Saint Paul: Grand Round and the Gilded Age

Saint Paul can be explored through a range of travel interests: expansive city parks, a scenic route around the city, and a Gilded Age mansion. When choosing a hotel, it helps to distinguish between these highlights. The size and visitor information answer different questions: Where is there an expansive park, which places does a parkway connect, and how is access to a historic house arranged?

City Park and Parkway

Como Regional Park is an expansive, 450-acre urban oasis in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This combination of size and urban character makes the park a destination in its own right for travelers who want to take in a larger green space as well as streets and buildings. The figure refers to the park itself and offers a different point of reference than a route’s length or a house’s size. If you choose Saint Paul for its expansive parkland, Como Regional Park is a specific point of reference.

The Saint Paul Grand Round offers a different format: the 27-mile scenic parkway connects the Mississippi River, Lake Phalen, Como Lake, and more than a dozen parks. The route encircles Saint Paul. The focus here is on a larger route and several named points, not on the area of a single park. For most of the route, a bicycle and pedestrian path runs separately from motor traffic.

The 27 miles refer to the parkway; the separated path runs along most of this route. This distinction helps you decide whether you want to experience the Grand Round primarily as a scenic drive or by bicycle or on foot. The named scenic points also give an idea of the places the parkway connects.

Bus connections in Saint Paul

For getting your bearings with public transit, the Minnesota History Center provides a specific point of reference: it is located in the heart of Saint Paul, and Metro Transit bus routes 16, 21, and 94 stop nearby. If you want to check in advance which bus route might work for your trip, you can use these three routes as a starting point. Check Metro Transit’s current schedule before traveling.

Visiting James J. Hill House

James J. Hill House adds a historic and architectural highlight. The 36,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion was once the largest private residence in the state of Minnesota. The superlative explicitly describes the house’s former status. Admission includes self-guided access to the first floor, as well as a 60-minute guided tour of the entire house.

The visit thus combines two options: independent access to a specifically designated area and a guided tour of the entire house. The 60-minute duration gives you a specific block of time to plan for the tour. It refers to the tour, not the total length of a visit. Those interested in Gilded Age architecture will find a clear focus here: the size of the house and its former significance as a private residence in Minnesota.

Which details can help you choose?

To compare Saint Paul’s attractions, it helps to look at the units of measurement: 450 acres is the area of Como Regional Park, 27 miles is the length of the Grand Round, and 36,000 square feet is the size of James J. Hill House. These figures describe different things: park area, route length, and building size. The house also has a 60-minute tour, adding a visit duration. This can help you distinguish whether a park, a scenic route, or a guided visit will be the deciding factor when planning your trip.

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