Betsy-Tacy Sites in
Deep Valley
Though Mankato has certainly changed since Maud lived here, there are still plenty of Betsy-Tacy things to see in Deep Valley!
Start your tour by picking up a brochure and a map of Betsy-Tacy sites at the porch-side door of Tacy’s House (332 Center Street). Before you start exploring, be sure to sit on the Betsy-Tacy bench at the top of Hill Street (actually Center Street) and take a picture with your best chum!
Tib’s house (503 Byron Street), where Henry and Minnie Gerlach raised their four children, is near the Betsy and Tacy Houses. Henry was an architect who designed and built this house and many other Mankato-area buildings and homes, some of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Fans will be delighted to know that the house is currently chocolate-colored!
Note: Dorothy’s and Alice’s houses are also on Byron Street, and Winona I’s beautiful home is just a few blocks away.
Carnegie Library (120 S. Broad Street): The Carnegie Library opened its doors in 1904. “It was on a snowy day that I made the acquaintance of the Mankato Public Library with its children’s room and the (for me) prophetic painting of Delos above the mantelpiece,” wrote Maud in 1960. Today the building is the Carnegie Art Center.
Blue Earth County Historical Society Heritage Center (415 Cherry Street): Check out the permanent display of Maud Hart Lovelace memorabilia, including the Betsy bride doll that toured the country promoting the release of Betsy’s Wedding.
Glenwood Cemetery (711 Glenwood Avenue): This is the final resting place of Maud Hart Lovelace and many other characters from the Betsy-Tacy books. Read our guide to finding BT characters in this cemetery here.
Lincoln Park (200 Lincoln Street): This little historic park was an important landmark in the Betsy-Tacy books. As the girls grew older, they were allowed to venture downtown past Lincoln Park, which marked the edge of the neighborhood. The “Boy in Blue” Civil War Memorial Fountain was rebuilt and dedicated in 2015. You can read more about the Boy in Blue here.
Sibley Park (200 Park Lane): Mankato’s oldest and largest park. The Hart family liked to picnic here, and it was a popular location for fun and picnics when Betsy, Tacy, and Tib were in high school. From atop the hill behind Maud’s home on Center Street, she could look down on the whole town and see Front Street and Sibley Park.
Note: Marjorie Gerlach Harris (“Tib”) requested that her ashes were to be scattered at the foot of a large oak tree in this park.
Take a
Virtual Tour
If you can’t get to Mankato to visit Betsy-Tacy sites in person, you can still take a look at many places you’ve always longed to see. Click on the BTS logo next to the items in the menu on the left side of the map (you may have to expand the list to see all of them). If you don’t see a photo immediately, click the link that says View in Google Maps. Have fun exploring!
Tour Betsy-Tacy Sites in
Deep Valley
Tour Betsy-Tacy Sites in
The Great World
Mailing Address
332 Center Street
Mankato, MN 56001
The Betsy-Tacy Society is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and your contributions may be tax-deductible. Please ask us if you require more info – and thank you for your support!
The Lois Lenski and Vera Neville illustrations on this website
are used with permission from HarperCollins Publishers.
Hours
You can reach out to us by phone or email 24/7; we will respond within two business days.
The Shop at Tacy’s House is open every Tuesday and Thursday, 1–3 p.m. Both Houses are open for tours and shopping on Saturdays, May–October, 1–3:30 p.m., and special weekday tours are available year-round.
You can place orders from our online Shop at any time.
Contact
General info:
info@betsy-tacysociety.org
24-hour answering service:
507-345-9777
Publications and virtual events:
Jennifer@betsy-tacysociety.org
Membership:
SiteManager@betsy-tacysociety.org