On February 23-24, Villa Louis will be open for tours during the Prairie du Chien Bald Eagle Appreciation Days. 

“Villa Louis is proud to be an annual participant in this community-wide event,” said Susan Caya-Slusser, site director of the southwest historic sites.  “Villa Louis is not only located along the Bald Eagle migration route but it is also a normal wintering area for these birds. We are excited to once again be open for this special event to share the Bald Eagle viewing experience with visitors.”

The Villa Louis Visitor Center will open at 10:30am on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24, with tours departing on the hour from 11:00am to 4:00pm.  Tours are $12.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors and students, $6 for children.

This community-wide event is a great opportunity for eagle spotting and bird-watching along the Upper Mississippi River Valley.  Events at other area locations, Hoffman Hall (Saturday only) include live Bald Eagle and raptor programs, educational exhibits and displays, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing of Bald Eagles through spotting scopes, life-size Bald Eagle nest, craft activities for children, self-guided tours of the Fort Crawford Museum, and much more.    

This weekend event is sponsored by the Prairie du Chien Tourism Council and Effigy Mounds National Monument.  All programming at the Hoffman Hall (1600 S. Wacouta Ave) is free and open to the public.  For more information visit http://prairieduchien.org/?q=visitors/eagles.

About Villa Louis

The historic Villa Louis mansion is the centerpiece of a grand Victorian estate built by the family of Hercules Dousman, a frontier entrepreneur who amassed a fortune in the fur trade and other frontier investments. The mansion has just undergone a top-to-bottom documentary restoration that has returned the Dousman home to the splendor of its 1890s heyday, using British Arts and Crafts interior designs inspired by famed designer William Morris.

About Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org 

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