The Moving Michael Rainville, Jr.
This week’s Tour Guide of the Week is someone who has given top-notch Segway tours with Human On A Stick since June 2012: Michael Rainville, Jr.
A history undergraduate with a museum studies graduate certificate from St. Thomas University, Rainville is an extremely knowledgeable tour guide with a deep-rooted connection to Minneapolis.
“I grew up in Northeast Minneapolis, just a few blocks away from the Mississippi River, and my family has been in the same neighborhood since 1860,” comments Rainville. “I definitely feel a personal connection to the area and its history.”
Rainville is currently pursuing a MA in art history, and is in the early stages of writing his master thesis on the Grain Belt and Schmidt breweries of the Twin Cities and their architecture.
It is his passion for local history that drove him to research and write the script for the Northeast Minneapolis Tour along with some help from his father, Michael Rainville, Sr., who collaborated on this tour.
The Northeast Minneapolis Tour is a walking tour with engaging audio-narration equipment offered through Six Foot Bubble™ Tours.
“I have always enjoyed learning about our past, especially in a local sense,” explains Rainville. “From finding cool historic photographs to rediscovering interesting stories, I love uncovering our city’s and state’s secrets.”
Rainville hopes to establish himself in the museum world in the future. Now he writes for the history column of the Mill City Times; read his articles here.
To pick Rainville’s brain about local history, book a Segway tour with him here, or take his Northeast Minneapolis Tour–– coming September 2020. Call 952-888-9200 for any questions.
