Every December, the Pillsbury Club turns into a launch pad for the Holiday Light Ride, and every December the same questions arrive in our inbox. Here are the eight we hear most, answered plainly, so your first ride feels like your tenth.

1. Where does the ride actually start?

Inside the Pillsbury Club, the 1912–14 Charles S. Pillsbury mansion at 100 East 22nd Street. Every ride begins in the house, where you can shop, eat and drink before you board. You do not meet at a parking lot or a downtown bar.

2. Which ride should we pick?

There are two. Santa’s Nice Ride is the all-ages, family-friendly ride, about one hour, where riders vote for their favorite decorated home. The Naughty Holiday Party Ride is 21 and over, about two hours, and BYOB. Not sure? Our guide to choosing between them can help, and the ride page has current details.

A vintage white Minneapolis trolley waiting outside the lit entrance of the Pillsbury Club at dusk, ready to board for a holiday lights ride — The trolley waits outside the mansion at dusk.

3. Is the trolley heated?

Yes. It is a heated vintage trolley, which matters in a Minnesota December. Dress in layers anyway, because you will be stepping out of the mansion and onto the trolley.

4. What does BYOB mean here?

On the Naughty ride, guests 21 and over bring their own drinks. Because you board inside the mansion rather than at a bar, you can walk straight from the club to the trolley. The other BYOB holiday lights trolley in the Twin Cities, according to its own ticket listing, checks guests in at Tom’s Watch Bar on Hennepin Avenue and runs three hours. Ours starts in a Gilded Age mansion.

5. Where do we park?

Free parking is across the street from the Pillsbury Club. For more on the evening’s flow, see our parking-to-boarding timeline.

6. What is there to do before we board?

Arrive a little early. The club’s bar and dining room are part of the experience, and the holiday market offers handmade gifts from dozens of Minnesota artists, before or after your ride.

Two guests seated at a table with food inside the Pillsbury Club in Minneapolis before a trolley tour, a cozy stop before a family holiday lights ride — A table at the club before boarding.

7. Where does the trolley go?

Routes vary by season to showcase the best displays, including residential displays, historic neighborhoods, downtown lights and landmarks across Minneapolis and Saint Paul. If you want ideas for lights to see on your own, Meet Minneapolis lists holiday lights, and Minneapolis Parks is handy for winter walking.

8. How early should we book?

The ride is popular and likely to sell out, especially December weekends, so book early. Read how far ahead to book for the longer answer. Tickets are available at the Minneapolis Trolley Tours box office, or call (612) 900-3220.

Make a night of it

Want to sleep in a mansion afterward? Our sister property, 300 Clifton, is the historic Carpenter Mansion in Loring Park, and the Gilded Age mansion tour is a nice daytime companion to a night ride. Ready for the ride? Book the Holiday Light Ride.