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Experience Historic Hospitality from the Time of Horse-Drawn Carriages

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Visiting Wade House historic site takes you on a journey through Wisconsin’s past with tours of the Wade House Stagecoach Inn, stops at the blacksmith shop & sawmill, and the exhibits of the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum & Visitor Center. This historic site is named for the inn built by the first European settlers of the town, Sylvanus and Betsey Wade.

This stately stagecoach inn offers a fascinating glimpse into the long-ago era of horse-drawn travel, but it’s far from the only reason to hop in the car and venture to this historic site in the scenic northern Kettle Moraine. The beautifully preserved inn is just one of many interactive attractions exploring pioneer life in the 1800s that you will find on the site’s 280 acres – so plan on making a day of it!

Things To Explore

The Wade House Stagecoach Inn

The lovely Greek Revival inn, constructed in the mid-nineteenth century along the stagecoach trail which ran between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, was a welcome sight for weary travelers. Today, you can tour the inn itself and observe the still-working kitchen where Betsey Wade once prepared hearty meals for hungry guests, check out the stately guest rooms, and step up to the bar in the taproom to quench your thirst.

Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum & Visitor Center

OPEN YEAR ROUND!

Your first stop at Wade House is at our modern visitor center. Opened in 2013, the center features a museum store, meeting spaces and restrooms, as well as informational displays about the site. The adjacent state-of-the-art, 20,000 square-foot carriage museum features nearly 100 carriages and vehicles, some more than 150 years old, as well as interactive and hands-on exhibits highlighting their history.

Wagon Rides

Take a big step back in time and travel the grounds in style. Visitors to Wade House are treated to rides in one of several horse-drawn carriages and wagons – including a Prairie Schooner. There’s no better way to get in the spirit of the era or to experience the bucolic scenery of the northern Kettle Moraine than from your seat in one of our covered wagons.

Herrling Sawmill

Revel in the fresh woodsy scent of sawdust at the Herrling Sawmill. The mill, alongside the Mullet River, is all business up front, one of the state’s only working water powered sawmills. Out back sits a millpond just waiting for your fishing lines. The mill features a working vertical muley saw, popular in the middle of the 19th century, which saws with an up and down motion.

“Stopped by 3 times in 2 days!”

“We first stumbled upon it via the Plank Road bike trail. Took in the carriage museum and some water. Came back at night for an amazing pizza dinner! Then back again Sunday for the actual tour of the house, grounds, and mill/blacksmith. I believe our guide was Kieran, he was fantastic!”

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Dockstader Blacksmith Shop

Follow the steady beat of hammer on anvil to the Dockstader Blacksmith Shop, just downstream of the sawmill. Smithies on site provide demonstrations of iron working skills from the nineteenth century. Interactive workshops throughout the year offer opportunities for you to strike while the iron is hot and create your own keepsake.

Grounds & Gardens

Linger and explore the grounds at Wade House on the trail which meanders through the property. You might even come face to face with one of our farm animals! Three sheep and a small flock of chickens are housed on the grounds over the summer, examples of the heritage breeds common in the 1800s.

The Personal Stories of
Wade House

Each visitor to Wade House will receive a Old Plank Road Profile Card. These collectible cards – for sale in the gift shop – contain brief biographies of twenty of the area’s first settlers. From farmers to teachers to nurses to stagecoach drivers, you’ll learn a little more about the real lives behind the Wade House site. A fun bonus activity – the illustrations on the cards were based on Wade House staff, many of whom are still here.