About
“Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person”. Mark Twain
Join Sister Celeste on this historic walking tour as she explores 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 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 the era 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 why as we explore the lasting influence of a host of noted architects who left their calling cards on the nation's most celebrated Boulevards.
The tour starts and finishes in Summit Overlook Park (aka Lookout Park) on Summit Avenue and Ramsey Hill.
How Long: 90 Minutes
Length: 1.3 Mile
Meeting Location: Summit Overlook Park, 418 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102
What: Guided Tour of Summit Avenue with revealing stories about the Gilded Age.
General Admission: $24