Field Trips
The James J. Hill House offers many ways for your students to learn about the Gilded Age.
Reservations are required for all fieldtrip programs. Call 651-297-2555 or use our online fieldtrip request form.
Legacy Field Trip Support Fund
Financial assistance is available to offset field trip transportation costs in the 2010–2011 school year.
Learn more!
House Tours
Age-appropriate guided tours of the Summit Avenue mansion built for “Empire Builder” James J. Hill and his family. Tours emphasize the life and career of Hill, family and servant life, the architecture and interior design of the house, and the technological systems that provided heat, power, light, and communication for a “Gilded Age” home in the era of industrialization.
- Tour content can be adapted to fit with curriculum.
- Slide show (K–6th grade) or video (7th grade and up) included.
- Tour length is 75 minutes; tour length can be adjusted as needed.
- One adult required for every 15 students.
- Larger groups will be divided into groups of 25 people per guide.
- Cost: $5 per person, $50 minimum.
Children’s Workshops
Hands-on experience for 3rd–6th grade students offering an in-depth look at life in the Gilded Age. Students participate in period activities as they explore life in the late 19th century, as well as learning about the Hill family and life in the Hill House.
- 2 1/2 hour program
- Cost: $9 per person, $200 minimum
Summit Avenue Tours
Walking Tours
Outdoor tours of the Summit Avenue neighborhood, one of the best-preserved boulevards of Victorian-era homes in the country. Walking along the avenue from the Hill House to Lookout Park (1.5 miles round-trip) offers a snapshot into St. Paul life in the late 19th century, as well as an introduction to architecture and historic preservation.
- Cost: $7 per person, $100 minimum
Bus Tours
A step-on guide can join your bus for a 45-minute driving tour of Summit Avenue.
- Cost: $100 per guide
