F. Scott Fitzgerald House St. Paul: Where The Great Gatsby's Author Began
The F. Scott Fitzgerald House in St. Paul is where the author of The Great Gatsby became a published writer. In the summer of 1919, a 22-year-old Fitzgerald shut himself in a third-floor room at 599 Summit Avenue and rewrote his first novel, This Side of Paradise. When it sold that September, legend has it he ran up and down Summit Avenue stopping cars to share the news.
Today, the red-brown rowhouse is a National Historic Landmark. It's a private home, so you can't go inside, but standing out front is a must for any Fitzgerald fan visiting Saint Paul.
TAKE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF FITZGERALD'S SAINT PAUL:
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Saint Paul Walking Tour is a self-guided GPS audio tour that starts at his birthplace and ends right outside 599 Summit Avenue.
Along the way you'll learn:
Where Scott was born, and why his family named him after a famous songwriter
Which pharmacy he visited for "Coke-and-smoke" breaks
How he met Zelda Sayre
Where Scott and Zelda lived when their daughter was born
The walk takes a little over an hour.
ABOUT THE F. SCOTT FITZGERALD HOUSE:
The house is one unit of a row of homes called Summit Terrace, built in 1889. Fitzgerald's parents moved into 599 Summit Avenue in 1918. After he left the army and was rejected by Zelda, who wouldn't marry him until he could support her, Scott came home and threw himself into his novel. This Side of Paradise came out in 1920, made him famous almost overnight, and won him Zelda's hand. The house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
OTHER FITZGERALD SITES IN ST. PAUL:
481 Laurel Avenue—His birthplace, where he was born on September 24, 1896.
W.A. Frost & Company—The old pharmacy building he visited as a boy, now a restaurant.
The Commodore—The old hotel where Scott and Zelda were living when their daughter, Scottie, was born in 1921.
Rice Park—Home to a bronze statue of Fitzgerald downtown.
TIPS FOR VISITING THE F. SCOTT FITZGERALD HOUSE:
It's a private home. Please stay on the sidewalk and don't disturb the residents.
Look for the plaque. A marker notes the house's landmark status.
Visit in fall. Summit Avenue's trees and old homes are at their most beautiful.
Pair it with a drink. W.A. Frost and the Commodore are both a short walk away.
PLAN YOUR TRIP:
Want the full breakdown—where to eat, where to stay, and the best things to do in St. Paul, MN? Our Saint Paul travel guide covers all of it.
Check out our Saint Paul travel guide to plan your trip.
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