History on holiday: A guide to Wisconsin's historic sites and museums
From the Destination Wisconsin: Plan your next trip in your own backyard series
Take a trip through Wisconsin’s past this summer. At Old World Wisconsin, learn about immigrants and settlers working hard to build new lives and our state. Savor the luxury of a Chicago brewer’s “summer cottage” on Lake Geneva at Black Point Estate. Or head back to school and experience what it was like to be a pupil in a one-room schoolhouse at Reed School in Neillsville.
The Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison features exhibits on everything from Native American cultures to the state’s lively political history. And where else but Wisconsin could one find a state historic site that features a big top circus? The state Historical Society has information on all of the sites.
Black Point Estate, Lake Geneva
Arrive at Black Point Estate by boat, the same way beer baron Conrad Seipp and his family once did as they traveled to the grand estate to escape the heat of a Chicago summer.
Getting there: Boat tours depart from the Riviera Docks in downtown Lake Geneva
Hours: Open through Oct. 31, tours are offered Monday through Sunday with a morning lake cruise leaving at 10:30 a.m. and an afternoon cruise on Friday and Saturday leaving at 12:30 p.m. Cost: $39 for adults, $37 for seniors (65+) and $27 for children (5-17).
More information: 262-248-1888 or www.blackpointestate.org
Circus World, Baraboo
Circus roots run deep in Baraboo and this site – once the winter grounds of the famed Ringling Bros. Circus – preserves Wisconsin’s role in creating big top spectacles. The museum boasts a huge collection of circus wagons and memorabilia. But a highlight for most is the live circus shows that take place under the big top.
Location: 550 Water St., Baraboo.
Hours: Through Sept. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with shows beginning at 10:15 a.m. Complete show schedule available on museum’s website. Sept. 2 through Oct. 31 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Closed for winter season.
Admission: $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors and $9.95 for children ages 5 to 11
More information: 608-356-8341 or www.circusworldbaraboo.org
First Capitol, Belmont
Discover what Wisconsin’s first Capitol looked like. The building is restored to look as it did when territorial legislators worked there.
Location: 18904 Highway G, Belmont
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 1
Admission: Free
More information: 608-987-2122 or www.firstcapitol.org
H.H. Bennett Studio, Wisconsin Dells
Peek inside the photography studio of H.H. Bennett, a Civil War soldier turned photographer, whose images lured tourists to Wisconsin Dells.
Location: 215 Broadway, Wisconsin Dells
Hours: Through Sept. 2, open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 3 to Oct. 27, open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed for winter season.
Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (65+) and $5 for children (5-12)
More information: 608-253-3523 or www.hhbennettstudio.org
Madeline Island Historical Museum, La Pointe
Discover what has drawn people to this northern Wisconsin island for centuries, from Native Americans to fur traders and today’s vacationers.
Location: 226 Colonel Woods Ave., La Pointe
Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sept. 1 and 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday Sept. 2 until Oct. 19. Closed for the winter season.
Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (65+) and $5 for children (5-12)
More information: 715-747-2415 or www.madelineislandmuseum.wisconsinhistory.org
Wisconsin Historical Museum, Madison
Explore Wisconsin’s history from its first inhabitants to the modern era at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Check out an Aztalan style home, “drive” a tractor and learn about the state’s colorful political past.
Location: 30 N. Carroll St., Madison
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Admission: Free, but suggested donation is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 5 to 12
More information: 608-264-6555 or historicalmuseum.wisconsinhistory.org
Old World Wisconsin, Eagle
A living history museum that takes visitors back to 1800s Wisconsin, Old World Wisconsin allows visitors to experience everything from life on the farm to classes in a one-room schoolhouse and a visit to the town blacksmith. On weekends, Fridays through Sundays, the preserved buildings are open and staffed and a number of hand-on activities are available. The site is now also open weekdays, allowing visitors access for a number of self-guided tours focused on architecture, gardening, nature and more.
Location: W372 S9727 Highway 67, Eagle
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Admission: Monday through Thursday $5 walking pass, plus $5 for optional tram tour, Friday, Saturday, Sunday adult admission $20, children $10 and seniors $18
More information: 262-594-6301 or www.oldworldwisconsin.org
Pendarvis House, Mineral Point
Discover remnants of Wisconsin’s lead mining past and learn the stories of the Cornish miners and settlers drawn to southwestern Wisconsin. Hike the site’s trails to see reminders of past mining activity, visit an authentic Cornish pub and tour historic homes.
Location: 114 Shake Rag St., Mineral Point
Hours: Through Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Closed for the winter season. Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors (65+) and $6 children
More information: 608-987-2122 or www.pendarvishistoricsite.org
Reed School, Neillsville
The Reed School House, built in 1915, served as a multi-grade one-room country school. Learn what it was like to be a pupil or teacher in those days.
Location: Corner of Highway 10 and Cardinal Avenue in Neillsville
Hours: Through Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed for the winter season. Admission: Free
More information: 608-253-3523 or www.reedschoolhistoricsite.org
Stonefield, Cassville
Explore an early 20th century village, take a tour of the home of Wisconsin’s first governor and check out the state’s largest collection of farm tools and machinery at the State Agricultural Museum.
Location: 12195 County Highway VV, Cassville
Hours: Through Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Closed for the winter season. Admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors (65+), $6 children (5-12)
More information: 608-725-5210 or www.stonefieldhistoricsite.org
Villa Louis, Prairie du Chien
Experience the opulence of the Victorian age with a visit to Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien. Then step into the servants’ quarters and find out how much work it took to maintain the estate. The mansion was home to the Dousman family, one of the state’s wealthiest families from the fur trade era until the end of the 19th century.
Location: 521 Villa Louis Road, Prairie du Chien
Hours: Through Sept. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily with tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9 through Oct. 26, tours available 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed for the winter season.
Admission: $13.50 adults, $11.50 seniors (65+) and $6.75 children (5-12)
More information: 608-326-2721 or www.villalouis.org
Wade House, Greenbush
The Wade House, built along a popular stagecoach route between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, is all about the world of horse-drawn transportation. The inn offered travelers a respite and today offers visitors a glimpse into 1800s travel. The Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum at the site has the state’s largest collection of carriages and wagons.
Location: W7965 Highway 23, Greenbush
Hours: Through Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. From Oct. 31 to April 30, 2020, the public can visit the carriage museum from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: $13 adults, $11 seniors (65+) and $6.50 children (5-12)
More information: 920-526-3271 or www.wadehouse.org
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