1. Old World Wisconsin Galleries

Crossroads Village at OWW

Old World Wisconsin, the Midwest's largest outdoor living history museum, showcases the life of immigrants to the State of Wisconsin in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society and occupies nearly 600 acres in the rolling hills of the Kettle Moraine area of Southeast Wisconsin near the small village of Eagle. It includes nine ethnic farms plus a village with a blacksmith, cobbler, general store, church, inn, shoe shop, and several residences. Interpreters dress in period clothing and go about their daily chores of farming, cooking, laundry, shoe making, blacksmithing, etc. The 40 some odd historic builldings on the site were moved to Old World from various locations in the early 1970s. The museum was opened to the public as the bicentennial project of the State of Wisconsin in 1976.
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Grotelueschen blacksmith shop on the left and Peterson wagon shop on the right, both in the heart of Crossroads village.
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Grotelueschen blacksmith shop on the left and Peterson wagon shop on the right, both in the heart of Crossroads village.

ArtsyBlacksmithOWWVillageWagon ShopWindows of OWW

  • 0010009-18F Blacksmith
  • A blacksmith stands at the door to the Grotelueschen blacksmith shop in Crossroads village.
  • An interpreter lin St. Peter's church looks out the window at the Thomas general store in Crossroads village.
  • An ineterpreter at the Mary Hafford house in Crossroads village takes down her laundry.
  • Interior of the Mary Hafford house in Crossroads village.  Mary Hafford, an Irishwoman, had 3 young children when her husband died.  She suported herself and her children by taking in laundry.
  • An interpreter at the Caldwell educational center introduces a group of schoolchildren to a young bull.
  • Children work off excess energy at the Caldwell educational center.
  • St. Peter's church in Crossroads village on a warm spring morning.  St. Peter's, buiilt in 1839, was the first Catholic church in Milwaukee.
  • Mary Hafford house in Crossroads village as seen from the Peterson wagon shop.
  • St. Peter's chuch, built in 1839, was the first Catholic church in Milwaukee.
  • Interpreters head for home after a long day at Old World.
  • Civil War reenactors look over Crossroads Village.  Four Mile Inn is in the background.
  • An interpreter in the Mary Hafford house does her mending while waiting for visitors.  Mary Hafford took in both mending and laundry to support her 3 children when she was widowed at an early age.
  • Mary Hafford's cherished tea set.
  • St. Peter's church in Crossroads village on a beautiful spring day in May.  St. Peter's, built in 1839, was the first Catholic chuch in Milwaukee.
  • Benson house, home of Wesley Benson, a blacksmith, and his family c. 1870.  Located in Crossroads village.
  • Grotelueschen blacksmith shop on the left and Peterson wagon shop on the right, both in the heart of Crossroads village.
  • Young visitors learn how to dance in Caldwell educational center.
  • Young visitors learn to dance in Caldwell educational center.
  • Young visitors learn to dance in Caldwell educational center.
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