August 18, 2018, Saturday - Engineering the Falls: History Player William de la Barre Tour at the Mill City Museum

Time:  10:30 am – 12 noon

Location:  Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street

Engineering the Falls: History Player William de la Barre Tour

Additional Date: September 8

Join a walking tour of St. Anthony Falls led by costumed History Player William de la Barre, the Austrian engineer who spent half a century developing Minneapolis flour milling and waterpower. Visit the Minneapolis riverfront, the west side milling district and the Stone Arch Bridge and hear about the many ways the falls have changed over the years.

William de la Barre, an Austrian engineer, arrived in Minneapolis in 1878 and was hired by C.C. Washburn to oversee reconstruction of the Washburn A Mill after its 1878 explosion. De la Barre was soon involved in the management of waterpower companies at St. Anthony Falls, and spent a 50-year career engineering the falls to maximize the power available to Minneapolis millers.

This tour includes about 1.5 miles of moderately paced walking on uneven surfaces. Please call ahead to make arrangements for guests with limited mobility.