By Lisa Marshall
Teaching history to young kids is challenging. Let's face it, the concept of time and history is hard enough to grasp when you are 8 and by your standards anyone over 20 is old. Witness this recent conversation between my daughter Madeline and I:
Madeline: "When was Laura Ingalls Wilder born?"
Me: "1867."
Madeline: "Does that mean we can't meet her?"
But Old World Wisconsin, which is the Midwest's largest outdoor museum of rural life, does it right. It brings Wisconsin's late 1800s European immigration to life in a way that kids can get excited about it. Very likely, if your child lives in Wisconsin, he or she will visit Old World with their school. But if your child doesn't visit on a field trip, then a day here is a must. And from the looks of the crowd on our visit, it's also a lot of fun for the adults.
Just the Facts
Old World is broken down into several ethnic communities, each with their own set of buildings, homes and farms. All the buildings have been restored and replanted from other parts of the state. The staff is essentially living history actors, dressing in period clothes and stationed throughout the park, giving tours, telling stories and demonstrating life as it was actually lived. They take care of farm animals. They weave linen on a loom. They cook in their rustic kitchens. These actors even talk "in character" and share their activities in a first person narrative. Occasionally one will slip into "Well, they had to get the farm ready for winter." But I noticed this usually happens when they are fielding questions from adults.
We covered a little less than half of the park in about 2 1/2 hours. I think the whole tour can be done in five hours. To get around to all the sections, you can walk (bring good walking shoes) or wait for the tram. Our visit was in early June, too soon for the onslaught of summer visitors, and the tram service wasn't yet fully operational. It was often quicker to walk than wait for a tram, especially during the lunch hour.
Even though Old World wisely posts staffers with maps and information right at the parking lot entrance, I found that it takes a few minutes to get oriented. Make your first stop the Visitor Center, where you can watch a 20-minute informational video. Before embarking on the tram, we picked up an activity book for Madeline that included clues and things to look for as we toured.
Our first destination was the Crossroads Village. At the Four Mile Inn (an 1850s stagecoach inn plucked from Dodge County), Madeline was delighted to see the bedroom, toys and school supplies of the original five children who lived here. Next, we visited a General Store that looked just like the Garth Williams' illustration in Little House in the Big Woods. Here, Madeline poked around in barrels filled with flour, corn meal, crackers and other pioneer necessities.
A big crowd had gathered at Groteluschen Blacksmith Shop, where the local blacksmith forged heated metal rods into nails and hooks right before our eyes. The last building at the Crossroads was the Hafford House, where the woman of the house -- a young, illiterate widow of three -- took in laundry to survive. We didn't see the staff member demonstrate the laundry during our visit but it was set up and ready to go. A far cry from my front-loading Maytag.
We set off on the path for Pleasant Ridge, the re-created African American community from Grant County, and another 10-minute walk beyond that we arrived at the German and Polish area where we toured two more homes. Our favorite was the Schulz Farm, where a young woman showed us how linen cloth was made from the flax grown right on Old World's re-created German farm.
Already it was past lunchtime and there was so much we missed. The Clausing Barn's menu featured favorite snack bar standbys, in our case cheeseburgers and very yummy chocolate chip cookies. The food was excellent, but to save money I recommend bringing a picnic lunch if you don't mind carrying it with you.
Lisa's Travel Tips
Old World is best for school-age children who can get engaged by talking and listening to adults. I'm glad I waited to bring Madeline and didn't rush to take her when she was younger. She listened to the actors tell their stories, asked good questions and diligently filled out her workbook.
If you are bringing little siblings, a stroller or wagon is probably a good way to go. Just keep in mind that the paths aren't the paved asphalt of Disneyworld or the Summerfest grounds. They are actually crushed limestone with a little gentle sloping. I might even consider collapsing a stroller and loading it on the tram when you are tired.
Insider Tip from an Old World Staffer
Speaking of the roads, our tram driver pointed out that the recently resurfaced paths were kicking up a lot of dust. When Madeline insisted on grabbing the very last seat in the back of the tram, the driver politely warned us that we would be sitting in a dust cloud. We took our chances and he wasn't kidding. My hair felt coated in what must be calcium carbonate and we moved promptly to the front at the next stop.
More about the area
Old World is located in Eagle, in the Kettle Moraine State Forest, which is an easy, scenic drive from Madison, Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine. If time permits, consider adding a side trip to the East Troy Electric Railroad or pick up a famous baked-in-a-bag apple pie at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago.
www.wisconsinhistory.org