Old World Wisconsin

Fun historical mini city. I appreciated the brewery and tap room at the entrance. There are trams that take you to the different areas and lots of little hiking trails to be able to wander around. There are historical guides and interpreters that explain about the different farms and buildings. You could easily spend the whole day here. I brought a water bottle but they have a few buildings that sell food and beverages.

Had a great time with my child for the day! Beautiful grounds, engaging experiences with the staff, and easy on and off tram to get around. Plenty of bathrooms around the entire property. Plan to stay a while, pack snacks and/or lunch, and see it all.

Old world Wisconsin is such an awesome place with so much history so much to see and do and the workers (actors? Performers?)are great at playing their roles very kind and very nice always greeting with a smile and some great historical facts about the houses/buildings that are on location every single one of them such great people ,I've been twice now but plan on returning its so good and there is always something new to find one day isn't enough to see everything the place has to offer ,I believe they just added a tavern and are working on doing something to the main entrance. They sell souvenirs and offer food and drinks ice cream and more they also have tokens you can use on one of the multiple themed shops, the place is fairly big so they have a "tram" service for free that stops on every interest point in the park it gets full fast fyi but it's very convenient, they have some hiking trails too, you could walk the whole place no problem if you want to. Great experience it's a must if you're a history buff or just want to experience a little bit of history heck even just to walk around for a bit this place is awesome 😎👍🏽 highly recommended.

Great day exploring Old World Wisconsin! Very accessible living museum with lots to see and do. We were able to walk a great deal, then to ride the free trams when we wanted. The OWW team was fabulous - friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable about the buildings and crafts they were demonstrating. We saw a lot, but want to go back for more!

Great place to go for a little family trip. Allows you to go back in time to see how things were done for you previously in the state of Wisconsin. So much to see and do every time we go. I don't think we have covered the whole thing yet and we have been there multiple times. We also got married there 10 years ago and we could not have asked for a better venue. I definitely recommend it for all ages.

Never miss an opportunity to pop in at Old World Wisconsin. Always something new. This time we didn’t spent lots of time, as it was a bonus stop after visiting Milton House Underground Railroad, but we saw the new Tavern. Beautiful.

A very interesting place to spend a sunny Sunday. You can walk or take a guided tram ride. The staff is very friendly and willing to share history and interesting facts.

My family and I LOVE Old World Wisconsin, we live about 75 minutes southeast of Eagle, WI, but it's well worth the trip to go up there several times during their open season. We have a family membership (2 adults, 2 kiddos), and that makes it well worth a couple trips up there. This year, we went on July 4th for the Independence Celebration. There were various activities and events happening that we experienced! Besides that, it literally feels like you have stepped back into mid 18oo's Wisconsin! The buildings are amazing, and the native landscaping is breathtaking!

I have never been to old world Wisconsin before. This was our first visit. I had no idea what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised at all the different villages, and the workers they had there in period clothing, explaining to the visitors what they were doing. It was lovely to me and through all the different villages, and take in the history of it all. I would love to see it in fall. I'm sure it is absolutely as beautiful as in every season. Highly recommend for all age groups.

Loved our recent stop here. Got some free passes at the local library so that helped save some money. I came here as a kid on a field trip but I forgot how big the whole compound was. Thankfully, they offer trams to bring you between the villages. We opted to walk and it was quite the work out on a late July day. But, loved the experience to help bring us back in time a bit. They do have a few treats along the way like ice cream, food and beer/canned adult beverages/soda, but I definitely recommend you bring water or snacks. It can be a long day if you take your time and check out all the buildings, which I highly recommend. The staff are so friendly and informative and answer questions patiently. Very impressed with all of the staff!!

the park itself is awesome. The trails are nice. Rated down 2 stars as there seemed to be maybe 2 trams and a lot of youth camp kids were there so tram after tram passed us and we couldn't get on. It would have been very bad had we brought our older parents. On days when there are kid camps visiting suggest adding more trams.

Legends and Lore: Two adults 6 teenaged girls, some into scary, some scaredy cats wanted to do something fun at night during spooky season. This was perfect! We all had fun. We may have learned something along the way too! Important note: get there early and done feel the need to do it all in order. There is a lot to see.

If you allow yourself about three hours, you will see and read everything. Great exercise in a natural setting. Can't go wrong with old world, Wisc..

It was amazing!! My daughter and I love history and it felt like we were transported back to the 1800's. Staff was super polite and were very prompt and knowledgeable with our questions. Definitely recommend this location if your looking todo something with your family

The Disneyland of frontier North America. And I do not put that lightly. There is a little something for everyone here and it was great that just about everyone - both staff and volunteers - seemed to enjoy what they do. The token system is great for the experience but the nature and historic value alone is worth its weight in gold. I like that the animals are well taken care of. The blacksmith was great and full of enthusiasm. The school house was very engaging. Having the tram system really helped us get around after our feet got tired. Great place. Highly recommend. Amazing for adults and kids alike.

Cutest place ever! Make sure to bring plenty of water and plan for a whole days adventure, not just a few hours.

My family came to Old World Wisconsin, and I was super impressed! My nephews (3 and 5) had a great time, and there was plenty to keep us adults interested too. The transportation between each site was impressive. It was a very hot day, so it was really nice to have all the water fountains around the park that they did. Great spot!

Old World Wisconsin is a beautiful museum of sorts out in the country. The staff were kind and helpful, teaching about the history of each building and its former inhabitants. There are many life animals on the farms as well. Our time here was limited, but I could have spent all day here! Be sure to check café hours. Bring your own snacks and water as well.

Beautiful grounds, very peaceful, learned a ton. All the staff were so interesting and educational and friendly. Absolutely picturesque. The kids and adults had a blast. Only one critique, please offer smaller sizes for the ice creams! The huge cones and dishes are far too large for a hot day of walking and for kiddos, no one could finish theirs. Please offer a mini cone.

We came to Old World Wisconsin on a class field trip. Seeing the pigs, the baby chickens, and the sheep makes this place worthwhile! The whole place is like a time warp, and they have some rope-making presentations by the farm, an opportunity to walk on stilts as a past-time, guided tours, and getting a tram around the area. Great place to walk around and explore. There are student rates as well as school discounts. Be sure to bring a packed or sacked lunch, since their restaurant was just okay - I did enjoy their Oatmeal Raisin cookies as they were quite delicious! Their Pulled Pork was okay, but more on the sweeter side, and their potato salad was very dill-focused. Definitely an educational experience! +great educational experience! +bring a sacked lunch

Cool place for all ages, Ive been twice had a great time on both visits. Very well set up, and affordable especially for Veterans.

As a child, Old World Wisconsin was one of my favorite places in the world, and I continue to love to visit as an adult when I'm in the area. Growing up, my family would typically come to OWW three to four times a year, including for special seasonal events. Over the years, I've made corn husk dolls, carded wool, kneaded dough and baked bread, learned how to clean clothes using a washboard and wringer, ridden on a turn-of-the-century bicycle, become a master at stilt-walking, watched sheep shearing, sung Christmas carols at St. Peter's Church, and much more. On my most recent trip just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see a baby calf born that very day, with the umbilical cord still attached - such a cool and memorable experience! For families interested in history, OWW an absolute must while in Wisconsin. You could certainly spend an entire day here, and I'd suggest allocating at least four or five hours. If you're short on time, be sure to visit the Raspberry Schoolhouse (Norwegian), the black kitchen at the Schultz farm (German), the sauna at the Ketola House (Finnish), and the blacksmith shop (Yankee Crossroads Village). If you have the opportunity, stop by the African-American area and learn about the extraordinary 19th and early 20th century community of Pleasant Ridge, home to one of the first integrated schools in the U.S. in the 1870s. There are modern restrooms in the visitor center and Clausing Barn Restaurant, as well as the Norwegian and German areas. The food at the restaurant is quite good, if a little over-priced, and the gift shop is definitely worth a visit. I should also mention that last summer, I attended an amazing wedding at OWW. The couple held their reception in the Clausing Barn, and it was such a charming and one-of-a-kind venue!

Maybe the greatest Wisconsin museum ever? Old World Wisconsin totally blew us away. When I saw photos of this place a few years ago, I assumed it was a museum that was outdated and would not suit our style of fun (if you will). I couldn't have been more wrong. While there are amazing visuals and experiences throughout, it's impossible to do it justice on social media. The reason? Everything is interactive. The actors there are great and they do a wonderful job in making you feel encompassed in each section of the museum. I've never seen actors fully indulging into their character, so it does paint a clear picture on how things were in the Old days. More importantly, no one will ever take the same photo, or have the same experience. A must-do if you are new to Wisconsin or have been living here for years and haven't gone yet =) Cheers and stay fresh!

A fun place for kids. Place is huge and very well staffed and maintained. Trams make it easy to get around. Definitely a place worth checking out.

This week was our second time there, and we will almost certainly go back again. It's a long way away, and yet, we'll keep bringing there all friends who come visit us in Chicago. The reconstitution from the time period is very convincing, and clearly well-documented, you do feel for real what life was like back then. It's also impressive how knowledgeable all employees are about who the original inhabitants of those houses were. Must-sees are the Four Mile House, which was a boarding house / cafe where you can buy a soda water as it was made back then; the general store in the same area; the one-room school in the Norwegian village; the last farm in the German village, where you learn to do some chores as they were done back then, ...

This place has been in existence since 1976 and I've never been here. It's like stepping back into time. You can visit make shift farms from the 1800's set in various country settings. Finland Norway, Germany, Poland, etc. Very historical and informative. People dressed in period clothing are there for questions and advise on most subjects. There are modern bathrooms and a restaurant on premises. Admission prices are rather steep...but it is worth a trip.

Much larger place than I had imagined. We were there mid-week in the summer and it wasn't very crowded, but the trams were easily running every 15 min or more frequently. The buildings and grounds were amazing - I hadn't realized that the buildings are original and the furnishings are great to recreate the feeling of walking into a person's home during that time period. It was great that you could walk through everything and touch many items - the kids that we saw there were having a great time. The interpreters (dressed in period outfits) were also very knowledgeable and we asked lots of questions. The school house was great - a whole room of adults crammed into those little desks with the school teacher calling on us to ask our questions (I was scolded - playfully - for not standing to ask my question - which just helped create a more authentic feel for the time period). I was a little sad for one of the pigs who was on a farm by himself and ran over when we approached (we fed him grass from the yard). And apparently they slaughter some of the animals at the end of the season (disturbing, since we're vegetarians). One of the houses had a freshly killed, skinned and cooked squirrel which, while authentic, seemed like over doing it a bit. If not for these issues, easily a five-star trip. I really liked how the interpreters had been or were engaged in authentic activities of the period (farming, baking, washing) so you got a real sense that you were just walking into someone's every day life from over a hundred years ago. The larger gardens were also quite impressive. We were there for about 4.5 hours and wished we'd arrived a little earlier. We kept up a good pace all day (but asked lots of questions and tried to see everything) but ended up being a little rushed at the end of the day and might go back to finish up seeing some things we missed. It was a great day trip from Chicago and we loved being in all the very quiet, open space.

People pretty much covered all of the bases in the other reviews on here; however, I would also like to mention that they have great rates for people who become members. They also gave me a discount for coming with a member. Animals are mainly kept in the barns and/or fenced. There are some chickens and turkeys that run around freely and they are pretty easy to access and get some good pictures of. You're allowed to take pictures pretty much everywhere. I don't remember seeing any signs to prohibit it. Their gift shop is awesome! It's truly a general store. My friend's husband and I bought hoops and sticks after playing with the ones they had for visitors to use. I think they were $20, if that. They also sell nationality patches for different parts of the settlement and my all time favorite, rock candy! We stocked up on bunches of rock candy sticks and candy canes. They kept us occupied on the ride home.

I lived near here for so long but never knew how great this place is. Everyone is so accommodating and the history of Wisconsin is so well represented. Anyone with a few bucks and time should come here for a nice walk of Wisconsin's history!

It gives perspective how old people lived in the 1800s on farms how they made horseshoes milk what they did for food how they make clothing very interesting place to go visiting. If your looking for a summer job this a great place to work or just spend the day. Thanks

The site touts itself as the largest living history museum in existence. While the grounds are very large- not necessarily a plus- there were some real issues with my visit. 1 The information provided is skimpy. Many employees are young college-aged kids, some of whom didn't share much and, when asked questions, didn't have the slightest idea. 2 There are almost NO signs providing information about the buildings, the stories of the people connected to them, or the complex itself. I was told near the end of my visit that there used to be signs, but they were taken out to make things more hands-on. Oh, please. The museum is less hands-on than any similar museum I've been to. 3 Many of the young employees were seriously lacking in social and professional skills. On multiple occasions, with no one occupying their time, employees saw me approach, nodded or half-smiled, and walked away or just stood there. No "hello", "welcome", or explanation of the structures/history. When I engaged them, only a few started to share information lasting more than one curt sentence. Visitors to a history site should not be pulling teeth to get the most basic background. 4 At the end, when I asked to provide feedback to the appropriate employee, I was made to wait around 10 minutes. Even the woman who made the request on my behalf looked horrified after I'd been standing for some time, and she commented on how it was taking a long time. 5 The female employee with glasses who spoke to me gave generic HR comments like, "We try to train people to high standards," and made no mention of trying to set things right or referencing me ever visiting again. She asked if I would send an e-mail to someone instead of taking notes or acting like a professional herself. The Naper Settlement in Naperville, Illinois and Heritage Hill in Allouez, Wisconsin are far superior in terms of information displayed and shared, professionalism, and staff morale. A nearby tourist office told me after my visit that people are avoiding work at Old World Wisconsin because many employees don't care. That is very apparent.

Non-history scholars beware! You accidentally get to know more about our past, communities and hard work our ancestors did to achieve the great blessings we take for granted. It's just a really neat place to visit anytime if year.

my husband and i went to visit "old worl wisconsin" in june. we found ot that a general store that i had lived in with my 8 brothes and sisters and parents as a childin slovan,wisconsin had been taken apart and moved to eagle,wi. and donated to old world wiscnsin as an historical buildin along with many other houses,barns,stores,backsmith shops,etc. i was so shocked to see my childhood's home there and re-built to it's original state as a bootery-store many centuries before our family had lived in it as a general grocery store! the people that donated it were originally the wilfred sisal family from slovan,wi. whom owned this store and rented it to my parents sometie in the early 1950's. it had sat vacant many years before my parents moved ito it and refurbished it into a local grocery store which they occupied for about 7 years. and after we moved out of the store,it was again left vacant for many years until the owner donated it and it was torn down and moved to eagle ,wisconsin and re-constructed there. the back part of the original building nolonger exsist because it was so rotten of being empty for so many years before that. but the origial butcher-plank stores counter is still inside and just as it was when i was a litttle girl when we lived inside that staore! the gray painted upstairs steps still are intact and so are all the stores shevling and wooden plank flors throughtout the building. i was so shocked to see the stores doulble-original stores front doors intact and the rooms were put back just like when we lived there also.if anyne gets a chnce to go and visit this fasinating-historical 600 acre park,it truely is worth the time! it taked yo back in history to show you almost every type of family dwelling and how people lived and farmed to make a living.everything is so tru-to-life and even the animals and machine,etc. are being used on site and the workers are dressed like the ancestors did! there is even a train that will take you to all the various towns in the park and make stops at all the different palces so you do not have to walk so far.there are place to eat on site and there is a tourist shop to purchase things to be remembered of your tour. this huge park takes a full day to really enjoy,so arrive there early and take your time to travel throughout the whole park and even talk with all the people about the past heritage ..they are all very knowlegable and enjoy their jobs there! i will be going back there eery year ..they are continouly building new things that are donated to the park. i have recntly taken lots f pictures of the old 2-room schoolhouse and the small contry church that are still standing where the general store was located in slovan,wi. i will be getting in contact with this park to try and give them updated information on these other historical sites that are part of the belgian and bohemia heritage...i thank god that i have come into contact and have gotten the chance to go and visit this beautiful and amazing park that tkaes people back in time and help them appreciate their ancestors and learn how hard they had to work and live to have their famiies be able to survie..wish i could work there...thank you "old world wisconsin" for all your hard work..loved it!!!!

I went here yesterday with my son and 4 year old grandson and we had a great time. There is way more to see and do than you would think. We were there for about 4 1/2 hours and only got to 2 of the 3 major areas. Not only do the employees explain what you are seeing and how things were done long ago, but they let you do some of the things too. My grandson's favorite part was at the German farm where the woodworker helped him to shave some wood to make a peg or tool handle and also split some wood which could become a shingle. He also fed horses grass, rode a very old style bike, pumped water to water plants, and made a wheel, among other things. We will definitely be back to see what we missed and re-visit favorite parts. I had read a review that suggested buying a membership to the Wisconsin Historical Society. I did that when we went to Circus World Museum, which is another site that the membership gets you into for free. In addition to supporting the society, it can save you a lot of money.

We had a really fun time! I've lived here all my life and had no idea it even existed. The family and I made a day of it & we really recommend it! Be prepared to do some walking though. There is a tram to move you from exhibit to exhibit. Real nice place!!

If you are looking for a quiet day to spend with the family, then this is a good place to go. If you like looking into the past, this is also a good place to go. However, if you are looking into getting rowdy or something with action, then you may not appreciate the place. All in all, we enjoyed our stay. I just wished that the place offered samples or a way for people to buy things here and there. Besides the tourists, I feel like the place was a wee bit empty. There were also a lot of places that you cannot go, like the 2nd floors and it is really more like a "look-only" outside museum. I wish there were more things for people to get involved with ... kind of like in a Renaissance fair. I believe if they do this, they will have more tourists that would come. For example, there was a working oven that can bake up to 25 loaves of bread. On a saturday, I wish they would bake some bread for sale on that oven. Or, they were talking about some hot apple cider - which naturally gets a small amount of alcohol - so I feel like maybe they can find a way to not have alcohol and give samples, or again, have some for sale. There were so many goodiesand if there is a way for the tourists to get involved in the community, then it will bring more people. I also wished there were more people working there so that it will truly bring a sense of community. For the most part, we see maybe one person in a small house or one per every building. Maybe a 'family' settting would help, horse drawn carriages to carry kids from one stop to the next, more "actors" i guess. I understand it is a low key area, but I can just imagine the possibilities if they put a bit more into the place. There was also a blacksmith building and I wish they would sell some horseshoe for souvenir, and a general store which I also wished would sell little bag of edible grains here and there. Maybe sell some of the veggies that grows there ... just little trinkets. I just felt like there were too many props. But again, it is more like an outside museum. I loved the people that were working there. The tram drivers were very nice and the place is quite authentic since all the buildings there were original.

I love going here every year! I love seeing the old buildings and just experiencing the simplicity of it all. I highly recommend spending a day here. I especially love their special events, like Halloween Legends and Lore.

As big fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and LM Montgomery growing up, I love places like this. My mother brought me here as a child and I have fond memories These memories stick out to me now as a 29 year old: sitting in the corner at the school house for getting into trouble (complete with dunce cap), churning butter, making whistles out of the long grass and feeding cows clovers and finding a 4 leaf clover. That clover is pressed in a book. I also got a cat's cradle game from the gift shop, that I played with for hours. It was probably one of my favorite places as a child, and I always wanted to go back.

On a somewhat chilly fall day, we stepped back in time here. You enter the drive sheltered by pines and then visit a colonial town spread across acres upon acres. You can hike or ride a tram to various themed towns: German, Finnish, African and more. We loved the hike and came across 20 or so turkeys along the way. You really feel like you're in a different time period from the surroundings. The trams zipped by a little to fast for our taste but they'll let you rest some. Each town has settlers ready to show you their homes and they'll demonstrate their work from wood chopping, candle dipping, feather plucking and more. They also incorporate these demonstrations with the seasons. We had a great fall day visiting and may return this winter too! Hot cocoa would have been warming along the walk though. The restraurant closes early so consider taking the tram for a bite to eat between your town visits. There's too much to mention here, so you'll just have to step back in time yourself soon.

Great experience for two grandparents with three grandchildren (4, 4 and 6). They loved the freedom to run, to explore, to ask questions of the interpreters, to get close to animals. We loved exploring it through their eyes. Astonishing to me how many people in Milwaukee have never been here. It's only 30 minutes out of the city and the prices are reasonable (children under five free and easily available coupons for one adult to be free with a paying one). We spent about five hours including lunch and only covered half of the things to see. Milwaukeans need to know what a treasure they have here.

i went here today with my family - drove an hour - and basically every house was closed, they didnt have the tall bikes, you couldnt pet any animals, there were maybe 4 workers, and THERE WASNT ANYMORE CANDY. i was livid. this is ridiculous. dont go on week days, or better yet, old world wisconsin needs to open up on weekdays too, NOT JUST WEEKENDS.

I was surprised at just how big the place was. You could spend an entire day here just to see everything. For the price of two visits, you basically just invest in a membership, which seems the way to go. They had a very cool program of events for the 4th of July. Short parade, music, colorful townsfolk - definitely more interesting than your run of the mill parade. So glad they have the trams for when you need a break from walking for a bit. They have two loops - make sure you get on the right one.

Very disappointed today. We had 2 French exchange students and the place was not staffed. None of the buildings were open. No actors in period gear except a couple gardeners. No one to teach the history and only 1 tram to 1 area and it still was not open. Apparently they are only staffed on the weekends. Drive an hour to find this out. Not happy at all.

Went with my wife and son and had a blast. The staff and volunteers are very nice and knowledgable. They show a lot of food that has been prepared there on the farm using old world methods and sometimes you can see it being prepared. The real bummer is that the are unable to serve it to the guests do to health department regulations. One of the really cool things we saw was getting up close and personal with a bunch of chickens and a really cool pig. My son - 26 - was fascinated with trying to get a picture of a cow standing next to him.

All I say is WOW! My hubby and I love history and this is the best of both worlds. Exercise(all the walking, even with a free tram occasionally) and history lessons. Loved it! Staff: passionate, give a hoot people, well educated about topics, open to discussion Grounds: not cliche, legit, beautifully maintained buildings and environment Beware: you can easily spend an ENTIRE DAY there. Great for ages 3-above.

The tram that is supposed to run every 15 mins.....lmao...maybe every hour. The animals also need better care.

One of the most educational living history exhibits around. The folks there have studied up and are willing to share all they have learned. Go early and plan to stay all day.

Let me start by saying past experiences have been good. The tickets to the Santa Breakfast say to get there 20min early - good thing we didnt because we had to stand outside in the biting wind for 5min before they let us in right at start time... then we had to huddle like sardines on one side while they checked everyone in. Not a great start, but not the worst of it. Once seated they release our table first to go up the buffet line -yeay! Except it was still all covered with foil and lids and no attendants to remove them (and no place for me to set them and serve myself)... sooo we go back to our seats empty handed ... they then release the rest of the tables and open the food... great... While waiting for the line to go down I tried to get us some coffee- the drink table was blocked by the buffet line so I had to cut through ppl to get to it - only to see they had not put any coffee cups out yet- back to the table empty handed - again. About this time we contemplated leaving. It was 41min later that we had our food and sat down to eat. The Food..? Mostly ok. Some good some bad, like any other buffet. Having previously been to the downstairs restaurant for another meal event, we were not expecting to be herded like cattle. --side note ... the Santas were cute and engaged with the kids - no issue there. Definitely geared towards families with kids and not adults wanting a nice holiday brunch in an old world setting. Will not be attending events like this again.. .still a great place just not for this type of event.

This review is in regards to the Laura Ingalls Wilder days at Old World Wisconsin. I took my niece there because she is a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and has read every book Laura has written as well as many many books written about Laura. We were expecting a day filled with facts and fun in connection to Laura. We were disappointed to say the least. The only employee that even mentioned Laura Ingalls Wilder was the gentleman that showed us the Morgan horses and he kept referring to Laura's husband as Alonzo instead of Almonzo. Although seeing all of the old buildings was interesting we were expecting more connections to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Just did an event here and it was absolutely beautiful and perfect for what we were trying to achieve -- Rustic Elegance. Bartenders were absolutely wonderful and a pleasure to work with. Had a bit of trouble getting help the day of the event from facility staff, but other than that this venue would be perfect for anyone planning a rustic chic wedding or other!