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.

The museum will be closed April 7-9 for the holiday weekend. 
The museum will be closed April 21-23 for maintenance.

#You Belong in a Museum

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In 2023, 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:

March: Every Tuesday & Wednesday
April: Every Wednesday
May: Every Tuesday
June: 7th, 14th, 21st
 
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 w/ Ghost Head Soup
April 15th       7-11pm

Did you ever want to see what a real paranormal investigation is all about? This is your chance to find out - join us for our first Paranormal Investigation of 2023 with our good friends from Ghost Head Soup!

This exciting 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 (cameras, camcorders, audio recorders, emf). Each event begins in the Barn.

​This event is limited to 10 guests. 

Tinker Visions Fundraising Breakfast
May 3rd    8-9am

Join us on Wednesday May 3rd from 8-9am at the Hoffman House for our annual Tinker Visions Breakfast Fundraiser! 

We are located at the founding site of our city, and 2023 is our 80th anniversary as a museum! Our mission is to preserve and share the legacy of the Tinker family and inspire visitors to connect with history. Throughout the year, the museum hosts field trips, daily tours, special programming, and community events. 

Please RSVP by April 21st if you plan to attend. 

Donations received from this event go towards the operations of the Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum. 

This event is sponsored by Abby Pest Elimination, Associated Advisors Group, and the Office of Maurice West. 

Paranormal Investigation w/ Haunted Rockford & Henson and Bartel Paranormal
May 13    7-11pm

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum is excited to partner with Haunted Rockford to bring our friends from Henson and Bartel Paranormal back to the Rockford area! 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 areas in the cottage. You are welcome to bring your own equipment. All events begin in the barn.

Speakeasy Murder Mystery
May 19    6-8pm

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 - get yours today! 

Paranormal Tour w/ The Paranormal Professor Joel Ramsey
June 16     7-10pm

​We are excited to bring back The Paranormal Professor, Joel Ramsey, to Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum! 

Join us for scintillating tales from paranormal experts, listen to audio clips found in the Tinker Cottage, and enjoy a tour with the chance to have your own paranormal encounter. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own equipment (cameras, camcorders, audio recorders, emf). Each event begins in the Barn.

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 Investigation w/ Chris Fleming
May 5th       6pm-12am

We are excited to share that world-renown Ghost Hunter and Psychic Medium, Chris Fleming, will host 3 nights of paranormal fun at Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum! May 5th is the only event that did not sell out within 10 hours of tickets going live, so save your spot now before this special event is also sold out! 

"The French in the Mississippi Valley"
Summer Lecture
     May 7        2:00pm

Join us for our first summer lecture of 2023! 

The history of New France in North America and of the people who lived, worked, and explored the land that we know today as the Mississippi River Valley from Minnesota to Louisiana and from the Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains - this was the land of Nouvelle France. 

Presented by Ray Swenson, MA History, retired professor from Rock Valley College, and a Living History lecturer and presenter of American History for the past forty-four years. 
​
This lecture will take place on Sunday  in the lower level of the Tinker Barn from 2-4pm. 

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

Fairy Tale Tea
June 3   11am

Calling all princesses, princes and creatures of all kinds!
Are you looking for an afternoon fit for the whole family?

Tinker Swiss Cottage is bringing back our annual Fairy Tale Tea Party! We are excited to partner with Characters 2 Life to bring two princesses to join us during our 3 course tea party! 

This event is sponsored by Characters 2 Life and Nothing Bundt Cakes. Be sure to join in the fun of this special family friendly event! 

"The Underground Railroad in the Rock River Valley"
Summer Lecture
​June 4        2:00pm

In the times leading up to the American Civil War, Illinois residents were affected by the institution of slavery, despite the state’s status as a declared free state. Fugitive black slaves would enter and traverse Illinois in their attempts to escape slave catchers and achieve freedom.

Among the primary routes was the corridor leading from certain Mississippi River crossings in Missouri to lower Lake Michigan communities in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, through the Rock and Fox River Valleys. From there freedom seekers were compelled to emigrate to Canada where slave-catching was not allowed.

Join us as we learn more about the history of the Underground Railroad in the Rock River Valley. 
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This lecture will take place on Sunday June 4th in the lower level of the Tinker Barn from 2-4pm. 

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

Mysteries at the Museum 
Summer Camp
June 27-30    8am-1pm

Looking for something fun and different this summer? Let Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum take you back in time! 

Children will explore overarching historic themes while participating in activities, games, crafts, and other hands-on learning. 

At the Mysteries at the Museum Summer Camp, campers will learn how to be inquisitive detectives as we learn about history with the help of the great Victorian detective, Sherlock Holmes! 
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!