Historic Walking Tours
1. RIVERTOWN TOURS
Discover the hidden gems that built the birthplace of Minnesota through unique guided walking tours!
2. LENS FLARE STILLWATER APP
This is a web-based FREE app that allows you to view historical sites in Stillwater, Minnesota linked to their GPS locations – view how the site looked in the past right on your smartphone! It is a tribute to well known photographer John Runk and includes current and historical photos, audio and written narratives along with the surprise and magic of today’s digital image and location technology. The Lens Flare Stillwater project won The Great Idea Competition in 2016 from The Stillwater Area Foundation. Carry the history of Stillwater in your pocket while travelling through a geo-location time tunnel! The APP enhances your experience while actually visiting Stillwater. To experience historic Stillwater from an armchair, you may use the web site by itself.
3. STILLWATER GHOST WALKS
Real ghost stories, paranormal experiences, urban legends, and much more! If you’re captivated by local folklore, into legend tripping, a student of history, or interested in sparking your imagination, this guided haunted history walking tour of beautiful downtown Stillwater is for you.
Tickets available at www.stillwaterghosts.com. Seasonal May-November.
4. HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR
People of all ages will enjoy learning of the stories behind the buildings, comparing the historic lumber era and today. At each featured property, view a video on your handheld device and relive the past of that specific location.
Instead of offering a standard guided walking tour, the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission developed this self-guided audio and visual walking tour, bringing story and place together, for both residents and visitors to the community. This tour is re-printed in the Stillwater Visitor Guide and tour brochures are available throughout the community and at Stillwater City Hall (216 North 4th Street)
Click on the video aboveto watch the entire tour or jump to links below to be redirected to the individual tour stop videos:
Introduction Downtown Walking Tour – General Stillwater History
Tour Stop 01 Lowell Park
Tour Stop 02 Lift Bridge (Chestnut Street)
Tour Stop 03 Freight House (233 Water Street)
Tour Stop 04 Commander Mill (413 Nelson Street)
Tour Stop 05 Joseph Wolf Brewery (402 Main Street South)
Tour Stop 06 Washington County Courthouse (101 Pine Street West)
Tour Stop 07 National Guard Armory (107 Chestnut Street)
Tour Stop 08 Brunswick House
Tour Stop 09 Post Office (220 Myrtle Street)
Tour Stop 10 Lowell Inn (10 2nd Street North)
Tour Stop 11 Staples Sawmill (402 Main Street North)
Tour Stop 12 Wardens House (602 Main Street North
Tour Stop 13 Territorial Convention Site (Myrtle & Main Street)
Tour Stop 14 Lumberman’s Exchange (101 Water Street South)
5. HISTORIC SOUTH HILL HOMES WALKING TOUR
Stillwater, Minnesota, is a city filled with historic homes and great stories. This tour takes you into the South Hill neighborhood, introducing you to some of the city’s finest architecture as well as a few of its most colorful characters. There are two loops, each completed in about an hour. On this tour, you can:
- Learn about the architectural influences that shaped South Hill’s homes
- Investigate the cold-blooded murder of the city’s newspaper publisher, Victor Seward
- Find out about Atwoods’ gymnasium, called “the most pretentious recreation house in the world
Click on the video, above, to watch the entire tour or utilize the links, below, to be redirected to the individual tour stop video.
Tour brochures are available throughout the community and at Stillwater City Hall (216 North 4th Street).
Pine Street Loop 01 (Roscoe and Eva Hersey House) 416 4th Street South
Pine Street Loop 02 (Joseph and Anna Eichten House) 215 Pine Street Wes
Pine Street Loop 03 (John and Elizabeth Whiteside House) 223 Pine Street West
Pine Street Loop 04 (Austin and Harriet Jenks House) 504 5th Street South
Pine Street Loop 05 (Jacob and Cynthia Bean House) 319 Pine Street South
Pine Street Loop 06(David and Lucetta Grout House) 319 Pine Street South
Pine Street Loop 07 (Hersey-Atwood House) 320 Pine Street West
Pine Street Loop 08 (Victor and Elizabeth Seward House) 416 5th Street South
Pine Street Loop 09 (St. Mary’s Church, School and Rectory) 423 5th Street South
Chestnut Hill Loop A (Henry and Nancy Nichols House) 208 Chestnut Street West
Chestnut Hill Loop B (Alexander and Ida Johnson House) 119 Chestnut Street West
Chestnut Hill Loop C John and Anna O’Brien House (306 Olive Street South)
Chestnut Hill Loop D Anton and Rosalia Krenz House (320 Holcombe Street South)
Chestnut Hill Loop E August and Olive Krenz House (316 Holcombe Street South)
Chestnut Hill Loop F John and Sarah Booren House (310 6th Street South)
Chestnut Hill Loop G Fred and Mary Yates House (318 6th Street South)
Chestnut Hill Loop H Henry Clay and Eva Farmer House (418 6th Street South)
Chestnut Hill Loop I Harry and Mae Farmer House (411 6th Street South)
Content reprinted with permission from the City of Stillwater, MN. The activity that is the subject of these tours has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties.