Autumn Celebration Weekend
Event Details
Sat-Sun, Oct 10 & 11, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 4PM
Author Talk | Saturday, Oct 10, 2026 | 1 PM–2 PM
Harvest at the Heart of the Kettle Moraine
It’s fall in the Kettle Moraine! Breathe in the smell of crisp fall leaves and celebrate the changing of seasons at Wade House with traditional autumnal activities for the whole family. Try your hand at pumpkin carving, apple pressing, and festive games like Snap Apple before heading over to the candlelit Herrling Sawmill. There, you’ll hear both the rumble of an up-and-down water-powered saw as well as spooky, family-friendly tales from the past. Afterwards, warm up with hot apple cider and enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides across the Wade House grounds. The Wade House Stagecoach Inn, Dockstader Blacksmith Shop, Herrling Sawmill, and Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum will be open to guests.
Oct 10 – Dan Bussey presents Wisconsin Apples in Immigrant and Native Communities
Autumn is apple season! Join us for a special presentation on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1 PM–2 PM in the Walnut Room at Wade House Historic Site as author Dan Bussey traces the remarkable journey of apples throughout Wisconsin. Bussey will explore the apple varieties that originated in the state and the influence Native peoples and immigrants had over the apples they chose to grow for their families. An internationally recognized heirloom apple scholar and author of the definitive seven-volume “The Illustrated History of Apples in the United States and Canada,” Bussey has lectured about apples across the country and taught fruit tree grafting to thousands. His work has been featured on BBC Radio, National Public Radio, the New York Times, and Wisconsin Public Radio and Television.
What You’ll Experience
Pumpkin carving, apple pressing and other harvest-themed activities at the Wade House Historic Site grounds
Retellings of family-friendly spooky stories in keeping with the holiday season
Beautiful horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the grounds
A presentation on Wisconsin Apples in Immigrant and Native Communities by internationally recognized heirloom apple scholar Dan Bussey (Saturday, Oct 10, 1 PM–2 PM only)
Cost
Adult (18-64): $17
Teen (13-17): $17
Senior (65+): $15
Child (5-12): $8.50
Child Under 5: Free
Society members receive a 10% discount; please verify your membership where prompted to receive the discount at checkout.
About the Location
Wade House Stagecoach Inn was constructed conveniently between the cities of Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, along a well-used stagecoach trail. This made the 27-room Greek Revival hotel a popular resting point for weary travelers. Three generations of the Wade family resided on the Wade House property, with the stagecoach inn operating until around 1872. The Kohler family and the Kohler Foundation purchased Wade House in 1950 and began a top-to-bottom restoration. The site became property of the Wisconsin Historical Society and opened to the public in 1953. Here, visitors can journey back to the horse-powered world that existed before planes, cars, and trains. The site features the stagecoach hotel built and owned by Sylvanus and Betsey Wade, early settlers of Greenbush, as well as a blacksmith shop, sawmill, and the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum, which houses Wisconsin’s largest collection of carriages and wagons. Visitors can enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides from the visitor center to the historic core and back again.
Wade House Historic Site & Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum
(PO Box 34)
W7965 State Hwy 23
Greenbush, WI 53026
Know Before You Go & Accessibility
The author presentation of Wisconsin Apples in Immigrant and Native Communities by Dan Bussey will take place exclusively on Saturday, Oct 10 from 1 PM–2 PM in the Walnut Room at Wade House Historic Site.
The museum store is open daily during business hours.
Guests may exit and return throughout the day.
Restrooms and water fountains are available on site.
Water is the only outside beverage allowed.
The site will remain open rain or shine.
Guests are encouraged to wear good walking shoes and to dress for the weather.
No pets are allowed. Service animals are permitted.
Carriage rides may not be accessible to everyone with additional mobility needs.
Because of the historic nature of the buildings, not all areas are ADA accessible.
Guests with additional mobility needs are encouraged to contact the site directly at 920-526-3271 or wadehouse@wisconsinhistory.org.
Have Questions?
For more information, please contact the box office at 608-264-4848 or boxoffice@wisconsinhistory.org.