A holiday lights ride is more than the ride. The best version of the evening starts the moment you walk into the mansion and ends with a story you tell for weeks. Here is how a night out around the Minneapolis holiday lights trolley unfolds at the Pillsbury Club, from the minute you park to the minute you climb aboard.

What should you do before you leave home?

Book first. The ride page says this tour is “popular and likely to sell out,” and the two rides are booked separately: Santa’s Nice Ride for families and all ages, and the Naughty Holiday Party Ride for adults 21 and over. Start on the Minneapolis Trolley Tours holiday ride page, and read how far ahead to book if you are weighing dates. The Pillsbury Club is a private club open to guests with a reservation, so your ticket is also your way in.

When should you arrive, and where do you park?

The Club’s plan your visit page recommends arriving 30 to 45 minutes before your scheduled experience whenever possible. It lists complimentary parking for Club guests, with a designated lot across the street and free street parking nearby where permitted. If you are taking a rideshare, drop-off and pick-up is at the front entrance. The holiday ride page says the same thing about parking: it is free, just across the street.

What can you do inside before boarding?

Every holiday ride begins inside the Club, and guests are invited to arrive early to shop, order food or drinks and look around the mansion. That is the part that surprises people. You are not standing in a parking lot waiting for a bus. You are in a historic limestone mansion, and your ride is the main event of a longer night.

The Club’s dining page lists a menu of shareable plates and mains. At the time of writing it includes Great Northern cheese curds, State Fair pretzel bites and a Pillsbury Club smashburger, along with Minnesota beers such as Grain Belt and Surly Furious, wine by the glass and cocktails. Menus and prices change, so check the page before you go. We have more ideas for the hour before a ride in what to do before your trolley tour.

What happens once you board?

The family ride, Santa’s Nice Ride, runs about an hour on a heated vintage trolley. It includes Christmas music, festive narration and a vote for your favorite decorated home, and the page also mentions a holiday market with handmade gifts from local Minnesota artists. Grandparents and grandkids are welcome together, as we explain in our multigenerational ride guide.

The Naughty Holiday Party Ride is for adults 21 and over and lasts about two hours. The page calls it “part Christmas lights tour, part rolling holiday party,” with holiday cocktails and Christmas music. Routes change by season to feature the best displays, so we will not promise a street list, but the point is the same: lights, music and good company.

What about after the ride?

The ride pages do not describe a post-ride program, so we will not promise one. If you hope to linger afterward, check the Club’s hours page for the night you plan, and ask when you reserve.

How do you turn it into a whole night, or a weekend?

Out-of-towners can pair the ride with a stay at 300 Clifton, the historic Loring Park mansion. Per its vouchers page, direct bookings include a $20 Pillsbury Club dining voucher and a $20 Minneapolis Trolley voucher per stay, valid during the stay only. Staying downtown for longer? Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished month-to-month studios. Planning for a group? Our holiday party guide covers the Club for company events.

Winter evenings in Minnesota ask for a warm coat, so check the National Weather Service Twin Cities forecast before you go, and remember the Club itself is part of Minneapolis history: the mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places. Our History Journal tells its story.

Ready to book your night out?

Reserve your ride through the holiday lights ride page and see the Club’s tours and experiences for more reasons to come in. We will see you under the lights.