Ask around for a speakeasy in Minneapolis and you’ll get pointed to basement bars and unmarked doors downtown. But the most theatrical answer sits behind the limestone walls of a Gilded Age mansion at 100 East 22nd Street: the Pillsbury Club, inside the historic Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion. Part club, part stage set, part time machine — it’s the kind of place where the evening starts with a cocktail and ends with a ghost story.

A bar worth whispering about

The heart of the Club is its speakeasy-style bar, tucked into a mansion built for entertaining more than a century ago. Oak-paneled rooms, plaster ceilings, and painted windows set the mood; the drink list leans into it with themed and seasonal cocktails that feel right at home in a house with more than a few legends attached to it. This isn’t a place you stumble into off the street — the Club is open to guests with a reservation, which is exactly what keeps the atmosphere feeling like a secret worth keeping.

If you’re the type who collects hidden bars, put this one on the list — then compare notes with our roundup of the best speakeasies in Minneapolis.

More than a bar: a whole mansion to explore

The Pillsbury Mansion has over 45 rooms across four levels, and a night at the Club can wander through a surprising number of them. Dine in the historic dining room, originally designed for Gilded Age entertaining. Browse the Club Market for Minnesota-made gifts and local artwork. Catch a screening in the private theater. Or join a guided mansion tour and hear how a flour fortune built one of the city’s most storied homes — our History Journal is the rabbit hole to go down before you visit. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the Minnesota Historical Society is a great starting point for exploring the state’s other Gilded Age landmarks.

Arrive by trolley (really)

The Club doubles as the launch point for Minneapolis Trolley Tours — every tour begins and ends at the mansion’s front door. That makes a very easy formula for a memorable night: arrive early, have a drink and explore the house, then board a vintage trolley for the Candlelight Ghost Tour, which runs daily and visits the most haunted corners of the city (the trolley itself is said to be haunted, but we’ll let you be the judge). Feeling braver? On weekends, the Paranormal Ghost Hunt puts real investigation equipment in your hands — inside the mansion itself.

Date night, group night, or the whole weekend

The Whittier neighborhood makes it easy to build a full evening — or a full weekend — around a Club reservation. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is a short walk away and always free, perfect for a slow afternoon before dinner. In summer, Meet Minneapolis keeps a running guide to festivals, markets, and lake days to round out your itinerary.

Making a night of it? Stay in a mansion, too: our sister property 300 Clifton, a historic bed & breakfast near Loring Park, has its own speakeasy and a four-season garden hot tub. For longer visits — a work stint, a slow-travel month — Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished, month-to-month studios in the heart of downtown.

Planning your visit

The Pillsbury Club is open exclusively to guests with a reservation for a tour, dining experience, or event. Current hours run Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5–10 PM, Wednesday through Friday from noon–10 PM, and weekends from 11 AM–10 PM. Complimentary guest parking is available in the lot directly across the street, and rideshare drop-off works beautifully at the front entrance. Full details — including our advice to arrive 30–45 minutes early so you have time to wander — live on the Plan Your Visit page.

The door is unlocked — if you have a reservation

Some nights out you forget by Monday. An evening of themed cocktails, candlelit ghost stories, and a century-old mansion is not one of them. Reserve a tour or experience, plan a dinner in the historic dining room, or email info@pillsburyclub.com about hosting your own private event behind the limestone walls. We’ll leave a light on — though in this house, we can’t always promise who turned it on.