The Gilded Age mansion of "The Empire Builder"
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James J. Hill House
The Gilded Age mansion of
"The Empire Builder"
| Day | First Tour | Last Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | No public tours | |
| Tuesday | No public tours | |
| Wednesday | 10:00 am | 3:30 pm |
| Thursday | 10:00 am | 3:30 pm |
| Friday | 10:00 am | 3:30 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am | 3:30 pm |
| Sunday | 1:00 pm | 3:30 pm |
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Adults | $12 |
| Seniors (65+) Veterans Active military* College students |
$10 |
| Children ages 5–17 | $8 |
| Children ages 4 and under | Free |
| MNHS Members | Free |
| *Blue Star Families (Armed Forces Day - Labor Day) |
Free (On site only) |
Explore upstairs and downstairs life in Minnesota's Downton Abbey — a 36,000-square-foot mansion built for railroad titan James J. Hill.
House tours
House tours
Self-Guided Sundays
Sundays, May - September
Visit the James J. Hill House as the Hill family and their servants would have, without a guide. Spend more time in your favorite rooms and go at your own pace to explore the first, second, and third floors of the mansion.
Guided house tours
Wednesdays through Sundays, January - November
Learn about James J. Hill’s influence on the region and about his network of family members, servants, workers, and guests. Marvel at the impressive house details such as chandeliers, stained glass, and hand-carved woodwork sprawled throughout the home. Last tour is at 3:30 pm.
Special events
Special events
Irish Heritage Weekend
March 14 and 15, 2020
Themed tours will include favorite Irish songs and stories of the Hills and their servants, many of them Irish, to engage visitors in the history of Irish Americans in Minnesota.
Easter Egg Hunt
April 5 & 11, 2020
Search for eggs, enjoy a snack, hear stories, and explore the first floor of the elegant home.
Spark! Tour for People with Memory Loss
First Tuesday of every month
Take a sensory-based tour designed for people with memory loss and their caregivers.
The largest house in St. Paul
The largest house in St. Paul
The rugged stone, massive scale, fine detail, and ingenious mechanical systems of this magnificent Gilded Age mansion recall the powerful presence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway.
With 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, 16 chandeliers, a reception hall nearly 100 feet long, sophisticated technical systems, and a two-story, skylit art gallery, it was once the largest private residence in the state.
The home served as the center for the public and private lives of the Hill family for 30 years. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
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