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5 Great Reasons to Plan Your Romantic Getaway at Our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast

This time of year — especially this year — naturally inspires thoughts of escaping from it all. And if you’re thinking about taking a break from the world with your sweetheart, what better way is there to get away than with a romantic getaway at our cozy-warm, luxuriously appointed Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast?

The Ringling House, a Colonial Revival home near the heart of Baraboo, one of America’s top-rated small towns, offers the perfect blend of historic charm and modern conveniences to make your stay a relaxing and refreshing one. Each of our beautiful guest rooms makes you feel enveloped in the rich living history of the Ringling family while ensuring you have everything you need to create your own history of a memorable romantic stay.

Outside our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast is the wonderful town of Baraboo, ranked as a favorite small-town getaway among Midwest Living readers and as one of the top five small towns to visit in the United States by Smithsonian Magazine in 2013. Those honors are based on Baraboo’s abundance of natural beauty, cultural and historical offerings, museums, and activities.

Even if some of the cultural offerings are unavailable due to Wisconsin’s current COVID-19 restrictions, there’s still much to do and see just a short stroll away. And rest assured that our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast has gone above and beyond to ensure a safe and healthy stay for you and your sweetheart. So make your romantic getaway plans today and reserve your room at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast! Continue reading

8 Great Things to Do at Devil’s Lake State Park This Fall

At 9,217 acres, Devil’s Lake State Park is the most sizable state park in Wisconsin, and “sizable” also perfectly describes the range of things you can see and do in this stunningly scenic year-round recreation destination. You can enjoy lakeshore picnic areas, sandy beaches, bird watching, rock climbing, boating, hiking into backcountry solitude, and much more.

And there’s no better way to begin and end a day’s adventuring in Devil’s Lake State Park than at our Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast in the beautiful nearby town of Baraboo. You’ll be rested and fresh for the rigors of the trails in one of our luxuriously appointed guest rooms, and we’ll send you off on the right foot with your choice of hearty and delicious breakfasts.

So plan your Devil’s Lake State Park adventure by reserving your room with us today! Continue reading

Baraboo’s Midnight Carnival Haunted House

Ladies & Gentlemen, children with no fear, step into the realm of circus purgatory in our hair-raising 4rth ring.    It’s behind the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast,  where halloween spirit lives, and keeping with the circus theme, is called Baraboo’s “Midnight Carnival” haunted house this year.

What better way to scare up money for a great cause than to host a haunted house?
Stuart Koehler and Julie Hearley and a committee of volunteers are, for the third consecutive fall, creating a haunted house in a carriage house behind Ringling House Bed & Breakfast. Their goal isn’t to conjure Ringling family ghosts, but to raise money for improvements to the historic property.
Last year a nonprofit organization, Friends of the Charles and Henry Ringling Estate, was formed to preserve the buildings and grounds once owned by the brothers of circus fame. The one-acre estate includes the main house, which the couple operates as a six-room bed-and-breakfast; the carriage house; a cottage; and a barn. The 1901 Colonial Revival home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We think – we hope – the community wants this property to stay intact,” Stuart said.
Julie said the nonprofit will remain in place even if the property changes hands someday. “This is designed to protect these buildings as long as they’re around,” she said.
The couple plans to transform the carriage house in an event venue. They foresee hosting theatrical performances and other events attracting groups of 100 to 200 people. “There aren’t a lot of places in Baraboo for those kinds of events,” Stuart said.
Money generated through the Midnight Carnival haunted house will support that project. Setup work began this summer, and updating the first level of the carriage house, and adding the lower level to the maze.  We’ve also extended the outdoor section to the maze of horrors set up last year. Julie said the team needs volunteers to help set up the haunted house and operate it. A crew of 15 is needed to sell tickets, provide security and act as ghouls within the indoor-outdoor haunted house.
We will also have a kiddie matinee on Halloween during trick or treating,  for small children, who figure not to get as frightened in the daylight (Otherwise, the haunted house isn’t recommended for youths under 10). This will happen on October 31, from 3-5:30pm, with the outdoor maze, spooky storytelling by the campfire, and Halloween treats!
Baraboo’s Midnight Carnival will be open Oct 9-10, 15-17, 21-24 & 28-31 from 7pm-10pm.   Admission will cost $15 at the door for adults and $12 for students, but tickets can be had in advance for $12 at https://ringlinghousebnb.com/event/.
Specials** this year include:
  • Group special 10 or more people, call ahead for pricing (608 -356-4229).  $10 each on Friday, Saturday  $8 each on weekdays.
  • Student specials $5 with ID:   October 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
  • Opening weeknight special:  October 15 – $8.00 for adults, $5 for students
  • Ladies night:  October 29.   All ladies $10.00 admission!

** Specials only one special per person or group, prices given at door.

Last year the haunted house attracted 800 people. This year’s goal is 1,000. Halloween fans came from across the state last year. “That’s a lot of people who probably wouldn’t have come to town otherwise,” Stuart said.

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

Updated Cleaning Procedures for COVID-19

We here at the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast are licensed, inspected and insured and use the utmost of safety and precautions and adhere to all the required guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our dedication to cleanliness and  hospitality is our commitment to you. Our guests are like family.  So if you must travel, our inn may be the right spot for you.  Here are some of the changes we are making in order to keep our guests safe during this challenging time.

Fewer People in a Bed & Breakfast

First of all, a Bed & Breakfast is small. we only have 6 rooms, and could have a maximum of 12 people in the house at a time.   Much less than the standard hotel, and therefore, much less chance of catching the contagion.

Check in changes

We are asking guests to wear masks upon check in and to social distance around the common area’s of the house.   We are also asking guest to wait at the back door until we open it for them, to give us time to check in one guest, before bringing in another.

Food Changes

Our breakfast is typically served family style in our dining room at Henry Ringling’s dining room table.    Now, per the Wisconsin mandate #72, we now will be delivering breakfast to peoples rooms, serving on the front porch or dining room, with a staggered start time, and distancing everyone more than  6 feet apart.

For wine and cheese happy hour on the weekend, we will be  serving on the front porch, weather permitting, having separate servings of wine and cheese and pouring you a glass of wine  to bring to your own table outside, or in another room in the house.

Baraboo also has many restaurants that have curbside pick up now or dining inside/outside with social distancing in mind,  outside of the breakfast that is served here at the Bed & Breakfast.   You can pick up your dinner, and eat it in a mansion!  How’s that for the new normal?

Sanitation Additions

We are not only cleaning the rooms, but going through and sanitizing any surface that would frequently be touched like remotes, keys, faucets, light switches, chair arms, etc, in between each guest change.  We also have disinfecting wipes placed around the house for people to use before/after touching something.

We have invested in some UVC sanitation lights.   This is an extra step to room cleaning that we  have started implementing.   UVC sanitation light is used in hospitals to sterilize operating rooms.  It efficiently kills up to 99% of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms in our bedrooms, bathrooms, and common areas, including COVID-19.

We want to be sure that our guests are not only comfortable with our amenities, but with our sanitation methods when they are ready to travel again.  This will be the “New Normal” for us until the virus threat has significantly tapered off.

What’s to do?

The good thing about Baraboo are so many outdoor areas and parks to explore.  It’s easy to practice “social distancing” while enjoying the great outdoors.   Indoors, we also have many games you can borrow and play inside your room or another area in our elegant home.  Our rooms are all equipped with internet-enabled smart TV’s, and our music rooms are equipped with several musical options.    So, come experience the fun part of travel!

Coupled with our  naturally limited occupancy levels, enhanced sanitation procedures, modified breakfast options, and multiple entertainment selections, we hope you will consider the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast as a safe and comfortable lodging option!

 

Kiva Loan for Conway Cottage

May 2, 2020

Hello Friends!

We are happy to announce that our company, Juliart Ventures, LLC is crowdfunding a 0% interest loan on Kiva. Kiva is the first and largest micro-lending service in the world that has distributed $1 billion over 10 years, in 86 different countries, among 1.5 million small businesses.

We are NOT asking for donations, we are asking you to invest in our business.   This is a loan that will be paid back in installments, once we reach our public fundraising goal.

We are  currently in a public fundraising period, during which we have 45 days to reach our goal of $9000,  Anyone can lend to us using the Kiva lending platform. The funds from this loan will go towards fixing the Conway Cottages’ front porch and replacing the sinking rear deck. 

 If you are able, you can lend as little as $25 (which you will get back!) so that we can progress to the public fundraising period.  If you would like to support us, please follow this link to our profile page  https://www.kiva.org/lend/1962284 . This is the only way your loan will be tracked as coming through us.   We are honestly so grateful for your support!

 Thank you!

 

Julie Hearley & Stuart Koehler, Innkeepers

Ringling House Bed & Breakfast

ringlinghousebnb@gmail.com

608-356-4229

Ringlinghousebnb.com

Safer at Home Order in Wisconsin for COVID-19

Governor Tony Evers has called upon all of us to take all possible actions to reduce further spread of COVID-19 to save lives. Therefore, the state of Wisconsin has issued a Safer at Home order that prohibits all nonessential travel.  The order is effective at 8 am on Weds., March 25, 2020 and will remain in effect until 8 am, Tuesday, May 26, 2020, or until a superseding order is issued.   I’ve added a copy of what constitutes essential travel above, directly from the emergency order #12.   Any violation of this law can result in a $250.00 fine and/or 30 days in prison for those found in violation.

However, for those of you that have essential travel, we are here to be able to support you in this difficult time.   We are licensed, inspected and insured and use the utmost of safety and precautions and adhere to all the required guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Please see a previous blog page for more information on the precautions we are taking:  COVID-19 Info

Our dedication to cleanliness and  hospitality is our commitment to you. Our guests are like family.  So if you must travel, our inn may be the right spot for you.

We welcome you to also explore our website, for your future travel planning, as we all look forward to resuming our normal lives.

We sincerely hope that you and your family and friends are safe and well during these challenging times.

 

 

The New Normal in the COVID-19 Lodging

Over the last week at the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast, we have gone from creating bookings and turning people away because we do not have any rooms available, to an empty house.   From one person running the Bed & Breakfast with some staff, to having my recently laid off partner at home helping.   So by empty, we mean we don’t have any guests in our guest rooms.

Therefore for us, there are no worries that we will catch the virus from traveling guests, but there is a lot of worry, that at some point we will not be able to pay our bills.    We also understand the fear of our guests that are calling to cancel their stay, either the event that they were coming for has been cancelled, that they no longer want to travel via public transport, and are self-quarantining,  afraid to leave their house – much less travel anywhere.  Their workplace may have closed, or have been laid off and have no income.   When calling to cancel a reservation, many of our customers have taken a refund in the form of a gift certificate, which helps us immensely.  Thank you to those that have chosen that option!

Needless to say, this pandemic has created a lot of fear.   Here at the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast we have decided that we need to change the way we do some things, some by choice, others by mandate.   We hope to get people coming back to Baraboo after this “quarantine” ends, because, people are people, and they are still going to be scared.   I guess we will characterize these changes  as the “New Normal”.

Fewer People in a Bed & Breakfast

First of all, a Bed & Breakfast is small. we only have 6 rooms, and could have a maximum of 12 people in the house at a time.   Much less than the standard hotel, and therefore, much less chance of catching the contagion.

Check in changes

We are asking guests to wear masks upon check in and around the common area’s of the house.   We are also asking guest to wait at the back door until we open it for them, to give us time to check in one guest, before bringing in another.

Food Changes

Our breakfast is typically served family style in our dining room at Henry Ringling’s dining room table.    Now, per the Wisconsin mandate #72, we now will be delivering breakfast to peoples rooms, serving on the front porch or dining room, with a staggered start time, and distancing everyone more than  6 feet apart.

In lieu of  the wine and cheese happy hour on the weekend, we will be bringing people a “mini bottle” of wine or champagne and/or a snack to their room.

Baraboo also has many restaurants that have curbside pick up now or dining inside/outside with social distancing in mind,  outside of the breakfast that is served here at the Bed & Breakfast.   You can pick up your dinner, and eat it in a mansion!  How’s that for the new normal?

Sanitation Additions

We are not only cleaning the rooms, but going through and sanitizing any surface that would frequently be touched like remotes, keys, faucets, light switches, chair arms, etc, in between each guest change.  We also have disinfecting wipes placed around the house for people to use before/after touching something.

We want to be sure that our guests are not only comfortable with our amenities, but with our sanitation methods when they are ready to travel again.  This will be the “New Normal” for us until the virus threat has significantly tapered off.

What’s to do?

The good thing about Baraboo are so many outdoor areas and parks to explore.  It’s easy to practice “social distancing” while enjoying the great outdoors.   Indoors, we also have many games you can borrow and play inside your room or another area in our elegant home.  Our rooms are all equipped with internet-enabled smart TV’s, and our music rooms is equipped with several musical options.    So, come experience the fun part of travel!

Coupled with our  naturally limited occupancy levels, enhanced sanitation procedures, modified breakfast options, and multiple entertainment selections, we hope you will consider the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast as a safe and comfortable lodging option!

Sincerely,

Julie Hearley & Stuart Koehler

Innkeepers, Ringling House Bed & Breakfast.

Murder Mystery Dinners

Have you ever participated in a murder mystery dinner?   There are several different kinds.   One has actors that play the parts, and audience members can help solve the mystery.  Mostly just a watching a show kind of Murder Mystery!

The type of Murder Mystery Dinners that we hold at the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast, are the kind where YOU get to play the part, dress up, and attempt to solve the murder while having an elegant diner and mingling around the Ringling House Bed & Breakfast.   Of course, you could be the MURDERED, or the MURDERER.   You just won’t know until you get here.   And wouldn’t you like to mingle about in the mansion, and try to solve the crime?  Click the link to one of these events and get your ticket now!

We have two of these murder mystery dinners coming up:
Jazz Age Jeopardy:  Saturday March 21, 2020  5pm
Casino Dead Money:    Saturday, April 25, 2020  5pm

Approximate Schedule of evening:

5:00pm arrival, pictures & cocktail hour
5:30pm Round 1 of Game is started
6:15pm dinner is served Round 2 Starts
**** Murder Happens ****
7:30pm vote & guess on suspects
8:00pm Round 3, confessions
8:30pm Awards & Prizes

Cost: $45.00 includes 1 free drink, dinner and a whole lot of fun with murder!

The “Carnival of Horrors” Haunted House Fundraiser

Halloween spirit alive at Ringling House Bed &Breakfast’s “Carnival of Horrors” haunted house.

What better way to scare up money for a great cause than to host a haunted house?
Stuart Koehler and Julie Hearley and a committee of volunteers are, for the second consecutive fall, creating a haunted house in a carriage house behind Ringling House Bed & Breakfast. Their goal isn’t to conjure Ringling family ghosts, but to raise money for improvements to the historic property.
Last year a nonprofit organization, Friends of the Charles and Henry Ringling Estate, was formed to preserve the buildings and grounds once owned by the brothers of circus fame. The one-acre estate includes the main house, which the couple operates as a six-room bed-and-breakfast; the carriage house; a cottage; and a barn. The 1901 Colonial Revival home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We think – we hope – the community wants this property to stay intact,” Stuart said.
Julie said the nonprofit will remain in place even if the property changes hands someday. “This is designed to protect these buildings as long as they’re around,” she said.
The couple plans to transform the carriage house in an event venue. They foresee hosting theatrical performances and other events attracting groups of 100 to 200 people. “There aren’t a lot of places in Baraboo for those kinds of events,” Stuart said.
Money generated through the Carnival of Horrors haunted house will support that project. Setup work began last month, with the team adding to the maze of horrors it set up last year. Julie said the team needs volunteers to help set up the haunted house and operate it. A crew of 15 is needed to sell tickets, provide security and act as ghouls within the indoor-outdoor haunted house.
Also needed this year are sponsors. The Friends of the Charles and Henry Ringling Estate group is offering sponsorships ranging in cost from $40 to $1,000 in exchange for tickets and prominently displayed gravestones bearing donors’ names. Donors will be invited to a VIP event at Ringling House, featuring personalities from the “Bordello of Horror” television show. Rachel Frank will offer demonstrations of horror-themed makeup and fashion. To volunteer or secure a sponsorship, send email to ringlingfriends@gmail.com.
The VIP event isn’t the only new feature this year. The haunted house is adding matinees for kids, who figure not to get as frightened in the daylight. Carnival of Horrors will be open Fridays and Saturdays starting October 11 from 7-10 p.m. During the final week of October, it will be open Thursday through Sunday, featuring $5 matinees for kids that Friday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. (Otherwise, the haunted house isn’t recommended for youths under 10). Admission will cost $15 at the door, but tickets can be had in advance for $10 at https://ringlinghousebnb.com/event/, at the Al. Ringling Theatre and at Con Amici Wine Bar,  starting Friday, September 27th.
Last year the haunted house attracted 700 people. This year’s goal is 1,000. Halloween fans came from across the state last year. “That’s a lot of people who probably wouldn’t have come to town otherwise,” Stuart said.
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