of the Cemetery, this seated 45-minute talking tour is followed by an optional 1-hour walking tour. Pass through the gates and explore Minneapolis’ oldest cemetery. Learn why this scenic cemetery – the final resting place of territorial pioneers, Civil War veterans, and members of Minneapolis’ early African-American community – is one of the few cemeteries listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

NEW, Park Avenue Two-Part Tour!

One Magnificent Avenue.

Two Distinct Tours.

Part 1

Park Avenue: As They Lived and Walked

This new tour, sponsored by the American Swedish Institute, highlights Park Avenue and its surrounding neighborhood, with a focus on Swedish American social life during the early 20^th century. In addition to showing off some treasures of Minneapolis’ “Golden Mile,” the tour will also reference other less known historical and contemporary sites. Personal stories and international perspective make this neighborhood a unique place for immigrant and community history. Program is free, but please call 612.871.4907 to pre-register.

Part 2

From Queen Annes to Classical Revivals: Stories of Park Avenue and Its People

From the late 1800s to early 1900s the distinction of a Park Avenue address was actively sought by some of the City’s most successful business professionals. Step back in time as you take a stroll alongside ornate Queen Annes and stately Classical Revivals and hear stories of the first owners, architects, and builders of these fine residences. The tour concludes with a garden social featuring refreshments and insider tips on how to get started researching the history of your own home. Co-sponsored by the Hennepin History Museum and the Minneapolis Historic Homeowners Association. The tour is free, but please call 612.870.1329 to pre-register.

Hennepin Avenue Theaters

Visit the State, Pantages, Orpheum, and Shubert Theaters. The walking tour includes exclusive access to theater interiors, a side of the theater the general public seldom gets to see. You might catch some of the behind-the-scenes activity that takes place on stage between performances.

Elliot Park

Elliot Park was one of the first residential neighborhoods in downtown Minneapolis. Visit the landmarks that make Elliot Park a charming urban neighborhood as well as survey the promise for new development. On the tour you will visit 19^th century brownstone row houses, North Central University, the Band Box diner, as well as survey the hospital district that has defined Elliot Park as a health sciences center.

Lakewood Cemetery – NEW TOUR

Established in 1871, before the surrounding parks and neighborhoods, Lakewood Cemetery is part of the Lakes District yet set apart. This tour starts in the inspiring Byzantine-style chapel designed by Harry W. Jones and continues with a stroll through the historic park-like grounds. View monuments both of those who helped shape the District and those who lived in its communities. Co-sponsored by the Linden Hills History Study Group.

Como-Harriet Streetcar Line

Co-sponsored by the Minnesota Streetcar Museum, explore the abandoned and reconstructed streetcar line. The tour will include remnants of the original Twin Cities Rapid Transit streetcar line, the former Lyndale Hotel site, the Museum’s carbarn, and the Linden Hills business district, concluding with ice cream cones at Lake Harriet. The tour will include rides on a vintage streetcar.

Nokomis Knoll Historic District

Charming Nokomis Knoll typifies Minneapolis residential development of the 1920s and ’30s. Located close to the Cedar and Bloomington streetcar lines, Nokomis Knoll embodies housing trends of the time, including architectural styles like Tudor Revival and the inclusion of garages signifying an emerging car culture.

Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District

Co-sponsored by the Hennepin History Museum, the Washburn-Fair Oaks District was home to some of Minneapolis’ most prominent families from 1870-1920. Morrison, Washburn, Crosby, and Pillsbury mansions edged and were eventually surrounded by a growing city. Twelve of 17 sites that you will walk by still stand today. The tour’s first site, the Christian mansion - home to the Hennepin History Museum - will remain open until 6:30 p.m. to allow participants time to view the galleries prior to the walking tour.

Warehouse District

Located just west of Hennepin Avenue in Downtown, the Warehouse District is Minnesota’s largest commercial historic district. This area was the major jobbing center for the upper Midwest during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Experience the district’s many renowned commercial buildings, designed by some of the city’s most distinguished architects.

Grain Belt Brewery

Visit the historic Grain Belt Brewery and experience some of the most stunning vistas of the city. Discover the history of this Northeast landmark, which produced its first beer in the 1893. Hear the story behind the rise of Grain Belt beer, the slow decline of this 19^th century industrial complex and its innovative and award-winning rehabilitation.

Red Cedar Lane and the

Purcell and Elmslie Homes

Red Cedar Lane is one of the most beautiful secrets in the Twin Cities. Laid out in 1904 by architect John Jager, red cedars were planted all over the area and now form a luxuriant canopy making the street seem like an outdoor room. The area has Jager’s own Arts & Crafts style house and several houses designed in the 1920s and ’30s by William Gray Purcell/Frederick Strauel. The tour begins with a short slide lecture to introduce these designers and their architecture.

Northside Synagogues

Co-sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, this walking tour highlights some of the gathering places of North Mpls’ Jewish community in the early- and mid-20^th century. Visit a neighborhood with three synagogues, the Emmanuel Cohen Community Center, and the Jewish Shelter Home for Children. Learn about the architectural history and the communities that have gathered here.

The City Tree Canopy – NEW TOUR

Buildings are often associated with preservation; however, trees are also an important part of our city identity. Learn about local tree history, the current state of our city’s tree canopy, tree identification tips, street tree planting efforts, the benefits of trees, and how to care for your trees. Tour begins in the Minnehaha Falls and Wabun picnic areas, then proceeds along Minnehaha Parkway, Hiawatha Avenue, Lake Street, and Franklin Avenue. PLEASE NOTE: This tour is limited to the first 24 people. Please call 612.673.2615 to reserve your spot. Passenger vans will provide transportation from Minnehaha Park to other locations on the tour.

Tangletown

Explore the winding streets and impressive houses of the neighborhood originally known as Washburn Park. Learn about such landmarks as the Washburn Water Tower, the Harry Wild Jones House, Minnehaha Creek and Parkway, and the Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum (formerly on the site of Ramsey School). This tour will begin with a brief slide show.

Kenwood – NEW TOUR

Platted as a suburb to Minneapolis in 1886, Kenwood soon had its own railroad depot and hotel and many architect-designed homes built for the city’s elite. Stroll down main street past its historically designated water tower, Mary Tyler Moore’s house, all the way to Lake of the Isles. Co-sponsored by the Hennepin History Museum and the Mpls Historic Homeowners Association.

Lowry Hill

The Mount Curve and Groveland Terrace area in Lowry Hill was one of the first upper class suburbs in Minneapolis. Learn about the homes built there by the city’s rich and famous, including Lowry, Gluek, Donaldson, Partridge, and Nott. See how the neighborhood has changed since its inception in 1874. Co-sponsored by the Hennepin History Museum and the Minneapolis Historic Homeowners Association.

Minneapolis City Hall & Courthouse

Co-sponsored by the Municipal Building Commission, enjoy a lunchtime tour of one of the Twin Cities’ greatest landmarks: the Minneapolis City Hall and Courthouse. Learn about local history and discover the intricate detailing that make this building an architectural treasure. Visit the five-story rotunda with its stained glass windows and grotesques, the Father of Waters statue, the Council Chambers, and see million-year-old fossils.

Christ Church Lutheran

Date: 1^st Sunday of each month

Time: 11 a.m.-12 noon

Place: 3244 34^th Avenue South

Guide: Friends of Christ Church Lutheran

Christ Church Lutheran, designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen, is the only National Historic Landmark church in Minnesota and a renowned high point of mid-century modern architecture. Known for its subtle, serene spiritual atmosphere, it has inspired visitors from across the country and around the world since its construction in 1949.

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