James J. Hill House

Address:	240 Summit Ave, St Paul, MN 55102, USA
Phone:	+1 651-297-2555
Site:	mnhs.org
Rating:	4.7
Working:	Closed Closed 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 10AM–4PM 1–4PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 28

Annie and Jesse Maloney

I took the tour as a child and it seemed as though there used to be many more stories and details. The house seems empty now. I feel as though Glensheen Mansion tour is far superior. I dont know if it has to do with mgt institutions. We had a similar dull experience at Alexander Ramsey House. Glensheen seems magical. Hill house seems like a big old empty shell. My wife wished there would have been more about the family and their daily doings. My kids would have liked to see how the kids lived. Because there is a policy that states no furnishings can be brought into the house that are not original Hill family heirlooms, it really limits what can be done with all of the free space. Since many original photos exist to show the furnishings, they might want to consider letting modern artisans hand re-create some pieces to exact specs to fill in the voids. Just a thought.

Steve Bski

Well the whole family had worked for the Great Northern and Burlington Northern so I had to check this out. What an amazing place! I am glad they got it back from the church and it can be seen now! Really advanced for its time. Electricity wired in that early, amazing. The tour guide was in costume and kind of acted out the role. I really enjoyed this historical monument. Hill was a captain of industry, so probably not the best guy to his workforce but his home was amazing. We spent hours checking out the homes of this district. Jaw droppers all over the place.

Stuart Yurczyk

One of my all-time favorite places to visit! A cool house with a really interesting history. A great showcase of late 19th century technology and design. The tour is lengthy and the guides are quite knowledgeable. If you are bringing your family, I would recommend purchasing a Minnesota Historical Society Family Membership ($100) as you will receive unlimited access to not only the Hill House, but to many historical landmarks around the state as well as the Minnesota History Center which has a unique museum that is fun for both adults and kids.

Marlon MORMANN

Must see for the history buffs. Tour is long, they say 75 minutes but more like an hour and 45 minutes. Staff is very well trained. Not a lot of furnishings to distract from the architecture in this 36,000 sf house. It is the house that you see, not a museum set up of antiquities. Plus, take a walk down Summit street and to the Cathedral across the street. Plan a half day for this adventure. The homes nearby the Hill house will take a good 2 hour walk. For the history and architecture buff, this visit is a must if you live in St. Paul.

A Private User

Best museum Ive ever seen for getting a look at the day to day lives of very rich, very all-the-neatest-new-stuff people of the old days (and a look at the work day of the servants). Mr. Hill wanted to show off and you get to see how much he was at the technological forefront. The decor is lovely and the Historical Society has done an incredible job tracking down the original furnishings from descendants, so youre truly seeing into someones real life. This is a dont-miss for folk like me who get bored easily.

Spenser Davidson

Ive lived in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota my entire life and I had never been here before. It was a great little piece of history and I enjoyed learning about it! Very knowledgeable and lively tour guides. Could use a better TV for the video portion, though.

Chai Chen

A must see if youre a history buff like me! The 75-minute tour was very informative and makes you hungry for more detail. The guide was entertaining, made history fun for all ages. The mansion is massive and impressive, thats just the least of it.

Sarah Karber

Wonderful tour of the historic house. Went because they advertised St Patricks Day music and was a little disappointed in the quantity of that, but the house tour made up for it. Most of the house is shown on the tour which took 2 hours.

A Private User

Considered the largest house in MN, it isnt actually a house, but a museum, owned and operated by the MN Historical Society. 36,000 ft., 42 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, and a 1,006 pipe pipe-organ. Well worth the price of the tour.

Brian Fuhrmann

Great place to visit! Nice tour of the home as well as a good history of the lifestyle the Hill family lived at the time. As long as youre in the area also visit the Minnesota History Center, the St. Paul Cathedral, and the State Capitol.

Hailey L

We were able to get the tour free the first weekend of the month by being Bank Of America users. Was a perfect length of a tour, house is huge. Parked on side of road and walked to house. We learned a lot and ladies were very nice.

Steve Moses

Very interesting tour. The guide was knowledgeable and approachable. Included a 10 minute video. Would have been willing to watch the 30 minute option. We were lucky enough to hear the pipe organ played too. Well worth a visit.

john harris

Beautiful former home of the 19th century railroad tycoon James J Hill located within the historic summit avenue neighborhood. Tours are inexpensive and highly informative even beyond Hill and his families history.

Braden Holmes

Richardsonian architecture with a delightfully ornate interior. The wood carvings, art and general taste is very well done, or at the least, necessary expenses werent spared in the decoration.

Riaz Missaghi

We came without a reservation and they were sold out but they recommended the A. Ramsey Victorian house, which wasnt nearly as ornate but pleasantly engaging and enjoyable. Hope to come back.

Jacob Erickson

Awesome tour guides give you a wonderfully clear story of what it was like to live in the house, giving you a clear picture of what a 1891 technically advanced house was like.

Jin Soo Kim

Very informative tour that gave a cross-section of the industrial history of St. Paul area in the late 19th and early 20th century. The house needs a little more work though.

Carbo Kuo

鐵路大亨的豪宅，有幾個房間免費參觀，其餘的必須跟導遊。

KATHERINE BUCHLAW

Amazing! The tour guide is very good, the history is interesting! I loved learning about the kids and seeing the beautiful art in the house. Well worth the price!

Dan Loudon

About 1.5 hour tour for 10 dollars. Not bad, pretty interesting historical house in a Victorian neighborhood. Not for small children but preserved the look well.

Josh

The nooks and crannies tour was really cool. Our tour guide was friendly and fun. I learned a lot about the house and how things were done and built back then.

Matteo Ruozzi

Un piccolo pezzo di storia americana, ho gradito molto la vista

Samuel Goertz

Great history, well preserved, perfect location. Dont forget to walk around the neighborhood, the are many equally interesting houses for blocks and blocks.

Tessa Froggatte

I like the James J Hill House because its cheaper than Glensheen Mansion and its got some really cool stuff like Victorian era stuff which is really awesome.

Barry Crawford

Great tour and fascinating history. If you get Bev as your guide you have hit the jackpot. She is as funny, witty, informative, and charming as you can get!

Paul McLellan

Well worth the visit! I saw this as a kid, but didnt appreciate it until coming back as an adult. Stunning piece of history and beautiful architecture.

Tracy Fallon

The tour guide was pleasant and funny. We got to see the building in all its grandeur and photos of what it was like in the 20s. Well worth the time!

Rafael Gutierrez

Must do while in St. Paul. Gorgeous mansion located on east end of historic Summit Ave. Organ is fantastic and hidden kitchen is typical of the time.