Park Ave Tours

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

Sponsored by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission Co-sponsored by the Hennepin History Museum and the Minneapolis Historic Homeowners Association

Date: Saturday, June 27
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Start: Intersection of Park Avenue and 31st Street
End: Park Avenue and 36th Street Guides: Ryan Knoke and Montana Scheff

Once the Summit Avenue of Minneapolis, Park Avenue was the street of choice for many of the city’s most successful business professionals during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

This free tour will focus on the several blocks south of Lake Street where upper-middle class families built some of the city’s finest wood frame houses.

Step back in time as you stroll down this still grand boulevard where ornate Queen Annes are nestled alongside stately Classical Revivals, and elegant Four-Squares share blocks with English-inspired Bungalows and Tudors.

Admire original photographs and hear stories about the first owners, including Pauline Fjelde, internationally-recognized artisan and Minnesota’s own “Betsy Ross.” Ascertain the differences between turn-of-the-century architectural styles, learn about the prominent architects and builders of these fine residences, and visit an 1898 James Record-designed Queen Anne.

Find out how Park Avenue’s premier status made it one of the first city streets to be paved, and discover what is being done by current residents to preserve and restore these impressive homes back to their original grandeur.

The tour will conclude with a garden social featuring refreshments and insider tips on how to get started researching the history of your own home.
This tour is free.

To sign up, call the Hennepin History Museum at (612) 870-1329. For more information about other 2009 Minneapolis Historic Summer Walking Tours, visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/.

View Ryan and Montana’s Park Avenue House Histories on Placeography.org

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Park Avenue: As They Lived and Walked

Sponsored by the American Swedish Institute and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission
Date: Saturday, June 6
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Start: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Avenue
Guide: Jessica Hobson

To get the full Park Avenue story, you’ll also want to experience “Park Avenue: As They Lived and Walked” to hear the diverse accounts of immigration north of Lake Street along Park Avenue’s “Golden Mile”—from the millionaire magnates of industry and commerce who built some of the city’s most impressive mansions, to the servants and gardeners who worked for them.

This tour is free, but pre-registration is required. To sign up, contact the ASI at (612) 871-4907.

Preservation Month May 2009

Cynthia Kriha and a group of folks made this spectacular photo of Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis Minnesota!

This photo and several others are posted on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s This Place Matters Flickr group.

The face says ADD TAGS to your photos people so we know what

we’re looking at and where it is!

What place Matters most 2U?

This Place Matters

Mill Ruins Park

Mill City Museum

Dodd Ford Bridge

Lakewood Cemetery Chapel

Christ Lutheran Church

Pauline Fjelde House

Bardwell-Ferrant House

Minnesota Linseed Oil Paint Co.

Minnesota Varnishes

Fort Snelling Upper Post

Red Wing Depot