Step into the Lives of a
Wisconsin Dynasty
When you walk through the doors of Villa Louis, you step into the life of one of Wisconsin’s most historic families – The Dousmans. Located on the beautiful banks of the mighty Mississippi River, this National Historic Landmark offers a panorama of Wisconsin history, from the advent of the first fur traders, to the War of 1812, through the splendor of the Victorian era.
The National Historic Landmark home of the H. Louis Dousman family.
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Villa Louis’s picturesque settings for an elegant Wisconsin wedding or a unique private event offer plentiful opportunities for a historic event. Make your day historic and create a story that will be remembered for generations.
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Villa Louis Historic Site
Villa Louis is a Wisconsin State Historic Site. We are an immaculately restored Victorian house museum on the banks of the Upper Mississippi River.
Our Partners
Great news for our sister site, First Capitol! 🥳Yesterday First Capitol and Wisconsin Historical Society facilities staff went to the state capitol building to represent the site at the State Building Commission meeting. The Commission approved a $2.6 million restoration project of the First Capitol site.
Project design will continue to move forward through the spring and restoration work will start sometime in early summer 2026. All restoration work will follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
We are grateful to all those who have worked to move this project forward to ensure preservation of this important historical asset in Wisconsin's history! Follow along for more updates as we continue this project. ... See MoreSee Less
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Only a few tea tickets left!❄️
With the lovely snow comes the inevitable cold. We know this weekend is forecasted to be in the single digits. While it will be bitter outside, we will still be having a sweet time at the Villa Louis! We are taking extra efforts to ensure the safety of all our guests and staff with the cold.
For any questions regarding your tickets or to check on availability, please contact the Box Office at [email protected] or by calling 608-264-4848 Sun-Fri, 10am - 3pm CST. For all event related questions, please feel free to contact Southwest Sites Guest Services Manager Samantha Leicht-Ruskey at [email protected]. ... See MoreSee Less
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In a short period of time, we have experienced all Wisconsin has to offer for winter weather with more to come! The Dousman family also experienced the mercurial Wisconsin winters, as seen in this undated photo of the front gate and lawn. In the winter of 1893-94, Prairie du Chien got a new storm warning system, as reported in the Courier Press: "Nov. 28 - Mr. Cornelius, the Weather Clerk, will display the new Storm Flag -- the flag with black center -- to be used in connection with the weather signal service. The flag will be hoisted upon receipt of "storm warnings" which will be sent usually at least 24 hours in advance of storms accompanied by high winds, with snow and temperatures below freezing. The telegram ordering the display of the storm flag will also state the time at which it is to be hoisted and it will be lowered at the expiration of 24 hours from that time, unless orders are received to lower it sooner or to continue its display. If the storm occurs as predicted the flag may be lowered as soon as in the judgement of the display man the violence of the storm is over." ... See MoreSee Less
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