Private Tour
Minnesota’s Storied City: A Self-Guided Tour of Downtown St. Paul
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Explore the rich history of St. Paul on this self-guided walking tour, starting at Rice Park in front of the Landmark Center, St. Paul's cultural hub. Stroll along the Mississippi River and uncover the city's early history, from the Dakota village of Kaposia to the Beaux Arts-style Union Depot. Walk through Lowertown to Mears Park, past modern architecture, and on to the Minnesota State Capitol. Along the way, hear stories of “Pig’s Eye” Parrant, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and St. Paul’s gangster past while discovering the city's rivalry with Minneapolis. This tour brings to life the characters, events, and landmarks that shaped the "Saintly City."
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The total tour duration is the walking time as you pass by attractions. It does not include optional time spent at any of the listed attractions
This route is not wheelchair accessible, but it is a very easy walk suitable for the ages listed. The accessibility selections are accurate.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Landmark Center
Pass by the Landmark Center, often called “St. Paul’s very own castle,” which once housed federal courts that handled notorious Prohibition-era gangster trials. Now a cultural hub, its Romanesque architecture stands as a testament to the city's rich history.
Rice Park
Stroll through Rice Park, a charming public space surrounded by historic landmarks and statues, including one of famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald. This park has been a gathering place for over a century, nestled in the heart of downtown St. Paul.
What‘s Included
Get unlimited, lifetime use of this tour, before your booking date and after it
Audio and written guide
The virtual playback option, so you can listen to this tour like an audiobook from anywhere
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
Smartphone and headphones
Options
Minnesota’s Storied City: A Self-Guided Tour of Downtown St. Paul
Reviews
7 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
An excellent chance to see the city!!
debra h,,Sep 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was excellent!! The guide was very knowledgeable!! It was a good chance to see the city!! Highly recommended!!!!
Kinda disappointing.
W1796DKstevep,,Jul 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00The trail was obscured by too many construction zones. It's kinda interesting to listen to the guide's extensive history knowledge, but if you aren't aware of the area in advance, it's difficult to concentrate. Plus, the only parking available were the 2-hour-limit spots, which only added to the pressure. We returned later that day to look around the Landmark Center. The tour at least showed us the outside of that building.
The sign post is no...
Abiola O,,Jun 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The sign post is no longer there around the colon building. The narrator did an excellent job. Share nearest train stop for the starting point.
Minnesotans get to know St. Paul!
Pamela E,,Jun 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The tour takes you on a nice, reasonable walk around downtown St. Paul, and gives interesting history along the way. It ends at the Capitol, where tours are available most days starting at the top of the hour (9am-4pm), and that was a great add-on to the walking tour! We would have liked to hear a little less about F Scott Fitzgerald, and a little more about the park-island in the river and about other St. Paul notables. Overall, would recommend - if you take kids, you'd better plan a break for either the Science Museum or the Children's Museum, because they WILL notice!
A nice look into St. Paul
Ann P,,Jan 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was very fun. We are from Boston so didn’t know much about St Paul. We got a nice review of the history, were entertained by the stories and enjoyed walking around the city. It took us about 1 1/4 hours as it said it would, but you could spend more time if you went into some of the buildings like the Landmark Center, library, train station and Capitol. We did go into the Capitol at the end but I wish we had gone into the others. We will be looking for more of these audio tours as we travel around.
Nice intro to St. Paul
maryeE6861XB,,Dec 4, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a few hours to kill at our conference and this was a great way to get to know the city a little better. Very entertaining. Highly recommended.
Incredible history tour!
MplsArts,,Nov 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing tour. So much history here that you would never know! I especially loved the parts about the St. Paul/Minneapolis rivalry, and about the city's gangsters.
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Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours