Field Trips: Twin Cities Area

Field Trips in the Twin Cities Area offer a broad range of topics in Minnesota history, including politics, farming, territorial life and elite society. Choose a sampler or a feast of "history where it happened."

Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul
Finished in 1872, the Alexander Ramsey House showcases the "latest" in Industrial Revolution household technology. Costumed guides and students will inspect 19th-century indoor plumbing, gas lighting and central heating during tours of this pre-eminent Victorian home. Tours for grades K-12 feature histories of children, women and servants. Call 651-296-8760.

Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul
Costumed guides bring history to life as students explore the fort buildings and discuss life in 1827 at this frontier outpost. Programs offered in the spring and summer view the fort and its mission from multiple perspectives. Fall tours can be tailored to class needs and cover a variety of themes. Call 612-726-1171.

James J. Hill House, St. Paul
Summit Avenue was at the center of activity in St. Paul when the Hill House was completed in 1891. Students will learn about servant and family life and how Hill’s railroad empire transformed the landscape of the Northwest. Tours of the house, activity workshops and walking tours of Summit Avenue are offered. Call 651-297-2555.

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis
Mill City Museum offers educational programs for students from kindergarten through high school. Teachers choose from three field trip themes: People, Power and Flour. Students discover the unique spaces within Mill City Museum while exploring water as power, the cultural significance of flour, or interacting with real and imagined characters from our past. Cook from scratch in our Baking Lab, build a Mill City in the Water Lab, ride the world's only Flour Tower, or visit the observation deck for a birds-eye view of the Mississippi River. Call 612-341-7556.

Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul
High school students observe legislative committees in action, middle school students defend their positions on real legislative issues, elementary students explore architecture through three-dimensional shapes and activities or a self-guided art treasure hunt, and pre-schoolers can experience hands-on activities. Call 651-296-2881.

Minnesota History Center, St. Paul
There's always something new at the History Center. Year after year, our student field trips provide engaging lessons and museum exhibit experiences. The History Center offers a variety of field trip options to fit every age. Call 651-259-3400.

Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River
The Oliver H. Kelley Farm offers four two-hour living history programs for different levels of elementary school students. Students help with chores and tasks on this working 1860s farm and come to understand how farming changed in the 19th-century. Farm activities vary based on the seasons. Call 763-441-6896.

Sibley House Historic Site, St. Paul
The fully furnished limestone homes of Gov. Henry Sibley and fur trader Jean-Baptiste Faribault were at the center of regional changes in the 1840s and ’50s. Covering topics from the Dakota fur trade to politics, the tour programs are ideal for grades 3-12. Call 651-452-1596.