Take a fun and enlightening walk through two of the oldest and most important cities in the upper Midwest with this two-tour bundle. St. Paul, Minnesota which was founded in 1854, and Madison, Wisconsin, which became the capitol in 1836. Both have rich and colorful stories with everything from St. Paul's, gangsters and literary luminaries to Madison's amazing architecture and political past.

Minnesota's Storied City: A Walking Tour to St. Paul's State Capitol
Our tour of St. Paul’s history begins in Rice Park, in front of the Landmark Center, the city's cultural hub and St.Paul's very own castle. From there, you'll make your way down the Mississippi River to look out over where the Dakota village of Kaposia was once located. From Union Depot, you'll journey through St. Paul's Lowertown. At Mears Park, you'll walk through a corridor of modern architecture toward the Minnesota State Capitol. You'll find out how architect Cass Gilbert won the commission to build this magnificent building.

Madison Tour: A Guide from Monona Terrace to Memorial Union Terrace
This hour-long tour starts on Monona Terrace overlooking Lake Monona. You'll stroll around the Wisconsin State Capitol and the site of the Dane County Farmers Market before heading down State Street. You'll make your way through the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus to end at the Memorial Union Terrace, overlooking Lake Mendota. Along the way, you'll hear about the people of Wakandjaga village who built the area's effigy mounds and how Camp Randall got its start as a Civil War training camp. You'll hear about the mass student protests of the 1960s, see architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, and hear how it led to a 60-year debate over whether it was too grand for such a modest city.

Here are some of the highlights from this tour bundle. You’ll learn about:

• The true story of the French fur trader Pig's Eye Parrant
• St. Paul's famous progeny: author F. Scott Fitzgerald, hockey coach Herb Brooks, and Charles Shulz, the cartoonist behind Charlie Brown
• How police chief John O'Connor turned the city into a gangsters' paradise
• Why the plastic pink flamingo became Madison's official bird
• The story of Otis Redding’s tragic death
• How the 1960s changed the city – and the country
• The secrets hidden under the surface of Lake Mendota

Immerse yourself in the rich history of these two capitols. Along the way, you’ll hear amazing stories, learn key facts and come away with a deeper appreciation for how Madison and St. Paul came to be the great cities they are today.