Let's start with a couple of housekeeping items that you need to know about. This is NOT the…read moreprehistoric Native American community of Aztalan. That state park is about a mile and a half south on County Highway Q. This museum is on the site of what is called Pioneer Aztalan, located on the southeast corner formed by County Highways B and Q. At one time, these roads were major routes, CTH B was the Milwaukee-Mineral Point territorial road. About 1918, it became Wisconsin 30 which was eventually replaced by I-94. CTH Q was the Fond du Lac-Janesville road that was eventually replaced by Wisconsin 26. (See Christopher Bessert's excellent "Wisconsin Highways" website for more about these roads. http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/index.html) Being on this important crossroads, by 1850, Aztalan had grown to become one of the most important towns in Jefferson County. It was the site of the first post office in the county, two blacksmiths, a shoe shop, two stores, a quarry, a sawmill, and a church. When the railroads came through and bypassed Aztalan, it became mostly a ghost town. The church is the only original Pioneer Aztalan building extant. In 1941, the Lake Mills Aztalan Historical Society was formed to preserve the heritage of the Pioneer Aztalan property, that borders the prehistoric Aztalan Native American state park. The restored church is the society's museum with an amazing collection of artifacts from 19th Century Wisconsin life. The society located other historic structures in the area and moved them to the site, including a Moravian church, the one-room John Petty Family log cabin (donated by a descendant of the Petty family) the Zickert log home (moved during the construction of I-94) and a granary that models a 19th Century wood wright's shop. (A house on the property is not considered a historic structure.) The society later purchased the one-room schoolhouse across the road - don't miss it! The school was built in 1917 to replace one that burned down, and it appears as it would have in the 1940s. It was used as a school until the 1950s. The Pioneer Aztalan site became a Wisconsin landmark in 1969 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The Princess Mound on the grounds is a Native American burial mound, circa 1200. It is one of the thousands of mounds cataloged by Dr. Increase Lapham. The princess is not there, she was exhumed and moved to Milwaukee for preservation, research and security. The mound is considerably lower than its original six foot height, the soil was probably used for fill in the 19th Century. This is a can't-miss visit to see what life was really like around the time Wisconsin became the 30th state on May 29, 1848. Of all the small, volunteer operated museums in Wisconsin, this is one of the outstanding ones, with an amazing collection, and well worth your time to visit. It's open from Mid-May to the end of September every year, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Noon to 4 PM. Cash only, no plastic money accepted for a nominal admission fee. It's easily reached from Johnson Creek on the east and Lake Mills on the west. Just follow the signs on CTH B. Don't miss this one.

Small museum funded and operated by a private society with exhibits pertaining to the Aztalan State…read morePark Native American mound building society just to the south of the museum, and to life in the now-defunct pioneer village of Aztalan, which existed from around 1840 to the 1900s but has now completely disappeared except for a couple of old buildings maintained by the museum. Some nice exhibits of Native American artifacts, and some nice period pieces from the pioneer village. Some nice rebuilt actual log cabins of the time, old small log cabin Moravian Church built by the German settlers in 1861, old one room schoolhouse. Admission is $5, open Thursday-Sunday 12noon-4pm starting about the middle of May through September. If you are planning a visit in late September, be sure to call ahead, as their last day this year was 9/28/2014. They don't take credit cards, so have cash on hand for the admission fee. If you are interested in Native American mound building culture, they have some copies for sale of "Aztalan: Mysteries of an Ancient Indian Town" by Robert Birmingham and Lynne Goldstein, which does a nice job of describing the site and relating it to the Cahokia site near East St. Louis. A visit here nicely compliments a visit to the Aztalan State Park just to south of the museum. Website: www.orgsites.com/wi/aztalan/index.html

I love this product and have been a long time customer. But this week instead of just telling me…read morethere was a weather delay, they made up excuses and then sent me copy of their shipments with names, addresses and tracking info. of numerous other customers to show how everyone was having same problem. HUGE violation of privacy! Has MY personal info been given out to others too????

Walk through learn about honey and bee, keeping from the past to present .great for kids and it's…read morefree. The drive is awsome. With farms.

I have never been to old world Wisconsin before. This was our first visit…read more I had no idea what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised at all the different villages, and the workers they had there in period clothing, explaining to the visitors what they were doing. It was lovely to me and through all the different villages, and take in the history of it all. I would love to see it in fall. I'm sure it is absolutely as beautiful as in every season. Highly recommend for all age groups.

Loved our recent stop here. Got some free passes at the local library so that helped save some…read moremoney. I came here as a kid on a field trip but I forgot how big the whole compound was. Thankfully, they offer trams to bring you between the villages. We opted to walk and it was quite the work out on a late July day. But, loved the experience to help bring us back in time a bit. They do have a few treats along the way like ice cream, food and beer/canned adult beverages/soda, but I definitely recommend you bring water or snacks. It can be a long day if you take your time and check out all the buildings, which I highly recommend. The staff are so friendly and informative and answer questions patiently. Very impressed with all of the staff!!

Just across the street from the Museum of Wisconsin Art and adjoining the Hub, a non-for-profit…read morecoffee shop, GOWA is the destination to buy fine art! The industrial Gallery space is open and bright, spanning over two levels. Exhibitions change every two months and feature the best of Wisconsin's artworks, from turn-of-the-century landscapes to contemporary abstracts. GOWA is the destination for art collectors and lovers alike! With lower priced one-of-a-kind items available in the gift shop to large scale corporate sculptures, there is something sure to please everyone.

From the owner: Online Gallery - Viewing By Appointment Only. The only…read moregallery that represents Wisconsin Art of all periods - especially Early and Historic to Contemporary. Specializing in 1910 - 1950 WPA era, American Scene, Regionalism, Social Realism, Magic Realism, Urban, Rural, Modernist, etc. We buy, sell, consign, and collect. Great selection of Contemporary artists too! We are all about promoting, educating, and elevating the important artwork done in the state of Wisconsin!

We went exploring in Lake Mills and stumbled upon this gem. It is on a side street behind Main…read moreStreet but worth the visit There is plenty of free parking right on the street in front. There is a store and working pottery studio in the old Jail. When we visited two artists were working away. The pottery was very detailed and beautiful. If you like craftsman style pottery or just a fan of pottery this is worth a visit.

If you are a fan of classic Arts and Crafts pottery (there are dozens of us, I swear!) then get in…read morethe car and make the drive out to Ephraim Pottery in Lake Mills. The small store/gallery has locally crafted lighting, textiles, tiles and of course pottery. Expect both classic and whimsical forms and beautiful glazework. Everything is made by hand by Wisconsin artists. Quality is extremely high so don't expect bargain basement prices. A small (but exquisite) vase will be in the $200 range. Know that this ship has some of their experimental pieces along with an "irregular" table. If you're willing to accept a tiny flaw you'll save 25-50%. Your purchases will be beautifully packed and presented to you in a cute Ephraim Pottery tote. We picked up a few handmade tiles that will look beautiful in our old house but man, if I had a lot of cash I would have bought EVERYTHING!

This is a fabulous library! It's not only a beautiful building with a striking exterior and…read moreinterior, it has a grand collection for a library its size. Upstairs are meeting rooms available to the community. Can't find what you need? The Fargo Library is affiliated with several other libraries. Just ask! According to "A History of Agriculture in Wisconsin (Volume 2)" by Joseph Schafer, in an affidavit written by Mrs. Carrie Fargo Bicknell, Lorenzo Dow Fargo moved to Lake Mills from his home in Connecticut to buy a farm. Toward the end of his life, he began to reforest much of his land, stressing the importance of trees to future generations. His generous gift of $5,000.00 in 1899 planted the seeds for a library in Lake Mills. (Mrs. Carrie Fargo Bicknell was a daughter of L.D. Fargo.) The building was designed by George Ferry, a noted architect in Wisconsin and a prolific designer of libraries around the state. It was dedicated in August 1902. A fire in January, 1980 caused a great deal of damage to the structure, the children's collection, and the records collection. Great effort was made to clean up and the library reopened, on a limited basis, in April 1980. In April 1981, the fully functional library reopened. "A History of Agriculture in Wisconsin (Volume 2)" by Joseph Schafer was published by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in 1922.

We had Brandi join us during a birthday/bachelorette spa celebration and it ended up being the…read morehighlight of the night! There were 7 of us in our group and she spent time with each person individually answering questions and doing thoughtful readings. She never rushed anyone and made sure everyone had the chance to ask what was on their mind. Afterward we were all comparing our readings and talking about how much they resonated. It was such a fun and memorable experience for everyone. I'm really grateful for the time and care she gave our group and would absolutely book with her again. If you're looking for something unique to add to a girls' night or celebration, I highly recommend her.

Brandi did a program for us on The Witch Burning Era, as told through an intersectional feminist…read morelens and it was PHENOMENAL. We'd had her here before to do an Astrology 101 program, and that was FANTASTIC as well. Her research is beyond thorough, she's able to answer any question thrown at her, and she's just so personable and engaging. We HIGHLY recommend booking her for anything!