The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) has reversed its decision to open Alexander Ramsey House for holiday tours on Dec. 26 after it was criticized for ending a tradition of keeping the historic home closed on the anniversary of a mass execution of the Dakota people.
The Victorian mansion at 265 Exchange St. S. was once the home of Alexander Ramsey, who was the Governor of Minnesota on Dec. 26, 1862, when 38 Dakota men were hanged in Mankato, an event that remains the largest single execution in American history.
It came just a few months after Ramsey told the Minnesota Legislature: “Our course then is plain. The Sioux Indians of Minnesota must be exterminated or driven forever beyond the borders of Minnesota.”
Since 2019 – and once in 2012 to mark the 150th anniversary – the home has been closed to holiday tours on the 26th in observance of the anniversary, only for an employee to notice earlier this month that the property was once again offering tours the day after Christmas as part of its holiday program.