Schroeder Saddletree Factory Museum — Attraction in Madison

An unexpected gem! My son and I have visited Madison a few times per year since he was a kindergartner - now he is 20 and we still have a great time whenever we go - The Saddletree Factory was a stop on the historic tour we had not been to in all our prior visits - but we made it this September during the Chautauqua.. what a treat!

Jim and Josh were the guides for our private tour - they were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic - answering our many questions. I will not go into too many details, as they can tell the story of this place much better than I can.. Will just say the visit was a real treat - we took TONS of photos in the atmospheric tool shop, and like the rest of Madison - this is an interesting spot where history...

A Saddletree is the wooden frame that forms a riding saddle. But you don't have to be into saddles to appreciate this place. Just a love of of machines and woodworking. This location is rather small and does not take much time, but unlike many museums, the wood working shop is in its original raw state and hasn't been cleaned up and sanitized for mass tourism. Even the original owners didn't clean up as they moved from a shaft and belt machine drive system to early electric, so you can still see the remnants of the prior technology. If you're going to be in the area, it's...

This is a rare glimpse into a virtually intact 19th century manufactory. Gorgeous houses are widely available, but the money to build the show houses came from industry. The volunteer who gave the tour was enthusiastic and...