Ramsey House re-opens for the first time since pandemic closure
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- For the first time since the global shutdown of the 2020 pandemic, a Minnesota landmark is back open to the public.
St. Paul's Alexander Ramsey home reopened its doors Saturday afternoon to a capacity ticketed crowd. The event, the result of months of planning, represents a new beginning for programming for the home, said Site Manager Betsy Faber.
"It's about making sure that when people come to visit us, that they're getting a great experience with a well-trained staff," said Faber, who began her role with the home in October. "People are just excited to be able to access the home again after so long. A lot of people have really strong memories of coming here as school kids, and with their family in the holidays. We're just excited to have it accessible and open so people can see the house and interact with it as well."
The home, built in the 1800s, served as the family home for Alexander Ramsey and his family until the 1960s. Ramsey, who served as Minnesota's second governor, also served as a senator, mayor of St. Paul and the United States Secretary of War. His home is still decorated with authentic items he and his family used during the time they lived there.
"You get to physically occupy the spaces these historical figures occupied," Faber said. "You get to see their desks, you get to see what books they read. You get to see even the nitty gritty stuff, like their bathroom. You get a really personal connection to history."
Moving forward, the home will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Beyond that, Faber says they are planning specialty programming beyond the holidays.