Playing “I Spy” While Touring the American Club in Kohler, WI
On our recent holiday visit to Kohler, Wisconsin, we had the good fortune to enjoy the American Club, a Historic Hotels of America member, in the heart of the Kohler Village. The resort was an early 20th century dormitory for European workers who came to the area to work in the Kohler factory. Today, the AAA Five- Diamond and Forbes Five Star resort offers almost 200 rooms and suites, four restaurants, and several daily activities and amenities at the resort and many more amenities throughout the village. See a helpful map of the Kohler resort here.
One of the activities we most enjoyed was a guided tour of the American Club property, which included a complete history of the growing city of Sheboygan and nearby farmland, Kohler family, and the Kohler company. The general areas of the resort, including restaurants, are open to the public, but an overnight stay at the American Club is a must do! Either way, take the daily guided tour and see if you can find some of the highlights we enjoyed.
Playing I Spy at the American Club:
- Count the portraits and profiles of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Room, which was once the study for workers preparing for their citizenship test and is now the game room. Check out the cozy fireplace and famous Lincoln quote etched in the mantle: Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith. Let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it.
- Check out the grand piano in the Library, which dates back over a century. Festive cocktail hours with live music are offered throughout the week- check the daily calendar.
- Look carefully at the two tapestries that hang in the Wisconsin Room, which was the original Mess Hall, serving 1,000 men three meals a day. One of the tapestries displays the ethnic groups of Wisconsin, including the former governor, and one tapestry displays the flag of Wisconsin. The stained glass windows in the room also portray factory workers of the Kohler company.
- Walk the hallway of Heritage Wall which displays photos documenting the evolution of the Kohler Company. Find the floor plans and menus throughout the decades, and Declaration of Intention certificates for many of the immigrant workers.
- Peek inside the Immigrant Room, a four star restaurant (the lack of a view is the only reason the restaurant is missing the fifth star!) and see the various themed dining rooms which honor the countries of the former workers (Dutch, French, German, Danish, and English) in decor.
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- Check out the unique features of all four courtyards– there are ponds, gazebos, and footbridges, as well as various flowers blooming in season and festive holiday decorations in the winter.
- Keep an eye out for the old fashioned, but working, landline phones in every hallway- used frequently for guests who get lost in the maze of halls.
- Read some of the name placards on the doors of all 184 rooms. Each room is named for a famous American (as determined by the Archives Committee of the resort), although not every honoree has stayed at the resort. Inside the room there is a portrait and short biography of the honoree.
- Count the Waterford chandeliers on display on the Conference Center level called the Grand Hall of the Great Lakes. Each ballroom is named for a Great Lake.
- Stop inside the Greenhouse, a bright and light cafe modeled after an English garden, serving freshly prepared warm and cold drinks, sweet treats, and even gelato!
Looking for other adventures in Kohler? See our feature of the Kohler Design Center (free to visit and a short walk from the American Club), the Kohler Arts Centers, and our full Kohler Resort Guide.
