What:

Celebrate the sesquicentennial of the city and State by enjoying a historic walking tour of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission and the City’s Department of Community Planning and Economic Development invite you on a tour of historic places in Minneapolis. Expert guides will lead 16 tours, including five new tours, ranging from Minneapolis cultural gathering places and residential neighborhoods to bustling commercial and industrial areas to the theaters of Hennepin Avenue and remnants of the city’s once extensive streetcar system. Many local organizations are co-sponsoring the summer tours, including neighborhood groups, historical societies and businesses.

For schedule information and tour descriptions, call 612 673 2516 or see Minneapolis Walking Tours. There are specific requirements for the Riverside Generating Plant Tour. Please call 612 673 2615 if you are planning to attend this tour.

Tours are free, except for a $5 charge for the Como Harriet Streetcar Line tour.

Reservations are not required, however, participants must have a ticket. Tickets are available 15 minutes before the start of each tour. Tour sizes are limited, so please plan to arrive early.

Most tours will continue in inclement weather, so please dress accordingly. Some degree of stamina is necessary if tours cover long distances. Parts of some tours are not ADA accessible.

When:

Tours begin May 21 and will be offered through September 17.

More:

Tours include: Minneapolis City Hall & Courthouse, Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, Northside Synagogues, Nokomis Knoll Residential Historic District, Riverside Generating Plant, Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District, Park Avenue and Its People, Como-Harriet Streetcar Line, Tangletown, Grain Belt Brewery, Red Cedar Lane, Warehouse District, Elliot Park, Hennepin Avenue Theaters, and Christ Church Lutheran.

If you cant attend the tours, create your own! A reminder, all profiles of locally designated landmarks and historic districts are located on the Citys website. See Minneapolis Landmarks & Historic Districts to put together a tour of your favorites.

The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) was formed in 1972 to serve as a citizen advisory body to the Minneapolis City Council. The Commission holds public hearings on matters related to preservation twice each month. Projects that come before the commission are administered through professional preservation-planning staff in the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED).

CPED provides preservation related services within Minneapolis local government. These services include professional review for preservation permit applications, ongoing efforts to evaluate the historical significance of buildings and districts, recommendations for designation of local landmarks; prepares and administers design guidelines; conducts on-going research of eligible sites and districts; provides public education and community outreach programs; collaborates on the integration of historic preservation with City planning and development activities.