Upcoming Museum Closures

Tinker Swiss Cottage may close during the winter months due to weather conditions.
The museum is closed on Mondays. 
We apologize for any inconvenience. 

#You Belong in a Museum

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In 2021, 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:

​April: All Wednesdays
May: All Wednesdays
June: 2nd, 9th, 16th
 
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

Check out our segment from 
Dean on the Streets! 

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!

Paranormal Tour w/ The "Paranormal Professor" Joel Ramsey
May 7         7:00-10:00pm

Join us for scintillating tales of the paranormal, check out the evidence captured in the Tinker Cottage, and enjoy a tour with the chance to have your own paranormal encounter. We are excited to have the "Paranormal Professor" Joel Ramsey back to share his evidence and paranormal stories this coming May! 

Tickets are limited! All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. 

Paranormal Investigation w/ Haunted Rockford & The Society for Anomalous Studies 
May 22       7:00-11:00pm 

Tinker Swiss Cottage is excited to partner with Haunted Rockford to bring our friends from The Society for Anomalous Studies back to Tinker Cottage! 

Did you ever want to see what a real paranormal investigation is all about? This is your chance to find out! This event will let you be the paranormal investigator! Guests will be in small groups as you join the staff in the most active locations in the Cottage. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own equipment. 

All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. 
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Tickets are limited! Tickets are $40 and must be paid in advance. You can purchase your tickets HERE!

Summer Solstice with the Psychics & Haunted Rockford
June 19            7:00-11:00pm

Come celebrate the Summer Solstice Haunted Rockford style! Tinker Swiss Cottage is excited to partner with Haunted Rockford to bring you this new and exciting event.

Join us for an exciting night with psychics Sara Bowker and Tessa Lentz as we hear some of their most harrowing paranormal encounters, learn smudging techniques with Eve Harker from Luna Datura, then join us for a paranormal tour of the Tinker Swiss Cottage!
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All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. 
​
Tickets are limited! Tickets are $40 and must be paid in advance. You can purchase your tickets HERE!

Tinker Cottage Reopens!!

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum is excited to return to our regularly scheduled tours Tuesday through Sunday at 1PM & 3PM starting April 6th! 

In accordance with Winnebago County Health Department guidelines, we currently have the following restrictions: 
-Our staff, volunteers, and visitors are required to wear face masks. 
-Staff will continued heightened sanitization of our buildings. 
-RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. 
-Tours will be limited to 15 guests per tour. 
-Handwashing and sanitizer stations continue to be available. 

To reserve your tour date and time, you can either call our office at 815-964-2424 or send an email to info@tinkercottage.com! 
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*Subject to change based on changing mitigation ordinances. 

Paranormal Investigation w/ Haunted Rockford & Ghost Head Soup
April 24         7:00-11:00pm

Tinker Swiss Cottage is excited to partner with Haunted Rockford to bring our friends from Ghost Head Soup back! 

Did you ever want to see what a real paranormal investigation is all about? This is your chance to find out! This event will let you be the paranormal investigator! Guests will be in small groups as you join the staff in the most active locations in the Cottage. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own equipment. 

All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. 
​
Tickets are limited! Tickets are $40 and must be paid in advance. You can purchase your tickets HERE!

Speakeasy Murder Mystery
May 15         6:00-8:00pm

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. Drink, dance, sing and mingle with other like-minded individuals but be careful, wherever there is liquor there is always the mafia…and the police. On a night like tonight, with tensions 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!

Tickets are limited! All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. 

Victorian Light Party 
Murder Mystery
June 12          6:00-8:00pm 

Rose is hosting her first Victorian Light party! The first house in town to have electricity, all of Rockford's elite are in attendance. Known for her flair for over-the-top events, everyone has decided to attend, either out of respect for the hostess, curiosity of electricity, or for the chance to socialize with the upper echelon of Rockford society. 

Unfortunately for the happy party goers, no one knows that there is a killer in their midst who plans to strike tonight!

Tickets are limited! All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. ​

Summer Lecture Series: 
"Fred Machesney" by Mike Frederiksen 
June 27         2:00pm 

​Tinker Swiss Cottage is excited to resume our Summer Lecture Series! Our first lecture of 2021 will be “Fred Machesney” presented by Mike Frederiksen.
 
The name Machesney is very
familiar to those who live in the Northern Illinois region due to the Village of Machesney Park and the Machesney Park Mall. However, before there was a village and a mall, the name Machesney was synonymous with aviation. Join us as we explore Machesney’s life from barnstormer in Kewanee to the closure and conversion of his airport into a mall.
 
Mike Frederiksen graduated from Carleton University with a degree in psychology and history. Mike currently serves as the curator, collections manager, and education director for the Poplar Grove Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum. He is also a board member for the Rockford Historical Society and The Boone County Arts Council. Mike was a co-writer for “Images of America: Belvidere and Boone County,” (Arcadia Publishing, 2014).

Tickets are limited! All events begin in the Barn. Face masks are REQUIRED. ​
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!