There is a moment, somewhere past the carved fireplaces and the hand-painted murals, when guests at 300 Clifton stop walking and start whispering. They have found the stairs that lead down — down beneath the finest Georgian mansion in Minnesota — into a candlelit room that feels like a secret the house has been keeping for a hundred years. That room has a name: Gertrude’s Cistern.
If you have been wondering what, exactly, Gertrude’s Cistern is, here is the short answer. It is a speakeasy-style lounge and “haunted” video parlor hidden in the stone grotto beneath our historic Loring Park bed & breakfast — equal parts cozy hideaway, conversation piece, and after-dark romance. Here is the longer, more delicious version.
A speakeasy beneath a 12,000-square-foot mansion
The mansion at 300 Clifton Avenue was built in 1887 and reimagined in grand Georgian Revival style by the Carpenter family, who bought it in 1905. Eugene Carpenter was a lumber baron and one of the city’s great arts patrons — he helped found what is now the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The home earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and the City of Minneapolis still lists it among its protected landmarks.
Tucked into the foundation of all that history is the cistern itself — a vaulted stone chamber that once helped supply water to the estate. Today it has been transformed into an intimate lounge with heated reclining seats, soft light, and a passage that opens to an underground video room. Settle in, dim the lights, and the old stone walls do the rest.
Why we call it “haunted” (and why guests love it)
Every grand old mansion in Minneapolis seems to come with a ghost story or two, and we lean into ours with a wink rather than a shudder. Gertrude’s Cistern is our playful nod to that tradition: a moody, atmospheric space where a thunderstorm outside only makes the evening better. It is the kind of room that turns a quiet night into a story you tell later.
If you love that theatrical, slightly spooky charm, you are in good company in this city. Our sister property, the Pillsbury Club — set in the famously haunted Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion — leans all the way into the drama with a speakeasy-style bar, themed drinks, and a private theater. And for a night that starts with a chill down the spine, the ghost and true-crime rides from Minneapolis Trolley Tours roll right through the historic neighborhoods nearby.
The perfect end to a downtown summer day
Late June in Minneapolis is made for being outside, and Loring Park sits right at your doorstep. Spend the afternoon wandering the free, 11-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center — open daily and home to the city’s beloved Spoonbridge and Cherry — then loop back through the park’s ponds and formal gardens. Meet Minneapolis has a good rundown of everything else within a short stroll.
When the sun goes down, the evening belongs to the mansion. Many guests start in our four-season garden hot tub, steaming gently under the stars in a tucked-away English garden, then drift downstairs to Gertrude’s Cistern with a nightcap. It is a one-two punch of relaxation and atmosphere you simply cannot get at a downtown high-rise. (If a starlit soak is what you are really after, our recent guide on where to soak under the stars walks through the whole ritual.)
Plan your visit around what’s happening
Part of the fun of staying in Loring Park is timing your trip to the neighborhood’s calendar. The 26th annual Loring Park Art Festival returns July 25–26, 2026, filling the park with 150-plus artists, live music, and a culinary market just steps from our front door — a perfect weekend to pair daytime browsing with an evening in the Cistern. For more ideas, see our roundup of things to do near Loring Park this summer.
Traveling with a group, or want extra room to spread out? Our downtown sibling Oakland’s on 9th offers furnished extended-stay studios a few blocks away — handy for longer visits, work trips, or friends joining the fun.
Come find the secret for yourself
Gertrude’s Cistern is not on any tour map, and that is the whole point. It is one of those small, surprising places that makes a stay at a historic mansion feel like an adventure rather than a hotel night. Whether you are planning a romantic weekend, an anniversary, or simply a downtown escape with a little mystery, there is a room — and a candlelit cistern — waiting.
Ready to descend? Book your stay at 300 Clifton and discover the speakeasy beneath the mansion. We will leave a light on in the grotto.
Keep reading: Planning a warm-weather visit? See A Summer Weekend in Loring Park: Where to Stay in Downtown Minneapolis.