Ard Godfrey House

This quaint historic home is located in NE will surprise you upon entering. From the outside it appears to be a curious yellow home placed in a little park smack dab in the middle of a developed neighborhood; high rise condos, restaurants and grocery stores all surrounding. But the interior is decorated to reflect the 1850’s, when the Godfrey family moved to the area. Tours of the home and special events are run by the Minneapolis Women’s Club. You can come for free tours of the home on the weekends in the summer. The tours are typically given by Women’s Club members, volunteers, and interns. There is a donation box at the end of the tour to support the Women’s Club maintenance of the historic home home, and you can donate if you would like. A pretty neat one-​of-​a-​kind place in a wonderful neighborhood.

Have you been?
You need to go!
You owe it to yourself!
If you’re reading this review and it’s between the months of June through August, then now is your chance!
The Ard Godfrey house is the oldest wood frame home in Minneapolis and has actually been moved 5 TIMES from when it was originally built in 1849(!). During the months of June-​August on Saturdays and Sundays they offer ½ hour tours from 1−4pm for free (the first time I went on the tour, I was the only person that showed for the first 45 minutes, so I was able to extract a full 45 minutes of information, stories, displays… heh heh heh).
The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis has been maintaining this home since the 1970’s and has opened it up for the rest of us to get a glimpse into Minnesota’s past. You’ve most likely driven by this house in Chute Square a zillion times and never noticed… it simply – and oddly — blends into the scenery. It was also perceived as a mansion back in the day, so all the more interesting to see how the «upper crust» lived during the mid-​1800s. They also have some of the Godfrey’s original household items.
The tour guides are all volunteer, super-​friendly, and dressed up in time-​appropriate costumes. I’ve taken the tour twice over the last few years and plan on going again.
And now, for the cliff hanger: What is the origin and meaning of «Good night; sleep TIGHT; don’t let the bed bugs bite.»
You’re going to have to go on the doggone tour to get the answer.
You WILL thank me for it. And it just might change your life forever…