Upcoming Museum Closures

Tinker Swiss Cottage will be closed on August 31st and September 1st in honor of Labor Day.
We will not hold any tours on September 7th as our final Summer Lecture will be held during tour times. 
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Tinker Swiss Cottage may also close during the winter months due to weather conditions.
We apologize for any inconvenience. 

#You Belong in a Museum

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In 2019, Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens continues 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:

August: 15th, 21st, 28th
​September: All Tuesdays
 
Don’t miss out! Keep your eyes peeled for announcements for these events and so much more on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtags #youbelonginamuseum and #ibelonginamuseum

Paranormal Investigation
​September 28           7:00pm

This special event will include different investigation teams in a public investigation of the Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and grounds! 

We will be joined by Dale Kaczmarek and his team (the Ghost Research Society) and Ghost Head Soup investigators to investigate the spirits of Tinker!
The evening will begin with a presentation by Dean Thompson from Ghost Head Soup. Dean will share some of his favorite evidence captured during his many years of investigating the paranormal.
Haunted Rockford’s own Kathi Kresol and Samantha Hochmann Director of the Tinker Swiss Cottage will share the history and many ghostly experiences that folks have reported.

After the presentations, we will put the attendees into small groups to have their own experiences in this very active location. This event will allow you to be the investigator as we try out different pieces of equipment and techniques used by the teams. 
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This is a fundraiser for the Tinker Swiss Cottage. Join us for an entertaining and informative evening and help support Tinker Swiss Cottage and Museum.
The price of this event is $40.00 and must be paid in advance. Tickets are available HERE! 
To make other arrangements, please call Kathi at 815-871-4239.
Online Registration closes the day of the event at 1:00 PM; for last-minute registration call Kathi at 815-871-4239.

Tinker's Shadow
​New Documentary of Tinker Swiss Cottage Now Available!

Looking for a fun way to take Tinker home with you? Director Michael Kleen has put together a wonderful new documentary on Tinker Swiss Cottage, titled Tinker's Shadow: The Hidden History of Tinker Swiss Cottage.

​The documentary is available to purchase through Amazon, or you can get your DVD copy in our gift shop! Proceeds will go towards helping us to maintain the Cottage. 

​*Reminder: Please select "Tinker Swiss Cottage" as the benefactor when you shop at smile.amazon.com

Check out the trailer HERE!
​Watch the documentary HERE!

"Rockford's Forgotten Driving Park"
September 7          2:00pm 

​Tinker Swiss Cottage is excited to close out our Summer Lecture Series with local historian and author Amanda Becker. Local thrill-seekers at the turn of the century knew that all the action was at the Driving Park. But few today know the drama buried beneath a West End subdivision. At the height of the horse racing craze after the Civil War, prominent Rockford businessmen raised $25,000 to build a harness racetrack there in 1890 (the name refers to the person in the cart pulled by a horse--the driver). The versatile venue evolved to stay relevant, weathering the 1893 financial panic and welcoming bicycle mania. Events ranged from high school track meets to early auto racing. Folks saw a soccer game one week and a circus the next. Controversy erupted at times, from gambling and drinking to a murder and a KKK rally. Historian and author Amanda Becker reveals this colorful story nearly forgotten since 1938.

The cost for this lecture is $10 for non-members and $5 for Tinker members. 
 
*Space is limited, so reserve today!

8th Annual Illinois Paranormal Conference
September 28
​10:30am-6:00pm

Tinker Swiss Cottage, Veterans Memorial Hall, and Haunted Rockford are proud to present the eighth annual Illinois Paranormal Conference. This event takes place on September 28th from 10:30am-6:00pm at Veterans Memorial Hall (211 N. Main Street, Rockford, IL). 

The Illinois Paranormal Conference includes speakers and vendors from all aspects of the paranormal. For years, the Illinois Paranormal Conference has been one of the premiere Paranormal events in the Northern Illinois-Southern Wisconsin area.

The Conference brings together many people active in all different aspects of the paranormal> Meet and speak to our speakers and vendors! 

You can see the current guest speakers and purchase your tickets HERE! 
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

Contact Us

Have questions? Want to check in before you arrive? Ask us here!