Wabasha Street Caves

Of the many historical landmarks to visit in this beautiful city the Wabasha Street Caves are the coolest... cool like bring a sweater, and cool like neat or socially acceptable as well.  

I took the cave tour and the bus tour.  Both had a 1920's gangster theme.  I find that many tour guides can be very bland and get boring after a while.  Not this gal... the tour guide was actually an actress, she did a stellar job of keeping the crowd both interested and entertained.  It's hard to lose interest in something when there's a chick with a tommy gun hooting and hollering at you in a thick northeastern accent.  She was definitely a firecracker to say the least.    

As a St. Paul native, I was intrigued to learn about the rich history of the city from a standpoint that focused only on mobsters.  Most would think that something like this would be for tourists that aren't familiar with the area but I'd recommend it to locals as well.  Almost every piece of information mentioned during the tour was a complete virgin to my random fact storage box.

A perfect blend of learning interesting new facts and having  an enjoyable experience as well is what every tour like this should be.  And that's exactly what it was.

Oh...They have swing dancing sessions and the caves can be reserved for special events as well.  Swing dancing... not really my cup of tea, but this looks like an incredible place to hold a wedding reception or a banquet.

Best place for some great swing dancing fun!
They have amazing big bands and dancers abound.  From beginners to pros, all are welcome.
And did I mention it's in a cave??
Fun for all!

I found myself at the Wabasha Street Caves during a professional conference, our closing banquet was held within Caves 1 and 2 of the historic Wabasha Street Caves. Historians and lovers of old stuff alike will love the unique history and atmosphere of the caves.

We started our event with a cocktail hour in the bar area, which provided ample space for mingling and conversation in the cozy, dark, space. The dinner itself was catered and overall was above average and the catering staff was very good. We enjoyed our table being located right next to the historic fireplace - which turned out to have quite the story of its own.

After our dinner, we had the full tour experience. I have to admit, our group of historians liked to keep our tour guide sharp by asking all kinds of random questions. But, he was extremely knowledgeable and I can honestly say it was one of the best historic site tours I've experienced.

I would highly recommend the Wabasha Street Caves for an event... especially for those who enjoy learning about history!