201 8th St Baraboo, WI
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Visit the Circus World Museum this Summer

Two things automatically come to mind when most people think about Baraboo, Wisconsin: Devil’s Lake State Park and the Circus World Museum. We’re so lucky to have absolutely stunning scenery and a fun, historical past with the Ringling family. You’ll see the circus influence all over our charming small town, from a brewery and theater named after the family to our Baraboo Bed and Breakfast, once home to the Ringling’s famed circus founders.

A visit to this extensive Circus World Museum is a must, especially during the summer when the big tent is open for fantastic shows. You’ll find seven buildings on the 64-acre property dedicated to showcasing and commemorating the history of the circus and the Ringling Brothers. There’s an impressive collection of treasures, props, and memorabilia for hours of fun exploring these entertainment shows of yore.

Before you purchase your tickets to the Circus World Museum, you’ll want to secure your lodging, and there’s no better place to stay (especially for circus enthusiasts) than the Ringling House B&B, the premier Baraboo Bed and Breakfast. Our historic Inn offers guests a step into the past while maintaining the modern comforts to relax and unwind. Each of our beautiful guest rooms calls to the rich living history of the Ringling Brothers, each named after a loving couple within the family. Check out our upcoming summer availability and book your room today! Continue reading

The Best Birdwatching Near our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

On any trip out to the Baraboo area of Wisconsin, exploring the natural beauty of this part of the country is a must. Birdwatching is a wonderful way to feel like a part of nature, not to mention, it’s a quiet, relaxing and calming pastime out in the fresh air. And we can all use a little bit more of that in our lives these days.

According to the Audubon Society, Wisconsin is a great birding state due to its forests, wetlands and lake shorelines. Baraboo Hills is known as a birdwatching hotspot due to the hardwood forests that grow around ancient rock formations. This is the perfect landscape for safe nesting. Many varieties of Warblers, Cuckoos and Woodpeckers call the area home, and if you’re super lucky you might catch sight of a Peregrine Falcon.

Our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast is only 10 minutes from Devil’s Lake State Park, a very popular birdwatching destination. More than 100 species of birds nest in the park and during migration season that number goes up immensely. We’re also in the vicinity to many other main birdwatching areas—this guarantees some successful sightings and nature outings when you stay at our Wisconsin Inn. Start planning and book with us today! Continue reading

8 Delightful Things to Do in Baraboo This Fall

There are plenty of things to do in Baraboo in the fall, given the Central Wisconsin region’s slow-cooling October temperatures and abundance of blaze-colored natural beauty. Even with some top Baraboo attractions closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s still no shortage of places worth checking out during your visit to this town, named one of the top five small towns to visit in America by Smithsonian magazine in 2013.

And there’s no better place to begin an end each day’s Baraboo adventures than Ringling House Bed and Breakfast, with nearly 100 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor for this charming Colonial Revival house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a look for yourself! Timeless in its appeal but loaded with modern amenities, you’ll want to reserve your room today at this Baraboo bed & breakfast as you work on your list of things to do in Baraboo. Continue reading

The Houses that George Built—an Isenberg Retrospect

A few years ago, Margie Isenberg Abel stopped in Baraboo on a trip through Wisconsin, and that trip piqued her interest about her family’s links to Sauk County history. She knew of local kin Jim Isenberg (who is a second cousin), and wanted to learn more. With help from author Jerry Apps, a local Ringling historian, Abel contacted relatives of George Isenberg in Germany. She learned that three of seven Isenberg brothers left the family carpentry business to come to America. Two of the brothers, George and Carl, started Isenberg Brothers in Sauk City before moving to Baraboo. Here they built several landmark structures that, despite being built more than a century ago, remain vibrant institutions.

Early Ringling House 1901

Then about 2 years ago, The Isenberg great-granddaughters returned for a week to Baraboo, intent on researching the indelible imprint the Isenberg buildings left on Baraboo. They came from Kansas and New Hampshire to see the Baraboo Library, the Al. Ringling Mansion, St. John’s Lutheran Church, the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast and the Van Orden Mansion – all built by their Isenberg ancestors.

“They weCarlIsenbergre unbelievable mansions for that time,” said Margie Isenberg Abel, the chief family researcher.

They compared notes with Executive Director Paul Wolter of the Sauk County Historical Society, about the construction company run by their great-grandfather and his brother George.

“They were, bar none, the premier builders of Sauk County,” Wolter said.

 

There were seven sons and three daughters in the Isenberg family. George, being the youngest son, was educated in Germany, and as a youth was apprenticed to the trade of carpenter. In 1885, he immigrated to the United States, and once arriving in Sauk County, he eventually took up residence in Baraboo, where he lived without interruption-although in the interest of his business affairs, he resided for short periods at other places. For three or four years he was employed as a carpenter by his brother Karl, with whom he eventually formed a partnership, and the firm of Isenberg Brothers grew to be one of the leading contracting and building concerns in this part of the state. During this time the brothers erected many of the largest buildings in Baraboo, including all the Ringling buildings, and in 1912 George Isenberg went to Florida, where he erected the winter home for Charles and Edith Ringling.

IsenbergDecendants

 

Margie Isenberg Abel of Kansas, Ann Isenberg of New Hampshire and Carol Isenberg Dillon of Kansas, sitting on the stirs of the Van Orden Mansion, one the homes constructed by Carl and George Isenberg.

 

 

 

Thanks to Ben Bromley of the Baraboo news Republic and the Archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society for Information in the preparation of this piece.

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