-
Jul 4, 2009 10 am-5 pm
Take part in a grand and historic event like those held in small towns during the 19th & early 20th centuries as Old World Wisconsin celebrates our nation's military. Enjoy old-fashioned games, a band concert, and other historic activities. Visit with re-enactors from the Civil War-era Company F 29th Infantry U.S.C.T., a unit that portrays the role of African-American soldiers in the Civil War. See their camps, learn about their weapons, and understand what the life of a soldier was like during the Civil War. Admission to the museum is free for veterans with proof of service.
Download a detailed schedule of activities for the Old World Fourth of July event (PDF 347KB).
View a one-minute video about the 2008 Old World Fourth of July on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Jul 18, 2009 10 am-5 pm (game time is 1:30 pm)
Experience the fun of an old-fashioned game of base ball (yes, it was originally two words!) as Old World Wisconsin's vintage team, the Eagle Diamonds, faces off against the Milwaukee Grays, using 1860s rules. The game begins at 1:30 pm on our own charming Ward School Field. Admission to the museum gets you into the game for free.
View a one-minute video about the Eagle Diamonds Base Ball Team on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Jul 25, 2009 - Jul 26, 2009 10 am-5 pm
Step into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder at this hands-on celebration of her life and experiences. Dress like her, try her games and chores, help do Ma and Pa's work, too. Also check out all of the animal-, people-, and steam-powered vintage machines at work.
View a one-minute video on Laura Ingalls Wilder Days on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Aug 15, 2009 10 am-5 pm (game time is 1:30 pm)
Experience the fun of an old-fashioned game of base ball (yes, it was originally two words!) as Old World Wisconsin's vintage team, the Eagle Diamonds, faces off against the Wade House home team, the Greenbush Dead Citys, playing by 1860s rules. Admission to the site allows you to see the game for free.
View a one-minute video about the Eagle Diamonds Base Ball Team on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Aug 29, 2009 6-8:30 pm
Welcome to a fabulous outdoor concert celebrating the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. Enjoy a delightful evening of music, drama and conversation on the lawn with our 16th president and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln. Featuring music by the acclaimed 1st Brigade Band and famed Lincoln presenters Max and Donna Daniels. Hear the music the Lincolns might have heard, listen to their personal stories, and experience a moving farewell. Picnic dinners available for purchase before the concert. Reservations required: register online.
View a one-minute video about this event on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Sep 4, 2009 3:30-6 pm
Event sponsored by the Old World Wisconsin Foundation
View all the entries in the In Focus Photo Contest, chat with the judge, and admire the winning photographs on display at Caldwell Farmers' Club Hall.
-
Sep 5, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
Tatting (derived from the French frivolite), dates to the early 19th century, and is a technique for handcrafting particularly durable lace, constructed by a series of knots and loops using a shuttle. We've seen today's tatting used to make personalized earrings, chokers and necklaces. Participants will learn how to use the shuttle and tie the signature knots of this enjoyable craft. Although all materials are provided, including tatting shuttles, you may bring your own. No previous experience is required. This class will also be offered September 19, 2009.
Instructor: Anne Danko, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Participants should plan to bring a sack lunch.
Location: Ward School
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise noted
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Sep 12, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
In the 19th century, children fell asleep to the comforting sound of their mothers' spinning wheel. Discover why this skill is so pleasurable and part of the renaissance of fiber arts. You'll learn about different types of fiber suitable for spinning, how to card wool, use a drop spindle and how to spin on one of Old World Wisconsin's spinning wheels (or bring your own). No experience necessary. This class will also be offered October 24, 2009.
Instructor: Becky Lurvey, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Participants should plan to bring a sack lunch.
Location: Ward School
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise noted
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Sep 19, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
Tatting (derived from the French frivolite), dates to the early 19th century, and is a technique for handcrafting particularly durable lace, constructed by a series of knots and loops using a shuttle. We've seen today's tatting used to make personalized earrings, chokers and necklaces. Participants will learn how to use the shuttle and tie the signature knots of this enjoyable craft. Although all materials are provided, including tatting shuttles, you may bring your own. No previous experience is required.
Instructor: Anne Danko, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Participants should plan to bring a sack lunch.
Location: Ward School
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise noted
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Sep 26, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
Discover how people made hand-hooked rugs in the 1850s, by pulling loops of wool fabric through a woven base fabric using a wooden-handled rug hook. Once you learn the technique, you can create your own sophisticated designs using this high-quality, recycled fiber. This is not the latch-hook project with fuzzy puppies that you might remember from your childhood!
Instructor: Nada Moeller, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Supplies Needed: sturdy 14-inch rug-hooking hoop or other frame and a small pair of sharp scissors
Lunch: Participants should bring a sack lunch
Location: Ward School
Cost: $70 plus $45 kit to be paid to instructor on the day of class; fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Oct 10, 2009 - Oct 11, 2009 10 am-5 pm
Celebrate the harvest and help the farmers bring in and preserve this season's crops at this weekend-long event. Join in and experience how the fruits of gardens were dried and canned, meat was smoked and preserved, and people readied their homes and farms for coming winter. Another Autumn on the Farms weekend will take place October 17-18.
View a one-minute video about Autumn on the Farms on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Oct 17, 2009 - Oct 18, 2009 10 am-5 pm
Celebrate the harvest and help the farmers bring in and preserve this season's crops at this weekend-long event. Join in and experience how the fruits of gardens were dried and canned, meat was smoked and preserved, and people readied their homes and farms for coming winter.
View a one-minute video about Autumn on the Farms on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Oct 23, 2009 - Oct 24, 2009 Friday, Oct 23, at 6 pm. Saturday, Oct 24, at 5 pm and 7:30 pm.
Nightfall — the dividing line between light and dark, between reality and fantasy, between sanity and madness. Join Edgar Allan Poe as he stands alone in the flickering dark. Explore four classic Poe stories: The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum and The Tell-Tale Heart, and discover where you stand at nightfall. Begin by fortifying yourself with our delicious harvest buffet. Dinner and drama are approximately 2-½ hours long. Not recommended for children 10 and under. A drama by Eric Coble, produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. Reservations required.
View a one-minute video about this unique dinner theater event on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Oct 24, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
In the 19th century, children fell asleep to the comforting sound of their mothers' spinning wheel. Discover why this skill is so pleasurable and part of the renaissance of fiber arts. You'll learn about different types of fiber suitable for spinning, how to card wool, use a drop spindle and how to spin on one of Old World Wisconsin's spinning wheels (or bring your own). No experience necessary.
Instructor: Becky Lurvey, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Participants should plan to bring a sack lunch.
Location: Ward School
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise noted
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Oct 30, 2009 - Oct 31, 2009 Friday, Oct 30, at 6 pm. Saturday, Oct 31, at 5 pm and 7:30 pm.
Nightfall — the dividing line between light and dark, between reality and fantasy, between sanity and madness. Join Edgar Allan Poe as he stands alone in the flickering dark. Explore four classic Poe stories: The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum and The Tell-Tale Heart, and discover where you stand at nightfall. Begin by fortifying yourself with our delicious harvest buffet. Dinner and drama are approximately 2-½ hours long. Not recommended for children 10 and under. A drama by Eric Coble, produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. Reservations required.
View a one-minute video about this dinner theater event on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Oct 31, 2009 10 am-2 pm
Like Laura Ingalls Wilder and her sisters, as soon as pioneer children could sew with a needle, they were taught to make nine-patch quilt blocks. These quilts were made of what was on hand &8212; often wool or old fabric cut from worn and mended clothing.
You and your partner will learn to piece together a four- or nine-patch quilt square, using simple skills like hand quilting, using a hoop and two fabric layers with batting in between. You'll take home your project to complete into a doll blanket or pillow top, plus have the memory of satisfying time spent working together with someone special to you.
Ages: Workshop intended for children in grades one through eight plus their favorite grown-up
Instructor: Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Participants should bring a sack lunch.
Location: Ward School
Cost: $70 per adult/child pair (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Oct 31, 2009 10 am-4 pm
Expand your blacksmithing knowledge and skills. Learn how to temper iron, do scrollwork and make decorative twists. If you took the Beginning Blacksmithing class this spring or in previous years, this is the workshop for you. Blacksmithing classes sell out quickly so sign up early! This class will also be offered on November 7, 2009.
Instructor: Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Prerequisite: Dick Baer or Darold Rinedollar, Old World Wisconsin Basic Blacksmithing class
Required Clothing: appropriate work wear (long sleeves, long pants and hard shoes or boots)
Lunch: Participants should bring a sack lunch.
Location: Groteleuschen Blacksmith Shop
Cost: $160 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 1, 2009 Noon-5 pm
If you've started a project and gotten stuck, if you've started tatting and put it away and need a refresher, or if you've got lots of experience but can't read your pattern, this session is for you. All participants MUST know how to tat. This is an opportunity to meet with other tatters and give each other encouragement and instruction if you're stuck. Our tatting teacher, Anne Danko, will be there to help.
Instructor: Anne Danko, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Prerequisite: Tatting I or previous tatting experience
Location: Ward School
Cost: $10; fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 7, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
Learn the time-honored skill of weaving a useful or decorative basket from a master of the trade. Using authentic techniques, you'll make a basket just right for apples or a fall arrangement of gourds. You'll enjoy the satisfaction of creating a vessel that will be unique to you. There will be a variety of fall colors to choose from for the accent colors and several different pattern options for the colored weavers as well. The approximate finished size is 5 inches by 11 inches by 8 inches.
Instructor: Dorothy Neubauer, independent basket maker
Lunch: Participants should plan to bring a sack lunch.
Location: Caldwell Farmers' Club Hall
Cost: $70 plus an $18 kit fee to be paid to the instructor on day of class; fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 7, 2009 9 am-2 pm
Learn the 19th-century art of wood stove cooking on the real deal — one of our historic stoves. You'll get the feel for all that's involved in working around a wood cook stove while making three delightful, historic recipes. At the end of the day, you'll discover how delicious a meal can taste hot off a wood stove.
Instructor: Anne Danko, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Lunch included in the workshop fee
Location: Four Mile Inn in the Crossroads Village
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 7, 2009 10 am-4 pm
Expand your blacksmithing knowledge and skills. Learn how to temper iron, do scrollwork and make decorative twists. If you took the Beginning Blacksmithing class this spring or in previous years, this is the workshop for you. Blacksmithing classes sell out quickly so sign up early!
Instructor: Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Prerequisite: Dick Baer or Darold Rinedollar, Old World Wisconsin Basic Blacksmithing class
Required Clothing: appropriate work wear (long sleeves, long pants and hard shoes or boots)
Lunch: Participants should bring a sack lunch.
Location: Groteleuschen Blacksmith Shop
Cost: $160 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 14, 2009 10 am-3:30 pm
Create a family heirloom! Although braided rugs are often associated with the Colonial era, the craft did not develop until the early 19th century. Truly a form of American folk art, these rugs are made of wool and laced with cotton carpet thread. They're especially durable — people swear that they use them for decades and they still look great. Some participants have created smaller projects in this class, too, like table runners, trivets and placemats.
Instructor: Laura Guetzkow, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Participants should plan to bring a sack lunch.
Location: Caldwell Farmers' Club Hall
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 14, 2009 9 am-2 pm
Roll up your sleeves for a day of making a hearty lunch side-by-side in the Four Mile Inn. You'll learn the tricks of working with a wood stove and get to taste the fruit of your labors with a simple meal made while spending some time with your favorite partner, making and sampling some historic goodies.
Ages: Workshop intended for children in grades three through eight and their favorite grown-up.
Instructor: Karl Kaphengst, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Lunch included in workshop fee
Location: Four Mile Inn in the Crossroads Village
Cost: $80 per adult/child pair (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Nov 14, 2009 9 am-2 pm
Learn the early 19th-century art of Dutch oven cooking in an open hearth, right in the heart of our "black kitchen." You'll get the feel for all that's involved in working around a hearth with cast iron pots and Dutch ovens for baking while making three delightful, historic recipes. At the end of the day, you'll discover how delicious a meal can taste hot off the hearth.
Instructor: Joel Van Haaften, Old World Wisconsin interpretive staff
Lunch: Lunch included in the workshop fee
Location: Schulz House in the German Area
Cost: $70 (all materials provided); fees nonrefundable after August 20, 2009
Minimum Age Requirement: 16 unless otherwise specified
Registration: Call 262-594-6301 or register online today.
-
Dec 5, 2009 - Dec 6, 2009 Noon-4 pm
Stroll the 1870s Crossroads Village and discover the charms of many holiday traditions. Walk house to house, shop to shop, as you sample the treats, join in the festivities, and see how different cultures contributed to the rituals we enjoy today. The event repeats on December 12 and 13.
View a one-minute video about The Spirit of Christmas Past on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.
-
Dec 5, 2009 - Dec 6, 2009 2:30-7:30 pm
Event sponsored by the Old World Wisconsin Foundation
Celebrate the season with a sumptuous meal, music, entertainment and holiday traditions, inspired by the Swedish immigrants who settled in Wisconsin. The event repeats on December 13 and 14. Reservations required.
-
Dec 12, 2009 - Dec 13, 2009 2:30-7:30 pm
Event sponsored by the Old World Wisconsin Foundation
Celebrate the season with a sumptuous meal, music, entertainment and holiday traditions, inspired by the Swedish immigrants who settled in Wisconsin. Reservations required.
-
Dec 12, 2009 - Dec 13, 2009 Noon-4 pm
Stroll the 1870s Crossroads Village and discover the charms of many holiday traditions. Walk house to house, shop to shop, as you sample the treats, join in the festivities, and see how different cultures contributed to the rituals we enjoy today.
View a one-minute video about The Spirit of Christmas Past on YouTube, and visit Old World Wisconsin's new YouTube channel.