Carriage Driving Days

media release:

Come see horses of every size, shape, and color hitched to elegant carts and carriages compete for division championships. Celebrate the beauty and pageantry of the art of carriage driving during this rare three-day weekend of competitions in Wade House’s brand-new horse arena and throughout the grounds of the historic site. A horse-drawn carriage will transport you to the contest grounds, where you will view enjoy the skill exhibited by both drivers and horses.  

Drivers will be dressed to impress in their best finery – ladies wearing elegant hats and gentlemen in dapper boaters will drive their horses in a series of competitive classes designed to test the skills of the drivers and the athleticism of the horses. The devil is in the details of this equestrian competition, as drivers try to impress the expert American Driving Society certified judges to win the coveted blue ribbon. At the competition ring witness a variety of carriages – genuine antiques, reproductions and even modern vehicles. Watch the action up close! You’ll thrill at the sounds of the horses breathing and feel their footfall as they demonstrate different gaits and navigate courses under the subtle commands of their drivers. 

Friday, July 11 | 12 – 4PM; Saturday, July 12 | 9AM – 4PM; Sunday, July 13 | 9AM – 3PM

SINGLE DAY COST

Adult (18-64): $17

Teen (13-17): $17

Senior (65+): $15

Child (5-12): $8.50

Child Under 5: Free 

WEEKEND COST

Adult (18-64): $27

Teen (13-17): $27

Senior (65+): $25

Child (5-12): $12.50

Child Under 5: Free 

Society members  receive a 10% discount, please verify your membership where prompted to receive discount at check out. 

About the Location

The cozy, elegant Wade House Stagecoach Inn was constructed conveniently between the cities of Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, along a well-used stagecoach trail, making 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 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, the first European settlers of Greenbush, as well as a blacksmith shop, sawmill, visitor center 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

W7965 State Highway 23

Greenbush, WI 53026