Hey everyone. I'm putting out a feeler to see if there are people out there who are interested in these kinds of things and invite you all out to them - and possibly a drink afterwards? Just some fun diversions for this fall:
State Capitol Centennial: Shadows and Spirits of the State Capitol
Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul MN
Dates: Oct. 28, 2005, Oct. 29, 2005
Time: Tours leave every half hour from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Fee: $7 adults, $6 seniors, $4 children ages 6-17. MHS members receive a $2 discount.
Reservations: required, call 651-296-2881
The shadows on the Capitol's marble walls lengthen as the days grow shorter and darkness falls earlier in October. Visitors will have a chance to view the eerily lit, shadowy building on special evening tours. Along the way they'll meet historical "spirits," including a night watchman, a Civil War veteran, a suffragist, a dome foreman and an artist who decorated the Supreme Court chamber, who will tell tales of the Capitol's early years. Due to the length and content of the program, these tours are not appropriate for small children.
Victorian Ghost Stories
James J. Hill House, St. Paul MN
Dates: Oct. 24, 2005, Oct. 25, 2005
Time: 6 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday; 7 and 8:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
Fee: $8; $6 for Minnesota Historical Society members
Reservations: recommended, call 651-297-2555
Ghost stories filled literary publications of the Victorian era, thrilling families who gathered in the evenings to read scary tales. Costumed actors Craig Johnson, Laura Salveson and Ann Brueggeman will perform a readers' theater of ghost stories from Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry, Edith Wharton and others in the dimly lit Hill House. The program also explores the longtime popularity of ghost stories and haunted houses and the fascination they still hold today. Hot apple cider will be served, and house tours will be available following the performance. Due to the length of the program and its content, the event is not recommended for children under age 10.
The Minneapolis Horror: Tales from the Night Shift
Mill City Museum, Minneapolis MN
Dates: Oct. 30, 2005
Time: Tours leave at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m.
Fee: $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 for children ages 6-17 and MHS members.
Reservations: required, call 612-341-7555
In 1878, American Miller magazine ran a story describing the disastrous flour dust explosion on the evening of May 2, 1878, that destroyed the Washburn A Mill and killed 18 workers. Explosions, however, were just one of the many hazards faced by workers on the night shift in the Minneapolis mills. On these special evening tours of the historic buildings that are the home of Mill City Museum, visitors will have the unique opportunity to view the mill, its ruins, and its many nooks and crannies at night. Along the way, visitors also will hear dramatized readings about the dangerous work on the mill's night shift and the many calamitous disasters that have befallen the building over the years. Among the characters they will meet are Ernest Sturtevant, who wrote about the 1878 explosion; mill supervisor J.C. Roberts, who witnessed a 1928 fire; and Seth King Humphrey, who invented the convenient, but frequently dangerous, Humphrey manlift elevator.
Special Halloween Presentation of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"
Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul MN
Dates: Oct. 29, 2005
Time: 8 p.m.
Fee: $10; $8 for MHS members
This special screening features one of the first horror films ever made: the 1919 German classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Historic Fort Snelling staff will present the film with a new script and soundtrack. Live vocal dialogue, music and sound effects will create a unique Halloween film-watching experience. Refreshments will be served prior to the show
