Description: As I planned for my return trip to Green County, Wisconsin I was happy to learn that the Swiss Historical Village had opened for the 2013 season. As with many sights in and around rural Wisconsin communities, they close for the winter and reopen once spring arrives. That said, here it is the second weekend of May and frankly, we are STILL waiting for spring to arrive. I was not deterred however, by the rainy and cool April like weather!
First and foremost, the Swiss Historical Village is a tribute to the early settlers who came over from "Old Glarus" Switzerland in the mid 1800's to form what would be known as "New Glarus" in the rich farmland in southern Wisconsin. The village itself is comprised of 14 buildings, some original to the settlement of the 1850's. The buildings were brought here and reconstructed to created this village to represent what a typical Swiss settlement in America might look like. The buildings as well as the artifacts are from local families and donors who have committed to the preservation of their history and culture.
Having spent many of my early childhood summers at my grandmother's rural Georgia farm, many of the antiques and furnishings were reminiscent of those experiences on her farm . . . a farm that had been in our family for many generations, also dating back into the mid 1850's.
At the Swiss Village, I really enjoyed the schoolhouse, church, log cabin and cheese factory. Some of the buildings you can actually enter and explore the exhibits, while others are chained off and only viewable from the doorway. Amazing to me was the high quality and volume of the items on display . . . including 1902 "hand drawn" (human pulled) ladder rig and hose cart (including water buckets used to put out fires).
In front of the replica of the 1849 log church is a mock cemetery. While today there are no bodies interred here, the head markers are originals and include several of the original settlers who came to Wisconsin from Switzerland in 1845. They are in remarkable condition and mostly legible.
The oldest original building in the complex is the Old Settler's Cabin. Believed to have been built in the 1850's, it was found and uncovered beneath the existing frame of an abandoned home in 1975. Furnishings in this room predate the US Civil War. The other cabin depicting what living conditions were like at the turn of the 20th century is the Pioneer Cabin. While built in 1942, it is furnished for exhibit as a cabin would appear during the period of 1850 to 1900.
I hope you will check out the photos attached to this review to see some of the wonderful items on exhibit here!
For a full summary review of the 14 buildings that make up the Swiss Historical Village, check out their website: http://www.swisshistoricalvillage.org/village.htm . You can also find out more about their hours of operation and special events hosted throughout the year.
Plan to allow at least 60 to 90 minutes to do the self tour, which include the Hall of History telling the story from immigration in 1845 through to current day life in New Glarus. Admission fees are $9 for adults and $3 for children. They do offer discounts to AAA members and groups of 10 or more.
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