Photograph by Caitlin Abrams
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Pilot Donnie Gardner started his online model airplane business, DGPilot, in 2015. But when the pandemic grounded the airline industry, he used his free time to expand into a full-fledged travel-lifestyle concept with a brick-and-mortar presence.
Now open in downtown St. Paul, in the historic Hamm Building next to Meritage, this curated shop soars with an exclusive line of MSP T-shirts (called the “I Love the Twin Cities Collection”) and globe-trotting essentials—bags, packing cubes, foreign-language flash cards, travel guides, adapters, passport covers, even TSA-approved mini cocktail kits.
You’ll also find a smattering of MN-made goods and gifts—from brands such as Roseline’s Candles, Lucid Wood, Larissa Loden, and Northmade—and the brand’s founding father, a selection of collectible scale model airplanes. Gardner, who has been flying for 23 years, says DGPilot is here to inspire people who want to travel and see the world, as well as those dreaming of careers in aviation and aerospace.
406A St. Peter St., St. Paul, 651-347-0730
