Field Trips: James J. Hill House

Explore upstairs-downstairs life at this grand 42-room mansion, built for the Hill family in 1891.

Core experience

Life in the Hill House

Grades K-3 
Tuesday and Wednesday starting January 10, 2023 
Students and teachers can discover what life was like at the turn of the 20th century in the grand mansion of Great Northern Railway president James J. Hill. Guided explorations of the mansion and inquiry-based activities will highlight stories from both the Hill family and their domestic employees, with an emphasis on comparing and contrasting past and present.

The Railroad Revolution

Grades 4-12 
Tuesday and Wednesday starting January 10, 2023 
A visit to this grand Gilded Age mansion will challenge students to use critical thinking skills to discover how railroads transformed America at the turn of the 20th century. This inquiry-based program will use stories of Great Northern Railway president James J. Hill, his family, their domestic employees, and other contemporaries to highlight the revolutionary impact that railroads had on the development of Minnesota as it exists today.

Summit Avenue Walking Tour

Grades 9-12 
Tuesday and Wednesday, May-September 2023 
Summit Avenue Walking Tour discusses the business and civic leaders who built St. Paul, and transformed the Northwest, Gilded Age architectural styles and ongoing preservation work in the neighborhood.

Getting ready

• Give a copy of your schedule to all the teachers coming with your group.
• Assign students to specific groups.
• Make name tags for your students.
• Make copies of directions and parking information for bus drivers and chaperones.

Prepare your students

• Tell your students that we need their help to preserve the James J. Hill House! By not touching the woodwork, walls or furniture in the Hill House, they can help us preserve it for future generations.
• Share this video with your students.

Parking and directions

Parking is available on Summit Avenue and adjacent streets. The area immediately in front of the site on Summit Avenue is designated 2-hour parking for visitors.

Use the Google map to find the best directions to the James J. Hill House.

Cost

• $6 per student
• Teachers and school staff are admitted free
• One chaperone free per ten students ($6 for each additional chaperone)
• MNHS memberships are not accepted for group visits
• All reservations will be invoiced after your program.Final payment is due in the form of a single check or credit card within 30 days after your scheduled experience.No refunds will be issued after payment has been received.