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Iowa
County Attractions
Iowa County presents
a unique combination of spectacular natural beauty while also
offering many cultural and historic attractions to both its residents
and visitors. From Wisconsin's number one tourist attraction,
the House on the Rock and Taliesen, the home of the world renowned
architect Frank Lloyd Wright, to the beauty of Hyde's Mill or
the bluffs and hills of Governor Dodge State Park, Iowa County
has so much to offer everyone!
Originally settled
in the 1820's, Iowa County and the Territory of Wisconsin both
came into being when miners found lead in Mineral Point. Visitors
to present day Mineral can step into the past in a historic village
where you will find artists at work - weavers, glass blowers,
wood carvers, leather workers - and can visit and stay in a preserved
mansion house. Also in Iowa County can enjoy Shakespeare under
the stars at the American Players Theater.
Whether taking
advantage of the many year round outdoor sports and events in
the area or staying in one of the area's historic or modern guest
accommodations, visitors will find much to marvel at and enjoy
in Iowa County's unique combination of natural beauty, historic
attractions, artistic wonders, and special events.
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Museums and Historical
Sites
Wisconsin's
Oldest Courthouse
222 N.
Iowa Street, Dodgeville
Located in Dodgeville's historic downtown, the foundation for
the Iowa County Courthouse was laid in 1859, making it the state's
oldest active courthouse. A marker detailing the building's historic
significance can be seen on site.
Folklore Village
3210 County Rd. BB, Dodgeville
608-924-4000
Surrounded by the gently rolling farmland of Iowa County, Folklore
Village is a unique rural folk-life center. Visitors are invited
to participate in dancing, music, storytelling, foodways and
material folk arts.
Pendarvis
114 Shake Rag Street, Mineral Point
608-987-2122
Discover a rare gem of Wisconsin history nestled into a wooded
hillside where immigrant Cornish lead miners put down roots in
a new homeland in the 1830's and '40s. See the treasures of their
old world culture preserved for future generations in the stone-and-log
houses they crafted more than a century ago. Connected by winding
footpaths that pass by blooming gardens of native flora, the
houses of Pendarvis speak volumes about the pioneer spirit that
tamed a wild Wisconsin. Open Mid-May 1 through October 31, from 10:00
a.m.
to 5:00 p.m., wth the last tour starting at 4:00 p.m.
Historic Mineral Point
Mineral Point
608-987-3201
Mineral Point's Historic District - the first in Wisconsin placed
on the National Register of Historic Places - offers visitors
an architectural and historical bonanza with more than 500 buildings,
including tiny inns and guest houses, meticulously preserved
19th Century stone buildings, pioneer cottages, exceptional examples
of Federal-style and Victorian homes, and an opulent turn-of-the-century
still functioning Mineral Point Opera House. Up and down Old
Commerce, High Street, Jail Alley and Shake Rag Street, historic
buildings house present-day craft shops, museums, restaurants,
fine arts studios, and antique shops. Enjoy a self-guided walking
tour of Mineral Point's historic treasures, or take a narrated
horse-drawn carriage tour of the district, May through October.
Gundry House Museum
234 Madison Street, Mineral Point
608-987-2884
Stroll back through time in Victorian-era splendor. Built of
local sandstone in 1868, this impressive Italianate-style mansion
features period rooms as they would have appeared in the late
1800's and displays of Mineral Point's wide-ranging history.
Open May through October, Thursday to Sunday, from 1 p.m. - 5
p.m.
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Parks & Nature Centers
Blue Mounds
State Park
Mounds
Park Rd., Iowa County
608-437-5711
Perched atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin, this park's
two observation towers offer spectacular views of the area's
rich landscape and unique geological features. It is the only
state park with a swimming pool, which is equipped with a lift
for persons with disabilities. The park features 78 campsites
on 1,200 acres, 4 electric sites, winter camping, showers, a
dumping station, concessions, nature center, seasonal naturalist
programs, hiking and nature trails, bicycle and cross-country
ski trails. On Mounds Park Rd., 1 mile N of US 18/151, 5 miles
NW of Mt. Horeb.
Tower Hill State Park
County Highway C, Iowa County
608-588-2116
Visit this parks restored shot tower, melting house, 120 ft.
shot-forming shaft and 90 ft. horizontal tunnel chipped from
rock by two men using picks and crowbars, along with exhibits
of lead shot making from the 1800's. Nestled along the banks
of the lower Wisconsin River, this 77 acre park offers campsites,
handicap-accessible picnic areas, boating, fishing, challenging
bluff trails, hiking and nature trails with panoramic views.
On Cty. Hwy. C, 2 miles S of US 14, 3 ½ miles SE of Spring
Green in Iowa County.
Governor Dodge State Park
State Hwy. 23, Dodgeville
608-935-2315
This 5,029 acre park includes steep hills, craggy bluffs and
deep valleys with two lakes, a waterfall, spring houses built
by early settlers and an abundant variety of wildlife, from white-tailed
deer at water's edge to black hawks soaring effortlessly above.
Governor Dodge features 267 campsites, 77 electric sites, winter
camping, showers, a dumping station, backpack camping, handicap-accessible
picnic area and campsites, concessions, boat and canoe rental,
nature center, seasonal naturalist programs, vistas, shoreline,
marked beach area, 2 miles of nature trails, 26.6 miles of hiking
trails, 24.7 miles of horseback trails, horse-riders campsites,
10.3 miles of off-road bicycle trails, 15 miles of snowmobile
trails, 18.1 miles of cross-country ski trails. On state Hwy.
23, 3 miles N of US 18, 3 miles N of Dodgeville.
Military Ridge State Park Trail
Dodgeville to Fitchburg
Meander through woods, wetlands, prairies and farmland on this
40-mile Dodgeville-to- Fitchburg trail. Most of the trail follows
the former Chicago and Northwestern Railway line, which has a
gentle grade of only 2 to 5 percent. Open for hiking, biking,
snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
Cheese Country Recreation Trail
Mineral Point to Monroe
608-987-3201
The 47-mile Cheese Country Trail, which runs from Mineral Point
to Monroe, has 57 overpasses including a 440-ft. bridge spanning
the Pecatonica River just west of Browntown. This shared use
trail allows ATV's, horseback riding, snowmobiles and bicycles.
Black Hawk Lake Recreation Area
2025 Cty. Hwy BH, Highland
608-623-2707
Boating, fishing, hunting and camping enthusiasts will enjoy
visiting the Black Hawk Lake Recreation Area. Located outside
of Cobb off Hwy. 80 on County Road BH, this year-around recreation
area includes a 223-acre lake with supervised beach area, 1,500
acres of public hunting ground, and 92 campsites. Fall and winter
activities include hunting, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and cross-country
skiing.
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Special Things To
Do
American Players
Theatre
Spring
Green
608-588-7041
Experience the works of great playwrights performed by a world-class
professional acting company. American Players Theatre offers
the finest in classical theatre performed in a beautiful outdoor
amphitheater on the banks of the Wisconsin River. Located twelve
miles north of Dodgeville on High Point Road, south of County
Highway C, the theatre is open mid-June through mid-September.
Call for play schedules and ticket information.
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Points of Interest
House on the
Rock
Hwy 23,
Spring Green
608-935-3639/800-947-2799
Prepare to be amazed at architect Alex Jordan's unique house
built atop a 60-foot column of rock and his fantastic collection
of gardens and exhibits. This 16-building complex houses whimsical
carousels, enormous sea creatures, fascinating room-size music
machines, miniature circuses, doll houses, 1880's Streets of
Yesterday, armor and fanciful weaponry. On-site dining, shopping
and picnic areas are also available to visitors. Open March 15
through October 29, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Christmas at the House on
the Rock, features the world's largest collection of Santas.
Taliesen
Hwy. 23 Cty. C, Spring Green
608-588-7900
Tour the home and architectural school of the world-renowned
architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The complex includes six Wright
structures including Wright's home and Hillside School, and Visitor
Center. Open May through October 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and
April, November and December from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Metropolitan Art
201 S. Iowa St., Dodgeville
608-935-7011
This innovative art gallery located in a renovated two-story
1915 auto garage features both national and internationally noted
and emerging fine artists. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Merry Christmas Mine Prairie
114 Shake Rag Street, Mineral Point
The Merry Christmas Mine was one of the nations few large zinc
mines operating between 1906 and 1913. The mine is now part of
a 43-acre area that includes a number of educational walking
trails highlighting early crevice mines and "badger holes."
The prairie trails begin at the edge of the Pendarvis parking
lot in Mineral Point.
Hyde's Mill
Dan Mill Rd., Hyde
Built in 1850, Hyde's Mill, dam and millpond are surrounded by
lush woodlands and prairie openings, serenaded by birdcalls and
gentle waterfalls. Located on Dam Mill Road between County Road
H north from Ridgeway and County Road T, north from Barneveld,
the Hyde's Mill area is one of the region's most tranquil and
beautiful. Grandview
Hwy. 39, 1 mile west of Hollendale
(608) 967-2140
See unique sculptures including lions, monkeys, fierce Vikings, Snow
White and dwarves, and more in beautiful gardens, as well as a
collection of paintings, at the historic site of Grandview in
Hollendale. Beginning in the 1930's and continuing over a period of
30 years, the dairyman immigrant Nick Engelbert from the
Austro-Hungarian Empire crafted his whimsical visions in concrete,
glass and stone and planted them in the gardens surrounding his farm
in the Iowa County community of Hollandale. Though many of the
sculptures can be seen from the road, the museum with his paintings
is well worth a visit also. Grandview is open to the public from May
1 to November 1. Call for more information and to book a tour. Back
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