Spend Valentine's Day and the month of February with the people you love at the James J. Hill House. The Hill House offers a variety of programs for people of all ages during February in addition to regularly scheduled tours.

• Friday, Feb. 14
  Victorian Poetry Slam
  Celebrate Valentine’s Day the old fashioned way by enjoying classic poems of the 19th century in the drawing room of the Hill House. Actors Craig Johnson, Laura Salveson and Ann Daly, wearing 1890s eveningwear, will perform a wide range of humorous and stirring poems. Visitors will hear works by Dickinson, Poe, Longfellow, Browning and others dealing with love, romance, sports and even poems about James J. Hill himself. The one-hour program will be followed by light refreshments and tours of the Hill House.
  Time: 7 p.m.
  Fee: $12 adults, $10 seniors and college students, $8 children ages 6 to 17; $2 discount for MNHS members
  Reservations: recommended; call 651-297-2555 or online.

• Tuesday, Feb. 18
  Teddy Bear Story Time
  Young visitors are invited to bring their teddy bears to the Hill House in celebration of Presidents’ Day and the beloved toy named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. An interactive tour of the house will be combined with favorite teddy bear stories. This one-hour tour is designed for pre-school through first grade children accompanied by an adult.
  Time: 10:30 a.m.
  Fee: $6 / $2 discount for MNHS members
  Reservations: recommended; call 651-297-2555

• Monday, Feb. 24 and March 3
  Hill House Chamber Concerts: Russian Romantics
  The Hill House Chamber Players present their 28th season with a concert in the restored art gallery of the James J. Hill House. The evening features Part, Spiegel im Spiegel for violin and piano; Prokofiev, Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 119; Paganini, Sonata Concertata for violin and guitar; followed by Rachmaninoff, Piano Trio No. 1 in G minor, "Elegiaque". The guest artist is Ivan Konev, piano. Complimentary refreshments are served during intermission and admission includes a tour of the Hill House following the performance. Co-Sponsored by the Schubert Club.
  Time: 7:30 p.m.
  Fee: $20 adults, $12 college students, $17 MNHS/Schubert Club members
  Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555

About the James J. Hill House

Completed in 1891, the Gilded Age mansion was the residence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway, and his family. The home is located one-half block west of the Cathedral of St. Paul at 240 Summit Avenue. It is open for regular tours year-round, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sundays. Reservations are recommended. For more information, call 651-297-2555.

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.