WBLAHS Group Tours

The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society has tours and programs that can be adapted to any group, large or small. Gather your group and enjoy a walking tour of downtown White Bear Lake, a Gangster Bus Tour around the lake or a presentation on Wildwood Amusement Park on the Mahtomedi shore.

For more details or to request a private group program please click here: https://whitebearhistory.org/group-presentations/

For more information on Group Tours or to inquire about availability and scheduling, please contact us at office@whitebearhistory.org.

 

Available Group Programs

WALKING TOURS:
A Discovery Walk Through Union Cemetery
Approx. 1 hour
$12/person (5 person or $60 minimum)
Guided tours include information on the establishment of Union Cemetery, cemetery symbolism and the
lives of several individuals who have been laid to rest at this site. Interpretations include characters such
as Hattie Long, an early special education teacher from White Bear Lake; Caspar Bloom, a two-time Civil
War Veteran who later settled in this area; and Captain W. A. Stickley, a publisher of the White Bear Press
early in the last century.

A Discovery Walk Through St. Mary’s Cemetery
Approx. 1 hour
$12/person (5 person or $60 minimum)
Guided tours include information on the establishment of St. Mary’s Cemetery – the White Bear Area’s only
Catholic cemetery, cemetery symbolism and the lives of several individuals who have been laid to rest at
this site. Interpretations include characters such as Fr. Nicholas Finn, a prominent St. Mary’s priest; Francis
X. “Moose” Goheen, professional ice hockey player; and William Markoe, Minnesota’s first hot air
balloonist.

Lake Avenue Stroll
Approx. 2 hours
$15/person (5 person or $75 minimum)
Take this guided tour and learn about the history of Lake Avenue and how the community of White Bear
Lake developed as you stroll along the shore of the lake from Lion’s Park to Matoska Park, (and back—
approx. 2 miles roundtrip). The first settlement and businesses developed along this shore and signs of
their presence can still be seen today.

Downtown White Bear Lake Then and Now Walking Tour
Approx. 2 hours
$15/person (5 person or $75 minimum)
Walk through White Bear Lake’s historic downtown and learn about the businesses and people who have
shaped the community, past and present. Explore historic and modern structures and the development of
our downtown business district using historic photographs to depict what once was there.

Historic Cottage Park Walking Tour
Approx. 2 hours
$15/person (5 person or $75 minimum)
Tour historic Cottage Park—where White Bear was first settled—and hear stories of the days of
community clubhouses, the area’s first resorts and church, and some interesting characters. The tour
departs from Lion’s Park, and makes a circuitous route through the Cottage Park neighborhood and back.
This is about a 1.5 mile walk round trip.

Historic Wildwood Walking Tour
Approx. 1 hour
$12/person (5 person or $60 minimum)
Stroll back through time and explore the history of Wildwood Amusement Park’s heyday when crowds
transported by the streetcars and steamers came to the “end of the tracks” to enjoy a day at the park
which boasted one of the first Tilt-a-Whirls, a roller coaster named “the Pippin”, a bathing beach,
expansive picnic grounds and much more. The tour departs from Triangle Park, and makes a circuitous
route through the neighborhood and back to Triangle Park. This is about a 1.5 mile walk round trip.

Historic Pub Crawl
Approx. 3 hours
$30/person- Minimum of 8, Maximum of 20 per group
Cocktails not included
Stroll downtown White Bear Lake and visit some of our most historic establishments while you discover
their stories. Your guide will share the tales of proprietors past, prohibition and local lore while you have
the opportunity to sample the goods of their trade.

Fillebrown House Tours
Approx. 1 hour
$12/person (7 person or minimum)
Visit this 1879 lakeside cottage filled with stories of the Fillebrown, Noyes and Young families who have
called it home. Learn what life was like throughout the decades including the golden era of Minnesota’s
First Resort Town, the Great Depression and War years into modern times.

 

DRIVING TOURS:
Gangster Bus Tour
Approx. 1 hour
-Step-on guide – your bus: $15/person ($75 minimum)
-Newtrax bus: $25/person ($200 minimum. Up to 12 people allowed)
Come along for an adventurous outing to explore the hideouts and haunts of the 1930s era gangsters who
laid low in the cottages around White Bear and Bald Eagle Lakes. Sights include a Mahtomedi speakeasy
and the location of a notorious dance club.

Around the Lake Bus Tour
Approx. 1 hour
-Step-on guide – your bus: $15/person ($75 minimum)
-Newtrax bus: $25/person ($200 minimum. Up to 12 people allowed)
Join our knowledgeable guide who will bring the past “to life” on a journey through history. Highlights
include tales of the first Tilt-A-Whirl, St. Paul’s movers and shakers from the last century, the golden era of
Minnesota’s First Resort Town and much more.

Mahtomedi Bus Tour
Approx. 1 hour
-Step-on guide – your bus: $15/person ($75 minimum)
-Newtrax bus: $25/person ($200 minimum. Up to 12 people allowed)
Our informed guide will dazzle you with stories of the gangsters, speakeasies and the characters of a
authentic small-town that was home to Wildwood Park for more than four decades.

 

BOATING TOURS:
Cruise into the Past – Historic Boat Tour of White Bear Lake
Approx. 2 hours
$25/person – your boat, our guide
(6 person or $150 minimum)
Your knowledgeable guide will tantalize you with images of days past and present as you skim the shore of
White Bear Lake, Birchwood, Mahtomedi, Dellwood and White Bear Township.