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Old World Wisconsin Announces Magical, Scandinavian Midsummer Celebration on June 21

Experience the whimsy of the summer solstice and celebrate the longest day of the year with flower drying, maypole dancing, open-hearth cooking, nature studies and more!

EAGLE, Wis. — Dance around the maypole and wear your favorite floral crown at Old World Wisconsin’s Midsummer Celebration on June 21. This daylong event is a joyful Scandinavian tradition honoring the longest day of the year, filled with fun, frolicking and festive activities.

Midsummer has been celebrated since the Iron Age across Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark as a way to shake off the remnants of winter and welcome a bright season of sunshine, abundance and new life.

At Old World Wisconsin, the festivities unfold at the Finnish, Danish and Norwegian farmsteads, where guests can explore time-honored traditions that celebrate the summer solstice and the beauty of the season. Activities include drying florals, dyeing sheep’s wool, learning basic Finnish phrases, observing historic cooking demonstrations and participating in a lively Maypole dance. A special $6 token experience includes creating your own floral crown to wear for the day. Adults ages 21 and older can also sample traditional barrel-and-oak fermented ales.

Nature trails winding through the lush Kettle Moraine offer additional opportunities to experience the seasonal landscape and soak in the spirit of Midsummer.

The Midsummer Celebration will take place on June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is included with general admission. Spring and summer admission rates are $20 for adults and teens, $18 for seniors (65+), $13 for children ages 5–12, and free for children under 5. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission to all sites, including Old World Wisconsin, along with 10% off ticketed events.

Visit oldworldwisconsin.org for more information or click here to purchase tickets.

Old World Wisconsin’s spring season occurs May 3 through June 8, with hours of admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., every weekend. The summer season starts on June 11 through Aug. 24, with admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week on Wednesday through Sunday.

The recent addition of Wittnebel’s Tavern and outdoor Biergarten complement the site’s expanded beer and brewing experience. Old World Wisconsin is also a must-go attraction for kids and teens with highlights like free admission for children on Wednesdays from June 11-Aug. 20 and a patriotic celebration for Independence Day Weekend (July 4-5), with special games, music and live performances. 

About Old World Wisconsin

Old World Wisconsin is one of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s 12 historic sites and museums. Rated as one of the top attractions to take kids in the Milwaukee area, Old World Wisconsin is a 600-acre regional history attraction that features interactive environments and immersive stories of 19th-and early 20th-century Midwestern immigrant farm and rural life. The museum offers guests family-friendly, hands-on activities as they visit a crossroads village and eight working farmsteads, explore heirloom gardens, experience beer brewing traditions, meet heritage animal breeds and try historic crafts and skills. Old World Wisconsin is located on Highway 67 just south of Eagle, Wisconsin, within daytrip distance of Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison. For more information and a list of upcoming events visit oldworldwisconsin.org or call (262) 594-6301. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission to this site during regular operating hours.

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.