'Waukesha Unlocked' takes you inside historic places you might not otherwise get to see
- Waukesha Unlocked is an annual event offering tours of historic buildings, major manufacturing businesses, and other unique sites in the city on October 12-13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WAUKESHA - As Waukesha unveils its third installment of an event that "unlocks" often publicly inaccessible places, what started as a component of the city's 125th anniversary celebration has built a lasting history of its own.
Waukesha Unlocked will take place the weekend of Oct. 12-13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, with tours of dozens of historic buildings and sites, major manufacturing businesses and places of curiosity, including looks inside public places that people don't often get to see.
"It is a wonderful way to learn something new and see inside buildings you might drive or walk past every day but have never been inside," organizers said.
In fact, it's such a long list that city officials try to offer tour-seekers tips on how to get the most out of the two-day program. (Hint: It involves planning ahead and being aware that some sites are not open for all 12 hours.) Here's an outline of the event and what you need to know.
Historic sites include repurposed buildings of interest
Many of the older attractions started out with a different purpose than their current use, so they offer both a historical perspective as well as an inside look.
Part of Avalon Square , 222 Park Place, now a senior-living facility, was once the Avalon Hotel , a stately five-story downtown lodge that expanded with a motel along Barstow Street toward Main Street. A modern addition greatly expanded the campus in recent decades.
Ethnos360 Bible Institute , 915 N. Hartwell Ave., high above Arcadian and Hartwell avenues, started as the upscale Resthaven hotel in 1905, the tail-end of Waukesha's Springs Era. Externally, it is largely the same, but inside it has been transformed several times, including as a veterans and (later) a tuberculosis hospital. It was featured on Waukesha Unlock's 2021 itinerary.
Waukesha's concentration of old churches stands out
The city's role as a venue for 19th-century downtown church buildings is no secret, given their prominence in a historic district, but it's not often you can tour them like a congregation member.
This year's tour includes the Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ , First Congregational United Church of Christ , First United Methodist Church , St. Joseph Catholic Church , St. Matthias Episcopal/First Presbyterian Church and Waukesha City Church (in the formerly the First Presbyterian Church building).
Other churches elsewhere in the city are also on the tour, which has a rewards program for those who visit all nine.
Big businesses open their doors (somewhat)
In previous years, organizers have noted the growth of businesses and organizations interested in joining the program. So it's not surprising that major manufacturing facilities have remained on the list. For logistical reasons, some are virtual tours only, with no onsite component, with information published a few days beforehand.
Alloy Products Corp., 1045 Perkins Ave.; Aries Industries, 550 Elizabeth St.; Eaton Corp. (online only); Husco, 2239 Pewaukee Road; MetalTek International (online only); Prolec-GE Waukesha, 400 S. Prairie Ave.; and Urethane Systems Plus, 810A Progress Ave., are among the biggest, but other smaller businesses add to the tour's diversity.
The Frame House returns as another popular tour stop
Grand Avenue includes several grand old homes of note, but one has stood out on past tours.
The Andrew Frame House, 507 N. Grand Ave., is an Italianate home that the Frame family (who deeded Frame Park to the city) restored the 19th-century residence in recent years. It was a big hit in 2021 as Karen Frame McDonald hosted guests and explained the site's history, dating back to when it began as the home of one of the city's early leaders, banker Andrew Frame .
Waukesha Unlocked includes bus and walking tours
One component that isn't site specific is the moving tours, and there are several by foot or vehicle.
The Springs historic bus tour takes participants to the places where the springs — places where Waukesha's "healing" waters were drawn from underground sources — helped make the city a tourist and resort destination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A walking history tour is a slower-paced tour also focused on the past.
Here's how you can navigate Waukesha Unlocked 2024
A page on the city's website includes all the information on Waukesha Unlocked 2024, but it takes a few extra clicks to see all of the information, including which sites are online only, which require preregistration and which have limited hours.
Click through to the interactive map to plan your itinerary and see where all 60 featured places and activities are located. For those who need more in-person help, staffers will stand waiting each day (during event hours) at Waukesha City Hall, 201 Delafield St.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com .
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Waukesha Unlocked' features tours of historic sites, major businesses
