Make this summer historic at Wisconsin’s Wade House, where horse-powered travel takes the lead and a lively lineup of activities—from stagecoach rides to goat yoga to pizza nights—offers an engaging spin on a historical adventure
GREENBUSH, Wis. — This spring and summer, step back into the 19th century while enjoying some modern twists, when the Wade House Historic Site opens for the season on May 24. With exciting new events planned for 2025, the expansive 240-acre site, anchored by a historic 27-room stagecoach inn, offers a full day of immersive experiences.
Visitors can tour the inn, explore Wisconsin’s largest carriage museum, watch a blacksmith at work, see a water-powered sawmill in action and enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride through the scenic Kettle Moraine landscape. All this at the great price of $15 per adult and $8 for children. Guests who purchase a Wisconsin Historical Society annual membership (starting at $60) receive free admission to all historic sites across the state, returning as many times as they wish.
“This season promises to be especially exciting as we celebrate the arrival of our first original stagecoach,” said Bridgitt Zielke, Wade House site director. “In keeping with this theme we’re offering horse-powered rides in a replica concord stagecoach and covered-wagon rides in a Prairie Schooner so guests can experience travel before the age of automobiles.”
Those who want to add some tasty treats to their historic journey will appreciate Baron’s Gelato Days: A Summer of 40 Flavors happening on select dates, along with Wade House Pizza Nights with Marzano & Fire Drill Pizza Companies. Goat Yoga will debut this year and take place on four separate dates and a Father’s Day weekend event on June 14 and 15, featuring the chance to interact with goats, pigs, llamas, cows and sheep is another new highlight. For the second year in a row, a special salute to the longest day of the year will take place with “Savor the Solstice: A Cocktail and Beer Tasting Adventure,” happening on June 19.
Perennial favorites are also returning, including Wade House Carriage Driving Days July 11–13 and driving clinics from July 9–10, along with the always-popular Arts & Crafts Fair on Aug. 24. Learners of all ages can get hands-on with Homeschool Days or sign up for a blacksmithing workshop.
The Wade House site season extends from May 24 to Nov. 2, 2025, Wednesday – Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission throughout the regular season is $15 for adults (18-64) and teens (13-17), $13 for seniors (65+), $8 for children (5-12) and free for children under five. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission. Click here to purchase tickets. Members are encouraged to pick up a Pastport for the 2025 season to start earning stamps towards special prizes for every Wisconsin Historical Society site visited!
Historic Unveiling: Abbot-Downing Stagecoach at Wade House – May 3, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of the Wade House’s FIRST authentic stagecoach at a special gathering on May 3. The Abbot-Downing Hotel Style Concord Stagecoach #433, a gift from Wells Fargo, was handcrafted by the Abbot-Downing Company in Concord, and is one of only around 160 still in existence. At the unveiling, guests will learn about historic stagecoaches and their remarkable impact on American travel in the 1800s. For an additional cost, guests can embark on a 30-minute ride on a replica concord stagecoach handcrafted by South Dakota’s Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop. Rides are scheduled at 10, 10:45 and 11:30 a.m., and at 12:15, 1:30, 2:15, 3, 3:45, and 4:30 p.m. This event is $9 for adults (18-64) and teens (13-17), $7 for seniors (65+), $5 for children (5-12) and free for children under five. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Stagecoach Saturdays – May 3, 24, June 14, July 19, Aug. 9, Sept. 13 & Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Wade House’s replica concord stagecoach will take guests on a 45-minute stagecoach ride through the rolling hills of the Northern Kettle-Moraine. The ambling, and at times bumpy, ride will truly transport guests to another era when stagecoach travel was the primary mode of transportation. The concord stagecoach can accommodate six passengers. Tickets for this ride are $15 for adults (18-64) and teens (13-17), $13 for seniors (65+), $10 for children (5-12) and $3 for children under five. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Homeschool Days at Wade House – May 20, Sept. 24 & Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Homeschool Days are for learners and students of all ages and delves into the history of horse-powered travel. Students will step inside a reproduction of an original stagecoach and take a ride across the Mullet River and into the 19th-century setting of the Wade House 27-room Stagecoach Inn. Learners will even create their own personal version of a stagecoach model in the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum. This event is $6 for students K-12th grade, free for children under five and $11 for adults and seniors. Advance registration required. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Prairie Schooner Saturdays – May 31, June 28, July 26, Aug. 16, Sept. 20 & Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (rides every 45 minutes)
New to Wade House this year is Prairie Schooner Saturdays, where guests can ride in a horse-drawn covered wagon through the scenic Kettle Moraine countryside. Like the olden days, when families headed west with all their belongings in tow, guests can immerse themselves in a forgotten time. This wagon was manufactured by Hansen Wheel & Wagon Shop and finished in the traditional colors of prairie schooners. Each wagon ride is 30 minutes, and additional experiences will be available for purchase. This event is $15 for adults (18-64) and teens (13-17), $13 for seniors (65+), $10 for children (5-12) and $3 for children under five. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Goat Yoga at Wade House – June 7, July 26, Aug. 16 & Sept. 6, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Meet fuzzy friends while staying active at this fully entertaining morning workout! Join certified yoga instructor Dana Bear, a long-time instructor who practices mindful movement and the intentional benefits of yoga on the mind and body, for an enjoyable morning stretch surrounded by the most adorable baby goats courtesy of Kid Farm LLC. This event is for individuals age eight and older and is $25 per person. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Father’s Day at Wade House – June 14-15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrate dads at Wade House this Father’s Day weekend. Take a horse-drawn wagon to the 1850s stagecoach inn. Meet furry and feathery friends like backyard chickens, Cotswold sheep and Morgan horses—and visit goats, pigs, llamas, cows and more courtesy of Bulitz’s Petting Zoo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be crafts and activities for the entire family, as Wade House employees demonstrate how early settlers once used historic tools to build. Additional activities include learning how Betsey Wade, the historic matron of the stagecoach inn, would prepare food alongside the Wade House gardener. This event is $15 for adults (18-64) and teens (13-17), $13 for seniors (65+), $8 for children (5-11) and free for children under five. Society members receive free general admission for this event.
Savor the Solstice – A Cocktail and Beer Tasting Adventure – June 19, 6 to 8 p.m.
Celebrate the longest day of the year with cocktails, crafts and a spirit tasting with Heidi Retzer, the owner of the local, small batch craft distillery, Ledgerock Distillery, located in Fond du Lac. Participants will sample Farm Boy Bourbon, Ledgerock Corn Whiskey, Ledgerock Vodka and Grandview Garden Gin while learning mixology tricks and sampling special cocktails. This event is for attendees who are 21+ and is $42 for adults (21-64) and $40 for seniors (65+). Society members receive a 10% discount.
Baron’s Gelato Days: A Summer of 40 Flavors – June 21, July 19, Aug. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Savor artisanal gelato, courtesy of Baron’s Gelato of Sheboygan, an award-winning artisan offering real Florentine gelato. Thirteen limited-edition gelatos will be available each Saturday for Wade House visitors to try, and in between savoring delectable treats, guests can make their way through the entirety of the Wade House historic site. As part of this event, attendees can traverse through the 27-room Greek Revival Wade House Stagecoach Inn, sawmill, blacksmith shop, Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum and experience a horse-drawn wagon ride. This event is $25 for adults (18-25) and teens (13-17), $23 for seniors (65+), $18 for children (5-12) and $10 for children under five. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Wade House Pizza Nights with Marzano & Fire Drill Pizza Companies – June 26, July 17, Aug. 28, 4 to 8 p.m.
Savor delectable food while engaging in a historic experience when you attend Wade House Pizza Nights, where Marzano Pizza Company and Fire Drill Pizza will delight guests with their offerings. RSVP in advance to let Wade House know what your pizza preferences are. Guests who sign up in advance will receive their orders faster upon submitting their requests. These events are some of the most popular of the season and are free to attend, with food and beverages available for purchase.
Wade House Carriage Driving Days – July 11, noon to 4 p.m., July 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. & July 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wade House continues its beloved Carriage Driving Days series, bringing the glamour, pageantry and history of carriage driving competitions to its brand-new horse arena, situated in the abundant open fields surrounding the Wade House Stagecoach Inn. This equestrian competition will be judged by members of the American Driving Society, who will expertly determine who is best in show. For spectators, the mesmerizing beauty of horses, gorgeous fashions and equestrian getup will be an enticing spectacle. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and guests are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes so they can peruse all the history that Wade House has to offer. The single-day cost for this event is $17 for adults (18-64), and teens (13-17), $15 for seniors (15+), $8.50 for children (5-12), and free for children under the age of five. For those who want to enjoy this event for the entire weekend, tickets cost $27 for adults and teens, $25 for seniors, $12.50 for children (5-12) and free for children under five. Society members receive a 10% discount.
Arts and Crafts Fair – Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Wade House Arts and Crafts Fair looks forward to welcoming dozens of artists and craftspeople, including potters, metal workers, quilters, woodworkers, artisan food makers, herbalists and more, to showcase their work. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase fine handcrafted items at this annual event. Guests can take horse-drawn rides around the site, enjoy music, and purchase food and beverages. This event costs $6 and is free for children under five. Tickets may also be purchased onsite. Membership benefit is not applicable to this already discounted event.
Blacksmithing Workshops at Wade House – May 3, June 21, Oct. 4 & 25, times vary
Blacksmithing Workshops at Wade House take place in the historic site’s 1860s-style Dockstader Blacksmith Shop. During these full and half-day events, participants will learn real blacksmithing tutorials and forge individualized, unique knives from various materials. They will customize the handles with personal designs to make a distinctive, one-of-a-kind knife. Those participating in full-day sessions will make two knives while those participating in half-day sessions will make one. The price of this event is $225 per participant for a full-day session and $125 for a half-day session. Society members receive a 10% discount. All participants must be 13+ for this event.
See the full list of upcoming fall events at Wade House here.
About Wade House
Wade House is one of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s 12 historic sites and museums. Located in Greenbush, the site includes an1850s stagecoach inn that was built to serve traffic along a plank road connecting Fond du Lac and Sheboygan. The site tells the story of frontier entrepreneur Sylvanus Wade and his family during the 1850s and 1860s. In addition to the inn, the historic site includes the Dockstader blacksmith shop and Herrling sawmill, one of the few working, water-powered sawmills of its kind in the nation. Wade House is also home to the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum, which houses the state’s largest collection of antique carriages and working wagons. For more information and a list of upcoming events call (920) 526-3271 or visit wadehouse.org. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free admission to this site during regular operating hours.
About Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
