NEW GLARUS, Wis. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the New Glarus Hotel in the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 2025. The building was originally constructed in 1853 in New Glarus, Green County.

The New Glarus Hotel is located in downtown New Glarus at 100 6th Avenue. It has played an integral part in New Glarus history since it was erected in 1853. In the 1960s-1970s, Robert “Robbie” Schneider owned and operated the New Glarus Hotel. He was a prominent leader in helping transform the area after local dairy plants shut down and many residents lost their jobs. Community organizations and members, like Robert Schneider, advocated to turn New Glarus into a cultural tourism destination by establishing a plan to make New Glarus a center for Swiss heritage and culture, called Project Edelweiss.

Schneider made several alterations to the hotel, both on the interior and exterior, as part of the movement to bring heritage tourism to New Glarus. He added Swiss architectural elements including stucco and wood clapboard siding, wood brackets under overhanging eaves, along with decorative curved and jig sawn wood elements located on the main elevations, behind the bar, and on the booths. Under Schneider’s ownership, the hotel became a beacon for Swiss folk culture and a major gathering place for locals and tourists. Schneider served authentic Swiss meals and held nightly performances of Swiss folk music to immerse visitors in a “Swiss” experience. The “Swissification” and success seen in the New Glarus Hotel encouraged other property owners to follow suit, making New Glarus a Swiss cultural mecca that remains today.

Additional information for the New Glarus Hotel is available at: https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2828

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the 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.