John H Stevens House Museum in Minneapolis, MN

Situated in Minnehaha Park, the John H Stevens House Museum in Minneapolis, MN is a true historical treasure, well worth the effort of touring if you can fit it into your travel schedule. This is the first permanent home of Minneapolis and is also considered the birth place as well of the city. Before Minneapolis became a town, there were many meetings held in this home discussing the formation of the city.

Thanks to the efforts of many, this house is fully restored to its original 1849 glory so that you can see how it truly was over 150 years ago. Now it is an interpretive museum filled with hands-on exhibits for the kids and adults as well as videos and even several rooms decorated with furniture of the era. To provide authenticity, the tour guides dress in clothing of the day as they give the background of the home and how important it is to the history of Minneapolis.

The guides do a wonderful job illustrating with words and exhibits as their back-up what might have been in the mid 19th century and how the actions of the Stevens family shaped the formation of the city. It is truly a fun and informative tour that both kids and adults will enjoy. You can even play with the historic toys from the era and take a test answering questions that kids had to answer in school way back when!

The museum is open 12 Noon to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays and 10:00 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. They are closed on Mondays and are open fully from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Group tours can be arranged by appointment; otherwise you can go at any time for a regular tour. Admission is a nominal $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for kids, a very small price to pay to see such a wonderful display of history.