Explore the history of Minneapolis and the Mississippi riverfront this summer with walking tours offered at Mill City Museum. All walking tours include admission to Mill City Museum. Tours start and end at Mill City Museum unless otherwise indicated. Reservations are required and can be made online or calling 612-341-7555.

What: Washburn A Mill Tour
When: Saturday, July 6 and Saturday, July 21
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Tour includes museum admission.
Reservations: Required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

This in-depth tour takes visitors into the historic Washburn A Mill complex and the award-winning Mill City Museum Building. A museum interpreter will take guests into the building's many nooks and crannies, highlighting the lives of the men and women who once brought the mill to life. Guides will detail how the building functioned at the peak of its flour milling years and the many changes that the structure went through over time.

This is one of the only opportunities to take a guided tour through the entire building and to see some of its non-public areas. Tour ticket price includes admission to the museum gallery, Baking Lab, Water Lab and Flour Tower show.

What: Railroad History Tour
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Includes museum admission.
Reservations: Required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

Minnesota's first rail line arrived in 1862, and with it came floods of people, flour mills, lumber production and industrial warehousing, all of which only grew as railroads sprawled across the Upper Midwest.

This guided tour takes visitors on journey into the past, uncovering the impact railroads had on the Mill City. Guests will visit railroad landmarks like the Stone Arch Bridge, Milwaukee Road Depot and the Minneapolis Eastern Railway engine house and trestle. Partakers will also learn about the vanishing railroad landscape and learn about the future of Twin Cities rail.

What: Minneapolis History Pub Crawl: Washington Avenue
When: Tuesday, July 9
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $25/$20 MHS members.
Reservations: Required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

Enjoy warm weather, cold drinks and the rich history of Minneapolis in this History Pub Crawl down Washington Avenue. Explore the famous thoroughfare and learn about the importance of railroads, warehousing, flour milling, immigrants, entertainment and vice in the diverse story of Minneapolis.

A trolley will take participants through the neighborhoods along Washington Avenue from 35W to Plymouth Ave. N., with stops at a number of historic locations and two watering holes housed in historic buildings. This program is for those 21 years of age and older. Drink purchases are not included in the tour price. Drink specials will be made available at participating locations.

What: Minneapolis Riverfront Tour
When: Sundays, June 14 and July 28
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Includes museum admission.
Reservations: Required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

This walking tour showcases the rich past and promising future of the Minneapolis riverfront. The tour covers the historic and thriving district at St. Anthony Falls, which was once the flour milling capitol of the world and is now a growing cultural, recreational and residential neighborhood.

A guide from the Mill City Museum will lead the group onto the Stone Arch Bridge, highlighting the breathtaking view of the falls, the historic buildings surrounding the river and downtown Minneapolis, while telling stories of the people who lived and worked in the area.

What: Historic Main Street Tour
When: Saturday, July 20
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 children ages 6-17 and MHS members. Includes museum admission.
Reservations: Required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

Stroll through Minneapolis' oldest neighborhood with a Mill City Museum guide this June. Participants will learn about the colorful history and vibrant future of historic Main Street. The tour will feature life in the village of St. Anthony and the changing landscapes along Main Street. Stops include landmarks like the 1855 Upton Block, 1858 Martin and Morrison Building, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, the Pillsbury A Mill and the Chalybeate Mineral Springs.

This tour will begin and end at Pracna Restaurant, 117 Main Street S.E.

What: Riverfront Quest Family Tour
When: Saturday, July 27
Time: 1 p.m. (Bookmaking 1 to 1:30 p.m., Tour 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.)
Cost: $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $7 MHS members ages 6-17; free for adults and senior MHS members.
Reservations: Required; call 612-341-7555 or register online.

A quest is a community treasure hunt that guides people through, and teaches them to see, unique parts of their community. Try out questing with this family-focused tour of the Minneapolis riverfront and Mill City Museum.

Children can solve rhyming riddles and search for hidden boxes with pictures to place in a quest journal that they make before the tour. Journal materials are included in the tour cost. The tour is designed for children ages 6-11 but all are welcome. Adults and seniors must be accompanied by a child.

About the Mill City Museum

Built within the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, a National Historic Landmark, the award-winning Mill City Museum chronicles the flour milling industry that fueled the growth of Minneapolis. The story comes to life through the eight-story Flour Tower, Water Lab, Baking Lab and other hands-on exhibits.

The museum is located at 704 S. Second St. in Minneapolis. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The site is also open Mondays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in July and August. For more information, call 612-341-7555 or visit www.millcitymuseum.org.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Society’s calendar of events is posted online at www.mnhs.org/calendar. The website also has information about all of the Society’s programs, museums and historic sites.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.