Upcoming Museum Closures

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum will be closed on the following dates throughout the summer:

November 22-24 - Thanksgiving weekend
​December 23-26 - Christmas weekend
​December 30-31 - New Year's Eve weekend

#You Belong in a Museum

In 2017, Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens kicks off our You Belong in a Museum campaign!
 
Throughout the year, we will have lectures, workshops, open houses, family game days, members only night tours and free admission dates for you to   explore what is it like to be a part of the Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum!

Join us for these upcoming free admission dates:

October: All Wednesdays
November: 7th, 14th
December: 6th, 13th
 
Don’t miss out! Keep your eyes peeled for announcements for these events and so much more on Facebook or Twitter using the #youbelonginamuseum and #ibelonginamuseum
Paranormal Evening 
​Things that Go Bump in the Night: An Evening of True Ghostly Tales and Legends
October 13     7:00-9:00 pm
Celebrate Friday the 13th with Tinker Swiss Cottage and Haunted Rockford!  Local authors Terri Reid and Kathi Kresol will be joining us for this special evening of spine-tingling and bone-chilling stories! Terri Reid, best-selling author of the Mary O’Reilly paranormal series, and Kathi Kresol, founder of Haunted Rockford Paranormal Events, will share their favorite tales of their own paranormal encounters and other local legends. After the presentation, Steve Litteral, Executive Director of Tinker Swiss Cottage will share the history of this unique home, and a tour will be included in the admission price.  The cost for this event is $20.00 and must be paid in advance. 

​Please visit the website at www.hauntedrockford.com for tickets or call Kathi at 815-871-4239 for more information.  Seats are limited!

Booth Terri and Kathi will have their books for sale at this event.  Please visit their websites:  Terri Reid: www.terrireid.com   Kathi Kresol: www.hauntedrockford.com
Paranormal Evening 
Ghost Investigations with WIPIT
October 27th      7:00-9:00 pm
Haunted Rockford and Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum are proud to bring this popular investigation team back to Rockford!  Laura and Mitchell Baker, founders of the team, will be on hand to discuss their most interesting cases of haunted locations.  Other team members, including researcher Michelle Damadeo, will talk about the process the team goes through to prepare for the investigation and share some of their most startling evidence.

​After the presentation, Steve Litteral, Executive Director of Tinker and Kathi Kresol will share the history of this unique home and a tour will be included in the admission price.  The cost for this event is $20.00 and must be paid in advance.  Please visit the website at www.hauntedrockford.com for tickets or call Kathi at 815-871-4239 for more information.

Please visit the WIPIT website at http://wisconsinpit.org.

Paranormal Evening with Ghost Head Soup 
October 6, 2017       7:00- 9:00 pm

Haunted Rockford and Tinker Swiss Cottage are excited to kick-off the Halloween Season 2017 with this event!  Ghost Head Soup has worked with both Tinker Cottage and Haunted Rockford for years, and we are thrilled to have them back!  The team will share evidence and stories from their favorite investigations of haunted locations. After the presentation, Steve Litteral, Executive Director of Tinker ,and Kathi Kresol will share the history of this unique home and a tour will be included in the admission price.  The cost for this event is $20.00 and must be paid in advance.  Please call Kathi at 815-871-4239 for more information. Seats are limited!

​Visit Ghost Head Soup's website at  www.ghostheadsoup.com

Speakeasy Murder Mystery 
November 11, 2017       6:00 pm

Dust off your flapper dress, zoot suits and Tommy guns and get  ready for your Roaring Twenties Murder Mystery Party! At the height of prohibition, morale was high, morals were at an  all-time low, and most of the country was controlled by the Mafia. 

At this cozy  little hot spot, hidden in the old Tinker mansion, you will find the best night  scene around. On a night like tonight, with tension running high, you might get caught in the middle of a bloody dispute. Enjoy your night but keep your guard up, we’d  hate to lose any of our clientele!

Purchase tickets on the Murder Mystery page! ​

Holiday Happenings
December 10     1:00-4:00 pm

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum is excited to partner with the Erlander Home  Museum and the Ethnic Heritage Park for our annual Holiday Happenings event! 

​Enjoy an afternoon of holiday décor and spirit as you travel back in time to Victorian-era Rockford. At Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum visitors will get the chance to see Tinker-original decorations and learn about Christmas traditions in the Victorian era. Visitors to the Erlander Home will experience not only the beautiful holiday decorations, but also learn about Swedish Christmas customs. Finally, visitors to Ethnic Heritage Park will get a chance to view Christmas celebrations in both the Ethnic Heritage Museum and the newly-opened Graham-Ginestra Home Museum. 

​Tickets are $5 at each museum. 
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum            411 Kent St. Rockford, IL 61102              P: (815)964-2424              info@tinkercottage.com 
*All header images provided by © Rockford Park District - Photo by Jesse Fox

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