Hop on the bus and come along on a journey with us into the St. Croix Valley area to the old river town of Stillwater. This town is known as the Birthplace of Minnesota and more importantly to us as the Birthplace of Department 56. Our adventure will include a narrated bus tour of the town provided by a step-on local guide who will show us the famous lift bridge, the wonderfully preserved architecture and impressive homes and the quaint Main Street retail district. We will hear the history and relive the boisterous folklore of this feisty old lumberjack community.


Our morning tours will feature a plated luncheon at the historic Lowell Inn, the model for the 25th Anniversary piece. Opened in 1927, the Lowell Inn rests on the site of the original lumberjack hotel; the Sawyer House. One of Stillwater's great benefactors and a manager of the Sawyer House, Elmer Lowell created the Lowell Inn, a lush and elegant hotel which still stands the test of time. Gradually, fine dining rooms were established, beginning with the George Washington room in 1930. Our late afternoon tour will feature a buffet dinner in one of the Lowell Inn’s three fine dining rooms. Come and hear the special connection the Lowell Inn has with Department 56.

Our journey will also take us to Tiny Town, the home of Jerry and Marilyn Sexton in South St. Paul. Jerry has been collecting little houses for almost 20 years and has won several national awards for his displays. The displays in his home and added on garage now total more than 42. You will see most of the Department 56 villages featured here including New England, Christmas in the City and the “Dickens Holiday Country Road”. Jerry is also proud of his historical displays like Colonial Williamsburg and his collection of historical lighthouses. To learn more about Tiny Town see the article in the June/July 2007 issue of Village D-Lights magazine. Jerry will be on hand to tell some of his wonderful stories and answer display questions.

The cost of the morning tours will be $35 which includes lunch at the Lowell Inn, narrated tour of Stillwater and visit to Tiny Town. The cost of the late afternoon/evening tour will be $40 which will include a buffet dinner at the Lowell Inn, narrated tour of Stillwater and visit to Tiny Town. Note: We will be able to accommodate those attendees who would like to experience both the Stillwater Tour and the D56 Showroom Tour on Thursday, June 26. The tour schedule will allow for a morning (lunch) Stillwater Tour followed by an afternoon D56 Showroom Tour or a morning D56 Showroom tour followed by a late afternoon/evening (dinner) Stillwater Tour.