The Milwaukee Post

May 25, 2018 • Milwaukee County Post • 17 ENTERTAINMENT By CATHERINE JOZWIK Special to TimeOut With historical buildings and carefully tended gardens, these Milwaukee-area out- door museums are education- al and a respite from busy city life. View artifacts from Wisconsin's past, visit a care- fully preserved farm within city limits, learn how beer was brewed in the 19th centu- ry, or enjoy tea as stagecoach visitors to a grand inn once did. Most museums listed are open May through Labor Day or October, Old World Wisconsin being the excep- tion — it's open on the week- ends year-round and open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. 1. Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum, 1075 Pilgrim Parkway, Brookfield Hours of operation: 1-4 first and third Sundays of the month, May-October Admission/Tour Fees: $6.00/adults; children 3-12 $3, children under 2 free. Built in 1842 by Talbot Dousman, the impressive Greek Revival inn, a national historic landmark, was pur- chased by Daniel Brown in 1857. Brown operated the building as a stagecoach inn to serve patrons traveling along the plank road which ran from Milwaukee to Watertown. Open the first and third Sundays May through October, docents wearing mid- 19th-century costumes lead patrons on historical tours. Starting Sundays in June, wedding dresses and wedding memorabilia over the last 100 years will be on display, said Elmbrook Historical Society President Lynda Thayer. 1860s teas are held May, June July, August and October. For $15, museum patrons can enjoy iced tea, lemonade, tea sandwiches, muffins and seasonal fruit, served in the same room where original travelers dined. Five additional buildings on the property include the Donaldson Visitor's Center and Gift Shop, originally an 1852 log cabin, an ice house and a smoke house. Outside, gardens along the grounds add natural color to the historical setting, and vis- itors can sit in and take pic- tures of a newly-restored buckboard and 19th-century wagon. A community celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 28 to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the inn being built. Admission is free. 2. Old World Wisconsin, W372-S9727 Highway 67, Town of Eagle, 262-594- 6301 Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., summer (Memorial Day-Labor Day) Admission: Adults $19, children 5-17, $10; children under 5 free; seniors 65 and older, $16 With eight farms, volun- teers dressed as 19th-century European immigrants who engage patrons in hands-on activities and livestock, Old World Wisconsin is an ele- mentary school teacher's dream, but it's also a fun expe- rience for all ages. Director Dan Freas wants to encourage guests to immerse themselves in rural Wisconsin history. Beer-brewing and garden trough demonstrations, black- smithing workshops, and apprentice camps for youths in grades eight to 12 are just a few opportunities to step in the shoes of past farmers. "We are trying to create more opportunities for guests to really participate in the time-travel experience. It's the direction we've been moving in for several years," Freas said. Two new rooms, including the children's bedroom in the 1880 German farmhouse, are now open, and kids have the opportunity to play with an authentic dollhouse and sit on a rope bed. The newly constructed creamery, modeled after a shop where farmers pur- chased milk products, houses updated restroom facilities, and visitors can grab a bite to eat at the Clausing Barn Café. Many who haven't visited Old World Wisconsin since their elementary school days may be surprised by all of the changes that have taken place over the last decade, Freas said. "This is a new way of pre- senting the past to the public," he added. 3. Trimborn Farm and Jeremiah Curtin House, 8881 W. Grange Ave., Greendale Hours and dates of opera- tion: May 15 through Oct. 15 for adult and school group tours. Contact abalestrieri@milwaukee- history.net for more infor- mation. Admission: $5 for adult groups; includes 45-minute tour of buildings and Jeremiah Curtin House. Jeremiah Curtin House is open by appointment only; tour $2. In 1851, Prussian immi- grant Werner Trimborn pur- chased a kiln, quarry and 10 acres of land for his lime pro- duction business. The farm, which soon became one of the largest lime producers in the state, produced mortar for Cream City brick. The widespread use of Portland cement in the 1880s caused lime production to decline, and Trimborn's sons leased the land to other farm- ers, including Theodore Vollmer, who operated a dairy farm. The site has had many uses, including as an airstrip and sod farm, and is now operated by the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The museum, which has been preserved as a historical farm park, is run by the Milwaukee County Historical Society but is considered part of the Milwaukee parks sys- tem. Trimborn Farm's Civil War- era buildings include original stables, a granary and a kiln. "All buildings are in origi- nal locations," said Amanda Balestrieri, Historical Society events coordinator. Visitors can view black- smith materials, an apple juicer, and other artifacts inside the stables, the kiln where limestone was pro- duced, and a pump house. Kids can learn about how dif- ficult farm life was in the 1800s through activities such as butter making. "It's really putting things into perspective. I don't think many of these kids have been through a farm before," said Balestrieri. Folklorist Jeremiah Curtin's two-story limestone and stucco boyhood home sits on the far east end of the estate. The home was the first in the Old Town of Greenfield. It is open by appointment only May 15 through Oct. 15, although Balestrieri said the Historical Society is hoping to open the house some Saturdays June-October. The 36th annual Trimborn Harvest of Arts and Crafts Fair will be held Sept. 8. Past vendors have included pho- tographers, glass, basketry and ceramic artists. 4. East Troy Electric Railroad and museum, 2002 Church St., East Troy Hours of Operation: Fridays June 1 through Oct. 26; Saturdays and Sundays April 7 through Nov. 4. For schedules: www.easttroyrr.org/sched- ule.html. Fares: Adults 15-64, $12.50; seniors 65 and up, $10.50; children 3-14, $8; children under 3 free; dis- count for group rates. The train, which operates on "the last 7.5-mile stretch of the original interurban sys- tem in the state of Wisconsin," according to www.easttroyrr.org, is a leisurely way to experience what was a common form of travel in years past. Historic rail cars transport visitors through 10 miles of beautiful scenery. Trains depart from Indian Head Park or the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago and the East Troy Depot. The railroad hosts many special events, including a Christmas, Bunny and Pizza Train for families, and a Dining and Beer Train for adults. Guests can tour a small museum dedicated to the rail- road's history. Sampling past provides respite from present Old World Wisconsin's historic beer brewing experience is offered on select Saturdays June through early October. Submitted photo A window of the Trimborn Farm Stables in Greendale provides a glimpse of where horses and other livestock were kept in the late 1800s. Catherine Jozwik/Special to the Post A preview of what the dining car will look like for the Beer Tasting Train this weekend. The East Troy Electric Railroad summer schedule will begin June 1.. Submitted photo

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