Media Contact: Lisa McGovern,
Communications Manager
Office 262-594-6304
Mobile: 414-217-5447
lisa.mcgovern@wisconsinhistory.org
Eagle, Wis.–Ashes (bats) will be swinging and apples (balls) will be flying at Old World Wisconsin this summer as the museum’s historic base ball season, played by rules established around the time of the Civil War, gets underway. The first base ball match, as games were commonly called and spelled at the time, is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, at 1:30 pm.
The museum’s team is the Eagle Diamonds and is based on the 1870s Waukesha Diamonds. Ballists (players) wear authentic wool uniforms and play on the Ward School Field. The audience (as fans were referred to in the past) sit on the hill to watch the game; all seats give a great view of the action. After the match guests are welcome to join the players on the field to try the vintage-style equipment and practice hitting and running bases. The June 7 game takes place during one of the the sites’s “Celebrate Wisconsin Folklife” weekends, featuring folk music, dancing and crafts that make Wisconsin unique.
Season Schedule: June 7, July 12, August 9 and September 13; 1:30 pm game time.
Tickets: Admission to the game is included with museum admission. Adults $16; children (5-17) $9 (children under 5 are free); students and senior citizens (65 and over) $14; family (two adults and two or more dependent children 5-17) $43. Base Ball Car Load pricing is in effect during base ball events: $43 admits an entire car load (up to nine people).
Details, Including Terminology and Rules: www.oldworldwisconsin.org. Information also available by calling 262-594-6301.
Overview of Old World Wisconsin
Old World Wisconsin, located in the Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison triangle, experienced a 21-percent attendance increase in 2013, in part due to focus on increased opportunities for guest engagement; Catch Wheel Fever!, an interactive 1890s cycling experience, scheduled to open June 14, is the newest of these initiatives. The outdoor museum features 19th- and early 20th-century Midwestern immigrant farm and rural life. During the daily operating season May through October, plus postseason and holiday events in November and December, the museum offers family friendly activities, led by period-clad interpreters, as they visit 10 working farmsteads, explore 12 heirloom gardens, interact with heritage animal breeds, and try historic crafts and trades. Old World Wisconsin is located at W372 S9727 Highway 67, Eagle, WI 53119. For general information and details about 2014 activities, call 262-594-6301 or visit www.oldworldwisconsin.org.
