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Villa Louis Historic Site
The Villa Louis mansion complex sits atop a mound on St. Feriole
Island in Prairie du Chien. The Villa Louis mansion was built by the Hercules
Dousman family. Dousman amassed a fortune in the fur trade, land speculation, steamboats,
railroads, and other frontier investments. The Dousmans furnished and
decorated the mansion in the Victorian tradition. You will find a great percentage of
the family's original heirlooms arranged just as the Dousmans had them,
making the Villa Louis one of the most authentically furnished Victorian
houses in the nation. The mansion was, at one time, the centerpiece for a lavish standardbred breeding farm - The Artesian Stock Farm. The estate included stables, paddocks, and a 1/4 mile race track on site. 
Several original buildings now exhibit other eras in this river city's history, including the Fur Trade Museum and the Museum of Prairie du Chien where you will discover a treasure trove of Wisconsin history stretching back to the 17th century.
For more information on the Mansion and available tours see the Wisconsin State Historical web site.
