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Fall Family Fun Starts Here

There’s no shortage of exciting autumn activities at Old World Wisconsin this season! From harvesting apples and preparing fields for winter to pickling, canning, brewing, and cooking, there’s something for every fall-lover at the cozy Crossroads Village. Note that events below—much like fall itself—are subject to change based on weather conditions and staffing needs.

Fall Hiking Through the Kettle Moraine
With its warm days, crisp evenings and late sunsets, September is the perfect time to experience autumn outdoors. Find your own fall renaissance as you walk beautiful landscapes and hike trails while the Kettle Moraine transforms from summer-green to a swathe of golds, oranges and reds.

Oktoberfest Beer & Brewing Celebrations
Clink steins and fight off fall chills with a mug of hearty Oktoberfest ale at Wittnebel’s Tavern, a charming 1930s-style bar with an adjoining Biergarten. Be sure to pick up special brewhouse recipes from our expert guides!

Fermenting, Pickling & Preserving
Before refrigeration and other modern preservation techniques, immigrants relied on other methods of storing food for the winter. Learn about pickling and fermentation, watch jam and jelly processing and—of course—discover the art of cheesemaking.

Cornucopia Harvest
A traditional fall harvest awaits. Celebrate the change in seasons by helping harvest vegetables—including corn and apples—and learning about 1800s and early 1900s farming techniques.

Experience a breath of fresh air this fall at Old World Wisconsin!

Grab your tickets now and reserve your spot!

SEE YOU IN SPRING

About Us

A young girl riding a bike, smiling, with a woman following behind her in the background

Set against the backdrop of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and 600 acres of picturesque woodlands, prairie, and wetlands, Old World Wisconsin is a one-of-a kind-place where the modern world fades away to reveal over a century of history. The site includes 60 authentically restored historic homes, farms, stores, and workshops.

Along your journey from the 1840s to the 1910s, costumed ambassadors will invite you to get hands on with history. You’ll meet furry friends on the farms, enjoy an old-fashioned soda water in the general store, see sparks fly in the blacksmith shop, see how beer is made, and so much more!

How you explore is up to you – our historic areas are located within convenient walking distance of each other, or you can choose to hop on our complimentary tram.

Interactive Experiences

SEE YOU IN SPRING

Craft a leather keychain*

Take home a hand crafted metal hook*

Enjoy an old-fashioned soda water*

Shop in the general store*

Help bake bread

Try on period clothing

Try on wooden shoes

Ride high-wheel tricycles

Sponsored by Milwaukee Tool Mukwonago Operations

Lend a hand in the blacksmith shop

Wash clothes on a wash board

Someone dressed in period time clothing weaving on a loom

Learn how to weave

Meet our oxen

Stroll down a wooded path

Prepare food in the kitchens

A teacher teaching a school house lesson

Take in a schoolhouse lesson

Set the dining room table

Play the pump organ

Wander the gardens

Pump water from the well

Sample beer made in the Brewhouse

Note: Some experiences are seasonal or available at select times.

* Requires the purchase of time travel tokens

Things To Explore

VISITOR MAP

Kids exclaim over a hot poker in the blacksmithing workshop

CROSSROADS VILLAGE

The heat and sparks of a white-hot forge, the ornate trinkets of an 1800s-era general store, and troves of authentic Victorian history to explore—all of it comes alive at the Crossroads Village, a lifelike recreation of small-town America during a tumultuous era of immigration, ingenuity and industry. Browse shop shelves and select your very own souvenir, learn ironworking secrets from artisan blacksmiths, walk through the pews and pulpits of a 19^th-century chapel, and tour homes filled with unique historic artifacts.

Rob Novak checking ingredients at OWW brewhouse test photoshoot.

BEER & BREWING

Why settle for a storebought cold one when you can experience history? Join us at Wittnebel’s Tavern to have a pint, or follow every step of the artisan brewing process in the Brewhouse, or relax in a German style beirgarten surrounded by beautiful plants (some of which can be used to make beer!). Celebrate good cheer and ample beer alongside friends and fellow brewers alike.

TAP INTO HISTORY

A young girl looking at a watermelon with a woman dressed in period clothing, with another woman in the background

LIFE ON THE FARMS

Rural immigrants were nothing if not resourceful. From sowing to plowing, learn firsthand how subsistence farmers honed centuries of agrarian trades and techniques to adapt and meet the challenging conditions of their time. Dig into the history of one of the first African American farming communities in Wisconsin, visit the homesteads of Pomeranian, Polish and Hessian immigrants, discover the tools and equipment used in 1800s crop cultivation and more.

SCANDINAVIAN HOMESTEADS

In centuries past, homes were built by the same hands that inhabited them. From log cabins to wood-burning stoves and rough-cut windows, explore the houses of Finnish, Danish and Norwegian immigrants who built and lived on the lands that now make up Wisconsin. Finish your education in early homestead design with a lesson on Old World living at the quaint yet stately Raspberry School.

HERITAGE ANIMAL BREEDS

Almost every cow, chicken, sheep, pig and horse you meet during your visit to Old World Wisconsin is a Heritage Breed—in other words, a traditional, historic animal from a bygone era before industrial agriculture became standard practice. More than simply being rare or unique, heritage breeds hold history in their genes: each one is a reminder of local farming techniques and cultural traditions no longer implemented today. Oh… and did we mention they’re endlessly cute?

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

WAGON WORKS

The Wagon Shop has officially transformed: welcome to the ALL-NEW Wagon Works at Old World Wisconsin! Get involved in this hands-on crafting experience as you explore, create and tinker with 1800s-era wagon materials in a rugged, sawdust-laden studio. Tool around with 19^th-century building materials, look up carriage schematics and put your newfound knowledge to the test as you tackle the ultimate task: designing your OWN wagon.

NEW MAKERS SPACE

WOODED TRAILS

Surrounding Old World Wisconsin are the misted foliage and thriving plant life of the Kettle Moraine Forest, a wood that is at its best during the heart of a cool and vibrant spring. Explore the paths and trails of the forest at your own pace as you discover and revel in the beauty of budding trees, flowering plants, colorful birds, enchanting wildlife, stunning vistas and much, much more.
As part of a 5 year project, Standard Process, Inc. will be assisting in restoring some trails to get them back on the map and available to guests!

CATCH WHEEL FEVER

Discover how sports, technological innovations, and shared social spaces were key in creating community identity and connecting lives near and far. Hop on an early high-wheel bicycle and see how communities came together in the club hall.

Old World Wisconsin Gallery

a woman in clothes from the time stands the the side of a store counter that is decorated to match the time period of the woman — General Store

a man in clothes from the time drives a horse drawn plow in a field — General Store

Learn with the Wisconsin Historical Society

a man, dressed in clothes from the time, talking and showing something to a group of kids

Field Trips

EXPLORE PROGRAMS

Summer Camps

EXPLORE DAY CAMPS

Wisconsin Historical Society Sites

BECOME A MEMBER

Old World Wisconsin is one of the 12 historic sites and museums owned and operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Explore all of these sites below.