If you need to cancel your reservation or have questions, please contact Teisha at tours@keystoneservices.org or by calling 651-504-4461. We will do our best to fill your spot and refund your fees. However, we cannot guarantee a refund. We reserve the right to cancel a tour if there are insufficient registrations.
After you register, you will receive two confirmation emails (if you enter your email). We will physically mail these to those participants who do not use email. One will be for the tour, and one will be for the payment. If you do not receive these receipts, please contact us to ensure the registration was successful.
Then, 7-10 days before your tour date, you will receive a reminder and any last-minute details about your trip (either by mail or email).
History Tours FAQ
History Tours Schedule
It’s Time To Hit The Road Again
1. Twin Cities Pizza!
Thursday, May 8
Pick-up times and sites:
11:30 a.m. Shoreview Best Western Hotel, 1000 Gramsie Rd.
12:00 p.m. West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida St., St. Paul
5:30 p.m. Return to West 7th, then by 6:00 p.m. to Shoreview
Pizza, Salad and Gelato are all included in this tour price.
Cost: $89
We will travel across the Twin Cities, visiting some of the first pizzerias in the area and then moving on to the newer, more upscale establishments. As we travel through the Twin Cities, visiting different pizza parlors, we will learn about the historic neighborhoods and the Italian influences that have shaped the Twin Cities‘s Italian community. We will also learn about and sample a variety of pizzas: Minnesota-style square pizza, deep dish, New York-style, and gourmet pizzas. We will visit four restaurants and end our day with a scoop of gelato (save some room for it!).
2. Taverns, Bootleggers and Prohibition in St.Paul
Tuesday, June 3
10:00 a.m. Shoreview Best Western Hotel, 1000 Gramsie Rd.
10:30 a.m. West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida St., St. Paul
5:30 p.m. Return to West 7th, then by 6:00 p.m. to Shoreview
Cost: $96
One hundred years ago, Prohibition became the law and sent a crime wave across the nation. In most cases, the local population and politicians supported and encouraged this criminal activity. Despite the best efforts of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, taverns and bars flourished in Saint Paul during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 30s.
On this educational and fun tour, we will visit many famous and infamous sites where this new law was flaunted. A few of the taverns and speakeasies that we will see played prominent roles in Saint Paul’s history, including the Commodore Bar, Victoria Theatre, Hollyhocks, and the Saint Francis Hotel.
But our taverns were more than just a place to get a cold beer. These were social institutions where people could cash their checks, meet friends, and get a free lunch. Some bars were based on ethnic backgrounds, such as German or Irish. Some were owned by the breweries in town: Schmidt, Hamms, Gluecks, and Grain Belt. We will learn about these classic institutions and visit some of the oldest bars in Saint Paul, such as the Spot Bar, Nickel Joint, and the Victorian Bar. Where was the Green Lantern and the Bucket of Blood Bar? We will find out on this tour.
Finally, we will see where it all began with a visit to Andrew Volstead’s workplace in downtown St. Paul, the author of the 18th Amendment. We will also learn about moonshiners, Moonshine Park, and the futile efforts of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. We will enjoy lunch at a historic speakeasy. Lunch and all admissions are included in cost of tour.
3. Best of Minneapolis: Trolleys to Towers
Thursday, June 12
10:00 a.m. – Shoreview Best Western Hotel, 1000 Gramsie Rd.
10:30 a.m.– West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida St., St. Paul
5:00 p.m. Return to West 7th, then by 5:30 p.m. to Shoreview
A bakery stop, lunch, and museums are included in the tour price.
Cost: $110
A practical smorgasbord of the best that Minneapolis has to offer! The oldest, the newest, the wildest, the trendiest, the richest! Eat Street, Witch’s Hat, Bryant-Lake Bowl, Foshay Tower, the most sacred waterfall, the sweetest ice cream, the most savory cheese, and the tastiest popcorn! Take a close-up look at outstanding prairie-style architecture, stained glass windows, a bird sanctuary, a bookstore, a library, and a unique courthouse. See beautiful examples of architecture and homes of famous Minneapolis residences from the past and present day. Brace yourself for the best dam view. Packed with surprises! Lunch will be included, featuring the famous Juicy Lucy and a stop at the best bakery in Minneapolis.
4. Giants on the Land
Friday, July 18
Pick-up times and sites:
8:00 a.m. – West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida St., St. Paul
8:30 a.m. – Shoreview Best Western Hotel, 1000 Gramsie Rd.
7:00 p.m. Return to Shoreview, then by 7:30 p.m. to West 7th
Cost: $176
This tour will explore some of the “Giants” of Central Minnesota, including the legendary Paul Bunyan, world-famous aviator Charles Lindberg, and some of the largest white pines in the world. In St. Cloud, we will tour the city and learn about the importance of Minnesota granite and its role in architectural history. We will tour the boyhood home of Charles Lindbergh and the Lindbergh Museum. We will also visit a historic church in Pietz, along with a visit to the best butcher shop in Minnesota. We will amble through Little Falls, with its historic downtown, and see the mansions built with lumber money.
5. Saint Paul to Vasa, Minnesota
Friday, July 25
Pick-up Times and Sites:
8:30 a.m. – Shoreview Best Western Hotel, 1000 Gramsie Rd.
9:00 a.m. – West 7th Community Center, 265 Oneida St. St., St. Paul
Return – 5:00 p.m. Return to West 7th, then by 5:30 to Shoreview
A bakery stop, admission fees, and transportation are included in the cost of the tour. Lunch will be on your own.
Cost: $152
Tour the Bluff land of the Mississippi, Cannon, and Vermillion Rivers. Discover lost historical treasures, hidden frontier towns, and scenery that befits a postcard. Enjoy a guided close-up look at some of Minnesota’s oldest and loveliest towns: historic Hastings, rustic Welsh, and the hidden Swedish village of Vasa. The highlight of this tour is the 35th annual Bauer Farm Antique Show and Restored Pioneer Village. We’ll watch the Pioneer Parade, the Hastings Spiral Bridge, a Large Craft and Flea Market, antique tractors and cars, flower gardens, a grist mill – powered by water, sawmills in operation, a fully stocked general store, and more.
