Homes by Architects Tour
Rules & FAQs.

All the homes on our tour are owned and occupied by real families! Thank you for respecting their homes by following our tour rules.

When is the 2027 tour?

The dates for the 2027 tour will be confirmed in late 2026.

I’m an architect and would like to submit a home for the tour. Where can I learn more?

Learn more about submitting a project you’ve designed to be showcased on the tour on the AIA Minnesota website. Projects that are designed by a registered architect, or a team where a registered architect is the lead designer, who is a current AIA Minnesota member are eligible. Submissions for the 2027 tour will open in late January or February and close in April.

What is on the virtual tour?

The exclusive virtual tour experience includes 3D, interactive tours of select homes outside of the Twin Cities metro area, using a software called Matterport. It also often features video content and photo galleries of all tour homes.

How do I access the virtual tour?

All tickets include access to the virtual tour. The 2026 virtual tour is over, but stay tuned for the 2027 tour dates!

Can I buy a ticket at a tour home?

Tickets will be available with cash only during tours hours at all tour homes.

Is there a discount for children?

A $12 student/child ticket may be purchased for children ages five and older. Children under age five are free. Adults, please supervise children closely at all times and hold their hands when possible inside the homes.

Will I get a physical ticket?

A wristband will serve as your ticket and you’ll need to show it at the entrance to each home. Pick up your wristband by showing your ticket purchase confirmation email at the volunteers at the first home you visit.

You may visit the homes in whatever order you choose. Your wristband is good for both days of the tour. If your wristband is lost, simply tell a greeter at any of the tour homes and you’ll be given a replacement.

Where are the homes?

The 2026 tour homes are mostly in Minneapolis and the western suburbs. New in 2026, we’re also featuring two homes in Rochester!

Is the tour accessible?

Because the tour showcases private residences that are not required to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA), tour homes are not guaranteed to be handicapped accessible. Please assume that the majority, if not all, of homes require stairs to access and/or have stairs throughout.

Where do I park?

Residential street parking is available at the homes. Be prepared for a short walk. Occasionally, tour goers are required to take a shuttle to tour homes due to municipal restrictions.

Are pets allowed?

In accordance with the American with Disabilities Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act, service animals are welcome on the tour. Service animals, as defined by federal law, are “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.” The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler’s disability.  

All other pets and animals, including those whose purpose is to provide emotional support, are not allowed on the tour as they do not quality as service animals. Thank you for respecting the people who are opening their homes to tour goers by leaving non-service animals and pets at home.

Can I take photos inside the tour homes?

No photography is allowed inside the homes, to respect the privacy of the people who live in them. We don’t want the owners’ personal items or photographs of their kids to end up on social media, and neither do they! It’s okay to take photos of the homes’ exteriors.

Can I wear my shoes inside the tour homes?

All visitors are required to wear a pair of shoe covers or remove their shoes and wear socks before entering a home. Bring a pair of clean socks to wear inside the homes or grab a pair of booties at your first stop and take them with you to the rest of the homes.

Please note that some homeowners may have requested that tour goers both remove their shoes and wear shoe covers; please defer to the volunteers.

What do you do with the used shoe covers?

We collect and recycle the used shoe covers via Terracycle, a company that handles materials that cannot be recycled via standard municipal recycling programs.

Can I bring in my coffee and snacks?

Beverages and food are not allowed inside the tour homes.

Where do I use the bathroom?

Bathrooms are not available during the tour. Please attend well-rested or plan to stop at a public restroom, such as at a gas station. Do not use the bathrooms in the tour homes.

Can I tour just one home?

Single-home visit admission is $12. Purchase these tickets on site by cash on site, or online by credit card during tour weekend.

Can I go through a home more than once?

Yes, as long as you present your wristband at the home.

I purchased a ticket in advance. Why haven’t I received my program or wristband in the mail?

We do not mail out programs or wristbands ahead of the tour. Please show your ticket purchase confirmation email to the volunteers at the first home you visit to pick these items up!