Ask where a Minneapolis Trolley Tour begins and you’ll get an answer most cities can’t top: every single tour departs from the front steps of a Gilded Age mansion. The Pillsbury Club — the historic Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion at 100 East 22nd Street — is the trolley’s home station, which means your tour doesn’t start when you board. It starts the moment you walk through our doors.

Come early. The mansion is half the fun.

Seasoned riders know the secret: arrive an hour before departure. That’s enough time to slip into the speakeasy-style bar for one of our themed cocktails, browse the curated market for Minnesota-made gifts, or simply wander rooms that have been keeping secrets since the days when flour built this city. (Curious about those secrets? Our History Journal goes deep on the mansion’s past — including the story of the king who may have walked our staircase.)

Pick your trolley: sightseeing by day, spirits by night

Summer is peak season on the rails, and the lineup gives you a reason to come back more than once. The narrated sightseeing tour rolls through the city’s landmarks and lakes — an easy afternoon plan for out-of-town guests. As the light fades, the Candlelight Ghost Tour takes over, aboard a vintage trolley that’s rumored to be haunted itself. Weekends add the True Crime Tour, where riders play the jury, and an interactive Murder Mystery run that turns your group into the cast.

Every one of them is narrated live — no recordings — and they run year-round, rain or shine. Check the tour calendar for dates and times, and see our Experiences & Tours page for what’s happening inside the mansion itself.

After the tour: a nightcap in a haunted mansion

Here’s where the Club earns its reputation as the best first-and-last stop in Minneapolis. Tours end where they began, so the evening doesn’t have to. Settle in for dinner or a late drink, trade ghost stories from the ride, or ask about the private theater for your group’s encore. If you rode the ghost tour, fair warning: the mansion has a few stories of its own, and the staff is delightfully willing to tell them.

Planning a bigger night? The mansion hosts private events and full buyouts — here’s what it’s like to rent a historic mansion for a party. And if a speakeasy evening is more your speed than a trolley ride, start with our guide to a speakeasy-style night out.

Make it a full Minneapolis day

The Club sits in one of the city’s most walkable historic pockets. The Minneapolis Institute of Art — free general admission and world-class — is a short stroll away, past the mansions ringing Washburn Fair Oaks Park. History lovers can dig further with the Minnesota Historical Society, and Meet Minneapolis keeps a running list of everything else happening around town this summer.

Staying overnight? Our sister property 300 Clifton, a historic mansion bed & breakfast near Loring Park, keeps the Gilded Age evening going — garden hot tub and speakeasy included. For longer visits, Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished studios downtown by the month.

Ready to board?

The trolley leaves from our doorstep — the rest of the evening is up to you. Plan your visit, reserve your spot on a Minneapolis Trolley Tour, and come see why the best tours in Minneapolis begin and end at a mansion.