James Hill House

Our next stop of the 6th Grade Minnesota History Tour is the James J. Hill House. The 6th Grade Minnesota History Pass allows admission to more than 15 historic sites across the state. After recent stops at the Minnesota History Center and Mill City Museum we made our way over to Saint Paul to tour this historic mansion.

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James J. Hill became a wealthy businessman by founding the Great Northern Railroad. To show off his wealth he constructed the Hill mansion on Summit Avenue as the family’s winter home in Saint Paul, MN in 1891. At the time, it was the largest and most expensive home in Minnesota. The mansion is approximately 36,000 square feet and cost just under $1 million dollars to construct.

Hill House Formal Spaces

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Our time at the James Hill House was spent on a 60 minute, guided tour. Highlights include a walk through the formal spaces on the home’s first floor as well as the servants quarters in the basement. I found the formal dining room the home’s most interesting with its 14 carat gold leafing on the ceiling and stories of the nine course dinners served in this room.

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Though the formal dining room was my favorite, the boys were most fond of the basement. The basement is a servant space where meals were prepared in the home’s giant kitchen complete with dumb waiter. The basement also houses the boiler room, where our tour guide shared stories of the working relationships of the homes 10-12 domestic staff.

Hill House Basement

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The boys also enjoyed walking through the James Hill House looking for the ornately carved animals found throughout the home. Ask a tour guide for an animal scavenger hunt book. You can then search the home for a carved owl in a fireplace mantel or a lion found in the tile work of one of the 22 fireplaces.

James J. Hill House is a fun tour for kids and adults alike. We hope you’ll download a 6th Grade Minnesota History Pass and explore some of the sites for yourself.

Happy Adventuring, Rochelle