Minneapolis Public Schools

Join Sister Celeste on this historic walking tour as she goes “off campus” to explore the vast homes and singular landscapes on Summit Avenue and the Hill District’s southern edge. Learn about the conventions that shaped the Gilded Age and forever changed St. Paul’s cityscape. A product of the Victorian Era who was “in the world but not of it”, Sister Celeste reveals the concealed messages that were hiding out in the open in the palatial homes and beautifully maintained gardens of some of the city’s earliest and most prestigious citizens. This tour unveils how the hidden languages of flowers, fans, and gems conveyed secret messages in a society that demanded buttoned-down decorum over uncovered passion in polite society. But all that glitters is not gold for everyone in the Gilded Age! Learn how first wave immigrants often worked behind the scenes to present a seamless image for the elite and were mindful to protect their Master's jealously guarded reputations. Explore the lasting influence of a host of noted architects who left their calling cards on the nation's longest Victorian Boulevard. View the handiwork of Master Builders and celebrated architects including Cass Gilbert, J. K. Taylor, A. Gauger, Clarence Johnston, Thomas Holyoke and landscape architect Horace Cleveland . Tour starts and finishes at Summit Avenue and Ramsey Hill's Overlook Park (aka Lookout Park) in St. Paul. How Long: 90 Minutes Length: 1.3 Mile Meeting Location: Summit Avenue and Ramsey Hill's Overlook Park (aka Lookout Park) in St. Paul If class is full, please enroll for the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.