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			State Capitol Art Treasures Hunt Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul MN Dates: Nov. 21, 2009, Nov. 22, 2009, Nov. 28, 2009, Nov. 29, 2009, Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 6, 2009, Dec. 12, 2009, Dec. 13, 2009, Dec. 19, 2009, Dec. 20, 2009, Dec. 26, 2009, Dec. 27, 2009, Jan. 2, 2010, Jan. 3, 2010, Feb. 6, 2010, Feb. 7, 2010, Feb. 13, 2010, Feb. 14, 2010, Feb. 20, 2010, Feb. 21, 2010, Feb. 27, 2010, Feb. 28, 2010, March 6, 2010, March 7, 2010, March 13, 2010, March 14, 2010, March 20, 2010, March 21, 2010, March 27, 2010, March 28, 2010, April 3, 2010, April 4, 2010, April 10, 2010, April 11, 2010, April 17, 2010, April 18, 2010, April 24, 2010, April 25, 2010, May 1, 2010, May 2, 2010, May 8, 2010, May 9, 2010, May 15, 2010, May 16, 2010, May 22, 2010, May 23, 2010, May 29, 2010, May 30, 2010, June 5, 2010, June 6, 2010, June 12, 2010, June 13, 2010, June 19, 2010, June 20, 2010, June 26, 2010, June 27, 2010 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday Fee: $2 per booklet. Go on a self-guided scavenger hunt to discover 12 beautiful and important decorations in the State Capitol building. Each self-guided booklet includes a set of 12 gold stars that are placed next to the corresponding photographs when the item is discovered. At the end of the hunt, visitors are awarded a gold state seal, get Capitol architect Cass Gilbert's signature and become Junior Art Historians. The booklet is available at the Capitol's Information Desk. The Homecoming: A Victorian Christmas at the Ramsey House Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul MN Dates: Nov. 21, 2009, Nov. 22, 2009, Nov. 25, 2009, Nov. 27, 2009, Nov. 28, 2009, Nov. 29, 2009, Dec. 2, 2009, Dec. 3, 2009, Dec. 4, 2009, Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 6, 2009, Dec. 9, 2009, Dec. 10, 2009, Dec. 11, 2009, Dec. 12, 2009, Dec. 13, 2009, Dec. 16, 2009, Dec. 17, 2009, Dec. 18, 2009, Dec. 19, 2009, Dec. 20, 2009, Dec. 23, 2009, Dec. 26, 2009, Dec. 27, 2009, Dec. 30, 2009, Dec. 31, 2009, Jan. 2, 2010, Jan. 3, 2010 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; noon to 3 p.m. Sundays Fee: $9 adults; $7 seniors and college students; $6 children age 4-17; $2 discount for MHS members. Reservations: recommended, call 651-296-8760 Tour one of the nation's premier Victorian-era mansions decorated for the holidays. A guide will lead visitors through the parlor, where a 12-foot Christmas tree will be trimmed with blown glass ornaments. View original Ramsey family heirlooms including the dining room table set for 1875 Christmas dinner with Mrs. Ramsey's Havilland china and hear stories about the Ramsey's from family letters and diaries. Music will be playing on the 1875 Steinway piano. Meet Annie, the Ramseys' longtime cook and sample cookies fresh from the wood-burning stove. Visit the Carriage House for hot cider and shop for unique Victorian gifts. Tours start every 30 minutes. Christmas at the Folsom House Folsom House Historic Site, Taylors Falls MN Dates: Nov. 27, 2009, Nov. 28, 2009, Nov. 29, 2009 Time: 1 to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday Fee: $3 adults; $1 children ages 6 to 12. Take special holiday tours of the historic home in Taylors Falls' Angel Hill district, a New England-style village. The home of lumber baron W.H.C. Folsom features beautiful St. Croix River views. Tours are part of Taylors Falls annual Lighting Festival. Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul MN Dates: Nov. 28, 2009, Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 19, 2009 Time: 1 to 5 p.m.; rides leave every 15 minutes Fee: $12, $10 for MHS members Reservations: recommended, call 651-296-8760 Take a trip back to the 1870s to celebrate the holidays with a spin in a horse-drawn carriage around scenic Historic Irvine Park. Bring a camera, volunteers will be available to take your photo. Rides last 15 minutes. Relax into the Holidays James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN Dates: Dec. 1, 2009 Time: Tour 6:30 p.m.; class 7:30 p.m. Fee: $12; $10 MHS members. Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555 The holiday season is often a period of high activity and accompanying stress and anxiety, which was just as true a century ago as it is today. A special tour will focus on the many ways the Hill family and their servants, ca. 1891-1921, found ways to celebrate the hectic Christmas and New Year’s season with elaborate entertaining and simple pleasures. After the tour, visitors will gather in the Drawing Room where Beth Freschi will lead a special relaxation session – an hour-long class using modern day relaxation techniques that calm the mind and body. The class will begin with deep breathing, followed by a muscle relaxation exercise, guided imagery and meditation. Previous tour/relaxation classes at the Hill House have sold out, so reservations are strongly recommended for this unique event. Christmas at the Folsom House Folsom House Historic Site, Taylors Falls MN Dates: Dec. 4, 2009, Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 6, 2009 Time: 1 to 5 p.m. Fee: $3; $1 for children ages 6 to 12. Make your way through the historic Folsom House during a special holiday "open house." The home is located in Taylors Falls' Angel Hill district, a New England-style village. The home of lumber baron W.H.C. Folsom features beautiful St. Croix River views. Holiday Treats and Tours Comstock House, Moorhead MN Dates: Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 6, 2009 Time: 1 to 4 p.m. Fee: $4 for adults, $2 for MHS members. Free for children ages 5 and under. Reservations: recommended, call 218-291-4211 Enjoy holiday tours, treats, stories, music, games and activities at the historic Comstock House. The Victorian-era house will be decorated for the holidays. Hill House Holidays James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN Dates: Dec. 5, 2009, Dec. 6, 2009, Dec. 12, 2009, Dec. 13, 2009, Dec. 19, 2009, Dec. 20, 2009, Dec. 26, 2009, Dec. 27, 2009 Time: 1 to 3:30, groups begin every 30 minutes Fee: $10 adults, $8 seniors and students, $6 children ages 6-17; $2 discount for MHS members. Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555 The bustle and excitement of a Gilded Age Christmas is brought to life as costumed actors portray servants of the James J. Hill House preparing for the holidays. The one-hour program moves through the elegant first floor spaces and then to the basement servant work areas. The script is based on letters and oral histories of people who worked for the Hill family during the first decade of the twentieth century. Sorry, library passes are not valid for this program. The Doll’s Victorian Christmas Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul MN Dates: Dec. 16, 2009 Time: Tours leave at 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. Fee: $10 adults; $9 seniors and children ages 17 and under. $2 discount for MHS members. Reservations: required, call 651-296-8760 The Ramsey collection includes many dolls and a special dollhouse built for the youngest granddaughter, Laura Furness. Take a special child's tour that features stories of dolls, the mansion decorated for Christmas, and hot cider and cookies. Participants are encouraged to bring a doll and dress in holiday attire. A holiday craft activity will be available in the Carriage House. Christmas on the Farm Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River MN Dates: Dec. 19, 2009, Dec. 20, 2009 Time: 2 to 4 p.m. Fee: $6 per person; $4 for MHS members; free for children age 5 and under. Reservations: required, call 763-441-6896 Experience what Christmas was like on a 19th-century farm during a 75-minute hike along the trails leading to the farmstead and house. Along the way, discover how farm families and their animals coped with the shorter days and the colder temperatures. See what preparations were made for the holidays. Take a horse or oxen drawn bob-sled or wagon ride. Dress for outdoor weather. Warm refreshments follow. A Story Time Tour James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN Dates: Dec. 29, 2009 Time: 10 a.m. Fee: $5, $3 for MHS members Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555 Take a special tour of the James J. Hill House designed for younger visitors while enjoying popular turn-of-the-century children's stories. Listen to well-known works such as "Twas the Night Before Christmas," and lesser-known stories like "Why Evergreens Never Lose Their Leaves." This one-hour program is designed for pre-school through 1st grade children accompanied by an adult. Sorry, library passes are not valid for this program. Farewell to 2009 Candlelight Tour Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul MN Dates: Dec. 31, 2009 Time: Tours leave every 30 min. at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. Fee: $10 adults, $9 seniors, college students and children ages 6-17, $8 children age 5 and under; $2 discount for MHs members. Reservations: required, call 651-296-8760 Follow a path lit with luminaries to the historic site's front door and begin a candlelit evening tour of one of the country's premier Victorian homes. Guides dressed for a New Year’s Eve ball will lead visitors through the house. Sample cake and punch from Mrs. Ramsey's recipe and join in a sing along around the piano. The Pleasure of Your Call is Requested Alexander Ramsey House, St. Paul MN Dates: Jan. 1, 2010 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fee: $9 adults, $7 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6 to 17; $3 for children ages 5 and under; $2 discount for MHS members. Reservations: recommended, call 651-296-8760 Alexander Ramsey wrote in his journal, on Jan. 1, 1875: "Day was pleasant and wife had about 100 callers." Calls, or brief formal visits, were typical social behavior in the Victorian Age. Make your own call on the Ramsey House this New Year. Enjoy the Ramsey House's holiday décor while you hear more about the calling ritual, the etiquette and decorum expected of proper visitors, and see how Minnesotans celebrated New Year’s Day in the 19th century. After the tour visit the gift shop for a New Years Day sale. Gaslight Tours James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN Dates: Jan. 22, 2010, Jan. 23, 2010, Jan. 29, 2010, Jan. 30, 2010 Time: Tours leave at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. Fee: $10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $6 children ages 6-17; $2 discount for MHS members. $1 off with 2009 St. Paul Winter Carnival button. MELSA passes not accepted for this special program. Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555 Experience the elegance of the Hill House during these special evening tours focusing on winter entertainments. Guides in period clothing will escort visitors through four floors of the home, while visitors can test their etiquette knowledge in the dining room, learn about period children’s activities in the schoolroom and enjoy popular songs of the Gilded Age performed by soprano Beverly Ferriere in the art gallery. Also included are a Winter Carnival display, the current art exhibit, and silver and clothing displays. Winter on the Hill James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN Dates: Jan. 23, 2010, Jan. 24, 2010, Jan. 30, 2010, Jan. 31, 2010 Time: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays; 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sundays Fee: $8 adults, $6 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17, free for MHS members. $1 discount with a Winter Carnival button. Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555 Celebrate Minnesota's outdoor and indoor activities during St. Paul's Winter Carnival at the turn of the 20th century. See a display of Winter Carnival memorabilia, Great Northern Railway Winter Carnival uniforms, snowshoes and a luxurious wolverine carriage blanket. House tours will be offered throughout the day and visitors can help put together old-fashioned jigsaw puzzles and play other indoor games. Capitol Art and Artists Tour Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul MN Dates: Jan. 30, 2010 Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Fee: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and college students, $5 for children 6-17; $2 discount for MHS members and Winter Carnival button wearers. Reservations: required, call 651-296-2881 During this guided tour, visitors will examine grand murals, powerful sculptures, exquisite decorations and the restored Rathskeller Cafe and view works by artists Kenyon Cox, Edwin Blashfield, John La Farge, Elmer Garnsey and others. They'll also hear stories about the artists, learn about the muralist movement in America (1890s-1910), which used allegory and symbolism in public building artwork, and see how the art, architecture and overall decorative plan harmonize to make the Capitol one of the premier public buildings in the United States. Romance and Relaxation at the Hill House James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN Dates: Feb. 12, 2010 Time: 6:30 p.m. tour; 7:30 relaxation class Fee: $12; $10 MHS members. MELSA passes not accepted for this special event. Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555 Romance and relaxation are the topics of a special evening tour and meditation class. During the tour, learn about the long marriage of James J. and Mary T. Hill, hear stories of the four family weddings held in the house, and listen to excerpts of letters and oral histories of servants discussing their romantic adventures. Visitors will see the solid gold loving cup celebrating the Hills' 50th wedding anniversary and actual pieces of wedding cake from three of the daughters' weddings. After the tour, gather in the Drawing Room where life coach Beth Freschi will lead an hour-long class on "Loving Kindness Meditation" techniques that calm the mind and body. The class will begin with deep breathing, followed by a muscle relaxation exercise, guided imagery and meditation. Freschi is a life coach with a masters degree in counseling psychology and more than 15 years experience in mental health. For more information, visit her web site at www.atimeforexpression.com.