Wade House

Have you ever wondered what it was like to drive a carriage? In this entertaining and educational clinic, participants, along with their equine partners and horse-drawn vehicles, will be taught carriage driving skills by expert trainer Nicole Cable. A lover of horses since she was small, Cable has become one of the most revered and sought after trainers of carriage horses in the country. She will conduct 45-minute individual lessons on your choice of topic, such as harnessing, rein and whip handling or training a green horse. Clinic participants will also be able to tour the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum. Must be 13+ to participate.  

EVENT DETAILS

Saturday, May 18, 2024
Lesson Times: 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. 

Sunday, May 19, 2024
Lesson Times: 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

Your ticket purchase time is your start time.  

Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to this time. 

COST FOR INDIVIDUAL LESSONS

$100 per person

Advanced registration is recommended. Guests must be 13+ to attend.
Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.

Strike while the iron is hot, hear the “clang” of the hammer and feel the heat from the forge as you learn the art of blacksmithing in the 1860s-era Dockstader Blacksmith Shop. You’ll shape unique knives from various materials and customize the handles with your own design to make a distinctive, one-of-a-kind knife. Full-day workshop participants will forge two knives, while half-day participants will forge one knife. Forging items with your own hands is a unique experience you will never forget. 

EVENT DETAILS 

Full-day Workshop | Saturday, May 18, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  
Half-day Workshop | Saturday, June 22, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - Noon  
Half-day Workshop | Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - Noon  

COST 

Full-day Workshop - $225 per person 
Half-day Workshop - $125 per person  
Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.   

Your whole family can travel back in time with a slow-paced stagecoach journey through the picturesque rolling landscape of the Kettle Moraine. Each ride on our replica Concord stagecoach lasts approximately 30 minutes and includes an opportunity to meet the horses and take photos with them. Pre-registration is recommended, though rides will be offered on the day of the event as space allows. This handsome coach can comfortably accommodate six passengers per tour, though we may be able to squeeze up to ten – contact us beforehand if your group has more than six individuals. 

EVENT DETAILS

Saturday, May 25, 2024  

Saturday, June 15, 2024 

Saturday, July 13, 2024 

Saturday, August 10, 2024 

Saturday, September 14, 2024 

Ride Times (every 45 minutes) 

10:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. 

Your ticket purchase time is your stagecoach ride start time.  

Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to this time. 

STAGECOACH RIDE COST

Adult (18-64): $15
Teen (13-17): $15
Senior (65+): $13
Child (5-12): $10
Child Under 5: $3

Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.
Advanced registration highly recommended.

Everyone in the family can get a close-up view of life in a 19th century stagecoach inn during this weekend of special activities at Wade House. The curated experience starts with your own horse-drawn wagon ride to the Wade House Historic Site. Once there, you’ll meet our tradespeople and get your hands dirty, with firsthand demonstrations of the tools and techniques folk used hundreds of years ago to craft buildings, carriages and other essential items. Our gardener and cook will also show you how Betsey Wade – one of the inn’s founders – grew and prepared food for guests. And bring a camera: our farm animals are ridiculously photogenic. Families who complete a photo-based scavenger hunt will receive a special item from our gift shop. Food and drinks available for purchase. 

EVENT DETAILS

Saturday, June 15, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Sunday, June 16, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

COST

Adult (18-64): $15 
Teen (13-17): $15 
Senior (65+): $13 
Child (5-11): $8 
Children under 5: Free 
 
Society members receive free admission 

Imagine yourself on the porch of a stately, Greek revival stagecoach inn, savoring a cocktail as the sun settles on the longest day of the year. Better yet, give your imagination a rest and reserve your spot for this hands-on evening of craft cocktail making in the taproom of the Wade House. You’ll learn mixology tips and tricks while you indulge in samples of each cocktail and nibble on snacks or appetizers that pair with the drink. Must be 21+ to participate.

EVENT DETAILS

Thursday, June 20, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

COST

Adult (21-64): $35 
Senior (65+): $33 

Guests must be 21+.
Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out. 

Finish off your week in style with pizza and drinks at the historic Wade House. We’ll celebrate founder Betsey Wade’s hospitality at the stagecoach inn with live music, food and drinks. Delicious Marzano Pizza Company pies will be available for purchase by the slice, half or whole, along with salads, soft drinks, beer and wine.

Event Details

Friday, June 28, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Friday, July 26, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Friday, August 23, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Cost

Free admission

Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Come see horses of every size, shape, and color hitched to elegant carts and carriages compete for division championships. Celebrate horsepower during this rare three-day weekend of competitions in our brand-new horse arena and throughout the grounds at Wade House Historic Site. A horse-drawn carriage will transport you to the contest grounds, where you will view teams of drivers and horses performing together as they attempt to master a series of trials designed to showcase their versatility, training and talents.  

Drivers will be dressed to impress in their best finery – Ladies wearing elegant hats and gentlemen in dapper boaters will drive their horses in a series of competitive classes designed to test the skills of the drivers and the athleticism of the horses. The devil is in the details of this equestrian competition, as drivers try to impress the expert American Driving Society certified judges to win the coveted blue ribbon. At the competition ring witness a variety of carriages – genuine antiques, reproductions and even modern vehicles. Watch the action up close! You’ll thrill at the sounds of the horses breathing and feel their footfall as they demonstrate different gaits and navigate courses under the subtle commands of their drivers. 

EVENT DETAILS

Friday, July 19, 2024 | Noon - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 20, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 21, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

SINGLE DAY COST

Adult (18-64): $17
Teen (13-17): $17
Senior (65+): $15
Child (5-12): $8.50
Child Under 5: Free 

WEEKEND COST

Adult (18-64): $27
Teen (13-17): $27
Senior (65+): $25
Child (5-12): $12.50
Child Under 5: Free 

Tickets may also be purchased onsite. 
Society members  receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out. 

It’s an arts and crafts fair done Wade House style. Wander our beautiful, historic grounds as you browse the offerings of more than 50 carefully selected artists and craftspeople. Potters, quilters, metal workers, woodworkers and herbalists are just some of the trades represented. Find that must-have piece of whimsy for your garden, fine art for your living room wall or artisan foods for your pantry, all while you nosh on tasty snacks, listen to live music and watch craft demonstrations. Come for the day and enjoy a delightful late summer afternoon while exploring this historic stagecoach site. Horse-drawn wagon rides will take you around in style.

EVENT DETAILS 

Sunday, August 25, 2024| 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

COST 

$5 per person 

Tickets may also be purchased onsite.   Membership benefit is not applicable to this already discounted event. 

Gather ‘round the long table for a communal, open air, farm-to-table feast highlighting the Kettle Moraine’s autumnal bounty, with locally sourced produce, wine, camaraderie and warm spirits. As the weather cools and the leaves change, Chef Jeff Mallegni will prepare a delightful dinner celebrating Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage and incorporating vegetables, herbs and edible flowers from Wade House’s own gardens. Begin with charcuterie highlighting locally cured meats and artisanal cheeses, feast on a lemon ginger cider brined pork tenderloin with a rum cider glaze and top it off with a rustic apple galette. Wash it all down with menu-inspired mocktails and cocktails. Guests must be 18 years of age or older to attend. 

Event Details 

Saturday, September 28, 2024 | 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 

Cost  

Adult (18-64): $150
Senior (65+): $150

Advanced registration is required. Guests must be 18+ to attend.

Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.   

It’s fall in the Kettle Moraine! Celebrate this most colorful time of the year with traditional autumnal activities for the entire family. Try your hand at pumpkin or turnip carving, apple pressing and festive games like Snap Apple. The celebration continues in the candlelit Herrling Sawmill where visitors will not only hear the rumble of an up-and-down water-powered saw but also spooky, family-friendly accounts of tales from the past.  Warm up with hot apple cider and enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides through the site. The Wade House Stagecoach Inn, Dockstader Blacksmith Shop, Herrling Sawmill and Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum will be open to guests. 

EVENT DETAILS

Saturday, October 12, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Sunday, October 13, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

COST

Adult (18-64): $15.00  
Teen (13-17): $15.00  
Senior (65+): $13.00  
Child (5-12): $8.00  
Child (under 5): Free 

Society members receive free admission, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.  

Come on down to the Wade House taproom and experience a typical evening in what was the social hub of 19th-century life for Greenbush locals and weary travelers alike. Sample specialty beers and apple cider and nosh on snacks as you explore this stately Greek Revival hotel. Musical entertainment provided by Ric Tic!, an up-and-coming eclectic band from Plymouth. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. 

Event Details 

Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Cost

Adult (21-64): $20 
Senior (65+): $20 

Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Advanced registration is required.
Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.  

Enjoy a delicious hearth-cooked meal prepared with your own hands in the historic Wade House Stagecoach Hotel. From wild rice soup and pork ragout to a Yankee pot roast served alongside brethren cheddar bread and apple pandowdy, you’ll cook delicious and authentic 1800s-style meals over wood-burning stoves just as Wade House matriarch Betsey Wade did more than 150 years ago. Once food is ready, sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor during a family-style dinner in the elegant and lovely Wade House dining room. 

Meal Themes

German: Includes potato leek soup, sauerbraten (spiced beef roast), spaetzle (German noodles), Dutch beans/carrots, Pennsylvania style sauerkraut, apple bread, and krumkake (sour cream coffee cake).  

Event Details 

Wisconsin Winter | Saturday, February 17, 2024 | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (SOLD OUT)

German | Saturday, November 2, 2024 | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Cost  

$75 per person

Guests must be age 13 or older to attend.  

Advanced registration is required by the Thursday prior to the event. 

Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.  

The sights, sounds, and smells of the historic Wade House Stagecoach Hotel will transport you back to the holidays of yesteryear, when the season held a stronger focus on family gatherings and time together.  The halls of the picturesque inn will be decked out for the holidays, showcasing how the Wade family and their many visitors would have celebrated a classic 19th-century Yankee and German-influenced Christmas. Enjoy classic holiday treats, crafts, live music and a reading of “The Night Before Christmas” at the inn. The festivities continue in the Wade House Visitor Center and Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum, where seasonal décor, a scavenger hunt, live music, and children’s activities will add to the festive spirit.  

EVENT DETAILS

Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 15, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

COST

Adult (18-64): $15
Teen (13-17): $15
Senior (65+): $13
Child (5-12): $8
Child Under 5: Free

Society members receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out.