VILLAGES OF EAST TROY & MUKWONAGO, Wis. – The East Troy Electric Railroad Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 2026. Construction of the railroad began in 1906 at Mukwonago and extended 7.2 miles southwest to East Troy in 1907.
The East Troy Electric Railroad Historic District covers 7 miles of electric rail line that extends from Mukwonago in Waukesha County to East Troy in Walworth County. The historic district includes resources related to the operation of the East Troy Electric Railroad: the railroad grade, tracks, powerlines, switch stands, as well as 30 electric rolling stock (rail cars, locomotives, and maintenance cars), eight of which are associated with The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company, a predecessor of the East Troy Electric Railroad (ETER). This corridor is all that remains from this once prominent transportation network that served much of southeast Wisconsin and is one of the last remaining electric rail systems in the Midwest.
The railroad opened in 1906 when sections of the railroad were constructed, and by 1907, the line was completed to East Troy. In 1909, a Neoclassical substation was constructed at East Troy’s rail yard. The railroad separated from its parent company in 1938, when passenger service ended. However, in 1939, the Village of East Troy continued freight service. Freight traffic declined in the early 1970s, and the line transitioned to passenger excursion rides in 1972, when the Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, Inc. opened the East Troy Trolley Museum. Through a contract with the village, they continue to offer trolley rides on the railroad line today with restored trolley cars. Scenic round trips are operated from the East Troy Railroad Museum through the East Troy Railroad, Inc.
Additional information for the East Troy Electric Railroad Historic District is available here.
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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 www.wisconsinhistory.org.
