The Nooks 'n' Crannies Tour

I've blogged before about taking the main tour of the James J. Hill House in St. Paul (in case you've forgotten, I highly recommend it). This week I had the pleasure of taking a different kind of tour there--sort of an advanced version of the base tour: the Nooks 'n' Crannies Tour.

This is only offered on Tuesday evenings in the summer. The second tour each time is run by a costumed guide, acting in character. That's cool on its own, but what's really fun is that you get to go into place that are usually completely off limits during the normal Hill House tours.

 

(Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society)

If you, like me, have a bad case of "grass is always greener and tours are always more interesting on the other side of the locked door" attitude, this will be right up your alley. There is some crossover between the two tours, but that's OK; in fact, I'd still recommend taking the traditional tour first, so you really have a better understanding of the house, its occupants, and their times before exploring the hidden spaces.

I did take quite a few pictures, but given that flash photography is not allowed--even on the Nooks 'n' Crannies Tour--I only have a few usable ones. See? Another reason you'll just have to go on your own.

Not all of the off-limits places are indoors. This beautiful second-floor porch is not usually open to the public.

 

On the ceiling are two heavy-duty hooks, and it's speculated that they used to hold a porch swing. How lovely would that be? Here's the view:

 

The Cathedral of St. Paul across the street.

The art room houses a massive organ:

 

You can always see that on tour--but you usually don't get to see this:

 

The inner workings of the organ.

You also don't usually get to wander around the kitchen space just off the massive formal dining room.

 

That, by the way, was our guide. Behind me is a ladder leading to the upper china cabinet level. The Hills, they had a lot of china.

 

I really wish this had turned out better. The attic used to be the Hill kids' playroom, complete with stage that has dressing rooms and stage lighting. The playroom is enormous. How fun it must have been to have that space as a child.

 

The tour concludes with a visit to the little gatehouse, an odd building, and no one's quite sure of its exact purpose. It has two bedrooms upstairs, and a full bathroom and sitting room on the first floor, but no facilities at all. The staff was always given board, so someone working for the Hills wouldn't have needed a kitchen, but it's still not clear if this was used for year-round staff boarding or for a place for groomsmen to gather when they'd brought people to dinners and dances.

This is by no means all that was covered on the tour. The coal cellar, various servant's areas, and lots of mechanical intrigues are all available to explore. My understanding is that this is a very popular tour during the summer and sells out, so it would be wise to make a reservation ahead.

Because a home like this is always worth exploring.

Comments

[Carrie K]

I love behind the scenes tours. The Hill House looks like a great old house.

[debra]

I remember passing this house when we were in St. Paul a long time ago. What a fascinating tour it must have been!

[Beth Freschi]

Even though I'm a total Hill House geek, I haven't yet been on the Nooks 'n' Crannies tour. I must go this summer! I want to see that attic stage. I heard the Hill House staff dream of someday turning it into a theater for the public. That would be so cool! How many nonprofit events would I need to do there to pay for that? ;-)