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Travel Through Time and the Stories of America’s Heartland

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Halloween Legends & Lore

Select Friday & Saturdays | 5:30 – 9:30 PM
Oct 11-12, 18-19, 25-26

In October, the veil between our world and the next grows thin at Old World Wisconsin… watch as troves of supernatural tales brought from cultures the world over come to life before your very eyes for an eerie evening of Halloween-themed spook-tacular activities!

About Us

A young girl dresssed in wheel men period clothes laughs with her mother in the Wheelman's Club house

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

Hands On Experiences

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

Children with chicken eggs in their hands

Collect chicken eggs 

Family trying on wooden shoes

Try on wooden shoes 

Children riding high wheel tricycles

Ride high-wheel tricycles 

Now For Sale

Oxen & Java Plushies! 

Check out our newest barnyard buddies!  Visit our museum shop to see our entire wild and wooly crew – and pick up your cute and cuddly new best friend today!

A group of children in the gardens

Wander the gardens 

A black smith poking the fire

Sponsored by Milwaukee Tool Mukwonago Operations

Lend a hand in the blacksmith shop

Someone washing clothes on a wash board

Wash clothes on a wash board 

Someone dressed in period time clothing weaving on a loom

Learn how to weave

Two oxes

Meet our oxen

Tall trees

Stroll down a wooded path

A child putting on a period time hat

Try on period clothing 

A family baking in the kitchen

Prepare food in the kitchens 

A teacher teaching a school house lesson

Take in a schoolhouse lesson 

Fine china set on a dining room table

Set the dining room table 

A picture of the pump organ

Play the pump organ 

Two children carrying wood to stack

Stack wood

Someone dressed in period time clothing spinning wool

Try your hand at spinning wool

Children pumping water from the well

Pump water from the well

Beer coming out a faucet

Sample beer made in the Brewhouse

Note: Some experiences are seasonal and dependent on staffing.

* Requires the purchase of time travel tokens 

to travel through time and the stories of America’s heartland.


Things To Explore

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 19th-century chapel, and tour homes filled with unique historic artifacts.

THE BREWHOUSE

Why settle for a storebought cold one when you can experience history? Join us at the Brewhouse and tap into Wisconsin’s historic beermaking past as you smell, stir, pour and taste 1800s-style drafts alongside artisan brewers. As part of the Cleary-Kumm Family sponsored Brewing Experience, you’ll follow every step of the artisan brewing process and finish with good cheer and ample beer alongside friends and fellow brewers alike.

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.

Piglet looking to the right

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?

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 19th-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.

WOODED TRAILS

Surrounding Old World Wisconsin are the misted foliage and striving plant life of the Kettle Moraine Forest, a wood that is at its best during the heart of a cool and vibrant spring. Join a wildlife tour or 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!

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

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 is Travel Green certified!


Learn with the Wisconsin Historical Society

Field Trips


Summer Camps


“We are already planning on returning later in the year to see what changes with the seasons.”

“What a wonderful experience for the entire family. My kids found lots of fun experiences.”

Zack W.


Wisconsin Historical Society Sites

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.