Located on the southeastern corner of the park, lost and overgrown in a jungle of tall trees and grape vines is a place we call the Hidden Village. Here are the remains of a place once known as the Lost Village or Shanty Town. First built in the early 1890s, the village housed workers of a once busy quarry on the east bluff of the park. Quarries such as the one this village supported were in fact, a major driver for the creation of a state park. In the early 1900’s the land was quickly being sold to anyone with a commercial interest.
“Unless the state buys the property several of the largest owners have signified their intention of selling to whomsoever will pay the most, without regard for what use the property is intended…. To preserve the region, the state must own it. There appears to be no alternative” – Baraboo Republic, July 25, 1906
Devil’s Lake State Park was established in 1911. It took another half-century before the quarries finally went silent.
On this 2-3 hour tour, we’ll walk among the abandoned ruins and remains which feel as though they were pulled from a scene in a modern dystopian novel. As we explore we’ll learn about the old quarry’s connection to Chicago’s Loop and how the hidden village played a roll in the infamous 1970 bombing of Sterling Hall on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wisconsin.
Ideal For: Anyone. Ages 7 and Up.
Length: Half Day (2-3 hours)
*Per Person Rates
| 1 person | Call/Email |
| 1-4 ppl | $125 |
| 14 & Under | (Free with parents/gaurdians.) |
| Groups | Call/Email |
