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 ...

The Villa Louis is a National Historic Landmark located on St. Feriole Island, in Prairie du Chien, southwestern Wisconsin. The villa and estate are a historical museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. [4]

Because of this historic past, visiting Villa Louis offers rare access to earlier, lesser-known phases of Wisconsin history. The 25-acre site includes over a dozen historic structures, including buildings from the Fur Trade, the foundations of Fort Crawford, and …

Villa Louis is an 1870 Victorian mansion built by the family of Hercules Dousman, an entrepreneurial frontiersman who parlayed various investments into a fortune. His son Louis and wife Nina Dousman built the Villa Louis as the centerpiece of their sprawling country estate.

Visiting Villa Louis offers rare access to earlier, lesser-known phases of Wisconsin history. The 25-acre site includes over a dozen historic structures filled with vibrant hues and rich textures reflecting the family’s rise to wealth and leisure.

Villa Louis, located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, offers visitors a glimpse into 19th-century life on the American frontier. This historic site, once home to the prominent Dousman family, features a beautifully restored mansion and well-maintained grounds.

Experience Victorian life during the 19th century as you visit the estate of one of Wisconsin's most prosperous families. Built on the banks of the Mississippi River, Villa Louis was the country home of the Dousman Family. Today it has been vividly restored to its 1890s splendor.

Villa Louis. 521 Villa Louis Road Prairie du Chien, WI 53821 (608) 326-2721. villalouis.wisconsinhistory.org. Follow the lives of the prosperous Dousman Family as you tour their Victorian home, meticulously restored to its 1890s British Arts & Crafts splendor. Dive beneath the surface of Gilded-Age life amid our collection of original family ...

Villa Louis is a beautiful 19th century mansion in Prairie du Chien, on historic grounds that also hosted the only Wisconsin battle in the War of 1812.

H. Louis Dousman built the Villa Louis as the centerpiece of a country estate that reflected the family's status. For a time the estate operated as the Artesian Stock Farm, breeding and raising fine standard bred trotting horses for harness racing.