Friday Tours (May 31, 2013)
Tours will leave from The St. Paul Hotel between 7:30 and 8:30 am and return by 6:00 pm.
Appropriate clothing is required for all tours – wear long pants and close-toed shoes. If these rules are not followed, you will risk being denied entry to many, if not all, tour-sites.
All tour schedules and sites are subject change.
Note: See recent changes in Tour 2 & Tour 3 below.
Friday Tour 1: Mighty Mississippi: A Twin Cities Riverboat Cruise with the Experts
Experts (leaving the St. Paul Hotel at 7:30 am*)
*This tour will be a full day, although exact times will vary depending on river levels and currents. Be aware that two-thirds of this tour is by boat. Please dress appropriately..
Note: Friday Tour F1 is now full
Details of the Tour
Friday Tour 2: Tour of Rice County & Goodhue County (Faribault, Northfield, and Cannon Falls) (leaving the Saint Paul Hotel at 7:30 a.m.)
Please Note: There have been some changes on this tour. The visit to the Veblen Farmstead has been cancelled. The visit to the Archibald Mill has been cancelled. The tour will now also include a process tour of the Thousand Hills Cattle facility in Cannon Falls, including the slaughterhouse (select link to see details).
Friday Tour 3: Geology and Twin Cities Industry
(leaving the St. Paul Hotel at 8:00 am).
NOTE: The site visit to the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) has been cancelled and site visits to the Ford Motor Company Hydroelectric Plant has been added.
Participants must submit full name and date of birth when registering for this tour for security review. Bring a government-issued photo ID on day of tour. Close-toed shoes and clothing that covers the leg are required.
Details of the Tour
Friday Tour 4: Railroads, Windows and Milling (leaving the St. Paul Hotel at 8:30 am) Please bring protective eye wear if possible. Visitors must be 16 and wear close-toed shoes. This tour involves walking over 1.5 miles.
Details of the Tour
Friday Tour 5: Milling, Malting and Grain (leaving the St. Paul Hotel at 8:30 am). Please bring your own hard hat, safety vest and safety glasses if possible! Boots are REQUIRED for this tour.
Details of the Tour
Friday Film Fest (May 31, 2013 at 7:30pm)
Friday’s Film Fest will take place in the St. Paul Hotel Promenade Room, and include local and national footage pertaining to industrial archeology.
Reception and Book Signing (Friday, May 31, 7:30pm)
The Friday Night Reception and Book Signing will take place at the St. Paul Hotel near the Film Fest. Several authors will have their books related to Minnesota history and industry available for purchase and signing, including John Anfinson’s
The River We Have Wrought (how humans have changed the Upper Mississippi River), Greg Brick’s
Subterranean Twin Cities (an exploration of the tunnels and caves under the Twin Cities), Denis Gardner’s
Wood, Concrete, Stone, and Steel (a history of Minnesota’s bridges
), and a selection of Larry Millett’s numerous publications.
