Tours

Ridge and Valley Tours

Ridge and Valley Tours is connecting people to the land of the Driftless Area by engaging our tour customers with stories of the people, places, and products from SW Wisconsin while committing to the preservation of our Wisconsin agricultural heritage and stewardship of our unique Driftless Area environment.

We seek to bring awareness to agri-tourism, eco-tourism and small local businesses in our area. We plan to acquire B corporation certification and have taken steps to incorporate practices that meet the requirements of the B Impact Assessment.

As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:

That we must be the change we seek in the world.
That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.

We are very interested in preserving the farm family agricultural traditions and will use storytelling to share the history of SW Wisconsin. We seek to protect the very unique geology and ecology of the Driftless area. We seek to help Richland County capitalize on it’s community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces and encouraging businesses that promote people's health, happiness, and well being. We seek to provide education that connects the consumer to their food sources and connects them to the unique and beautiful ecology of SW Wisconsin.

The A.D. German Warehouse

TOURS: May-October at The A.D. German Warehouse

Come visit Frank Lloyd Wright's birthplace and learn about the only warehouse designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright designed this gem in 1915 and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Building access may be altered in 2020 due to construction

RATES

$15 - adults
$5 - student with ID and children 12-18
Free children under 12
Private tours - $25 each - by appointment
Cash or Check Only

TIMES

Every Sunday 11 am - 3 pm May - October

Tours begin quarter past the hour and last roughly 45 minutes.

TOUR OVERVIEW

Your tour will be both outdoors and indoors through the first two floors.

The tour will include: A short film about AD German and the history of The Warehouse;

A guided tour with explanations about the building and its historical and architectural significance; and a collection of 8'x8' panels from the 'Sixty Years of Living Architecture' a 1951 exhibit that was featured at the site of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Private tours are available throughout the year ($25 per person). Call: 608.604.5034

ACCESSIBILITY - The tour itself is not wheelchair accessible; however, the first floor of the building is accessible. The tour does include stairs. The building does not have heat or air-conditioning.

Historical & Architectural Tours - Richland Center

Buildings dating from as early as the mid-1850s and 1860s still remain in the city of Richland Center. The greatest wealth and diversity shown in the city’s architecture dates from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when Richland Center experienced rapid growth and prosperity as a result of the creation of the Pine River and Stevens Point Railroad in 1876. The two major building boom periods were the years from 1880 through 1890 and again in 1910 through 1930.

The city is nestled in a valley carved from the surrounding hills and bluffs by the Pine River. At the time Richland Center was platted in 1851, one of its founders, Ira Haseltine, described it as “a beautiful prairie with scattering shade trees, and the whole surrounded by noble groves of thrifty timber.” Richland County is located in the center of the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin and was not covered by glaciers during the ice ages. This forced the original commercial district and residential neighborhoods into a distinct, compact area making for an easy walk. Richland Center is the birthplace of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The town is home to the Wright designed A.D. German Warehouse and has many additional Wright influenced buildings. If you enjoy Frank Lloyd Wright and architecture, there is much to see in Richland Center.

During the warmer months, we offer architectural themed history tours via a vintage convertible...$25 each, can accommodate up to three passengers...Cell phone: 608.604.5034

There are also customized tours viewing wildlife, state designated natural areas, and leaf-looking...

Town of Stevenson Museum

Town of Stevenson Museum website

18798 Deere Path Lane - Richland Center, WI 53581

Information: 608-538-3900

By appointment - Museum is climate controlled and open year round.

Take a step back in time and visit the Town of Stevenson Museum. This extensive collection of 1930s – 1940s memorabilia is located in the beautiful Ocooch Mountains of Richland County, WI. Steve and Carol Stevenson started their collection over 40 years ago while living in Bartlett, IL and continued their collection upon relocating to their 240-acre property. Many of the items in the collection have a direct tie to Richland Center and Richland County: a General Store, Post Office, Fire Station, John Deere Dealership, Radio Room, Ford Dealership, Barber Shop, Doctor’s Office, Vintage Automobiles, an O Gauge Train Layout and much, much more. Tours by appointment. $15 admission.

Walking Tours of Pier County Park

Pier Natural Bridge Park is located along Hwy. 80 North, at Rockbridge in Richland County.

The park was named for the Pier family, who donated the land to Richland County to preserve the site as a park. The site has a very unusual geological feature – a half-mile long “finger” of blocked and layered sandstone rising nearly 60 feet above the flood plain of two merging valleys. This narrow finger is topped by tall pines and covered with green shrubs. The West Branch of the Pine River meets with the Main Branch underneath this rock formation, which forms a Natural Bridge.

The Park has two historical markers – one indicating the unique rock formation and the other recognizing the significance of the Blackhawk Indian wars in Richland County which followed the Pine River to Rockbridge and then west to the Mississippi River and the Battle of Bad Axe. The park has a man-made tunnel which allows visitors to walk through the rock formation to the West Branch of the Pine River. There are also stairs to walk to the top of the rock formation to view the surrounding area.

This 10-acre county park has 6 campsites, two shelters, picnic tables and grills, play equipment, and pit toilets. Camping permits may be obtained for a minor fee from the Natural Bridge Store, located next to the park. All camping is on a first-come basis.

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water" - Galileo

Wild Hills Winery - Tasting & Tours

Wild Hills Winery (formerly Weggy Winery) is a premier artisan winery, cider, farm, and orchard nestled among the rugged beauty of the Driftless region of Wisconsin. Located on 80 acres of forest, fields, and meticulously cultivated vineyards, Wild Hills Winery provides a breathtaking backdrop for family, friends, and wine enthusiasts to gather and enjoy the finest wines and local flavors our region has to offer.

Wild Hills Winery is a family business owned by Aaron and Colleen Halverson who have strong and deep ties to these remote, verdant hills. Aaron's family's original homestead lies mere miles down the road from our vineyard, and just as his ancestors diligently tilled this wild, rocky soil, we continue our commitment to the land with everything we do. From our vineyard to your table, we infuse every glass of Wild Hills Wine and Cider with the beauty of the Driftless and the home we love.

Wild Hills Winery is perched high on the Ocooch Mountain range of the Driftless area. In addition to providing outstanding views, the Ocooch Mountains lends a unique terroir to our wines, giving complex and fresh flavors to every handcrafted blend we create. Established in 1993, our vineyard is a tapestry of locally-cultivated grape varieties, created exclusively to survive our tough, Wisconsin winters and to thrive in the sweet, cool breezes of our brief but beautiful summers.