NEW GLARUS — Since 1955, the Chalet of the Golden Fleece Museum has been a popular New Glarus tourist destination.  

Once the private home of Edwin Barlow (1885-1957) — the founder of New Glarus’ annual Wilhelm Tell play — this authentic recreation of a Swiss Bernese mountain chalet contains treasures that Barlow collected over 30-plus years. His collection is especially strong in traditional folk art and items celebrating Swiss history and culture. During the past month, Village of New Glarus staff and Chalet volunteers have been hard at work getting the museum ready for its 2021 Season.

The Chalet of the Golden Fleece’s 2021 Season begins May 29. Guided tours are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday through the end of October. During festival weekends, the Chalet will also be open on Sundays — check the Chalet’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ChaletOfTheGoldenFleece) for more details. Visitors can also request a private tour any day of the week via the Facebook page — but please allow at least 24 hours’ notice so the museum can line up a volunteer guide.  

Interested in having fun while bringing New Glarus history to life? Join the merry band of Chalet volunteers — there’s a wide variety of tasks that always need help with and volunteers can donate as little or as much time as they would like.  Message the museum on Facebook for more information. The next event is June 11, where Chalet of the Golden Fleece volunteers will be bartending Friday evening in the event tent during New Glarus’ Polkafest. All tips donated during the shift will go to the Friends of the Chalet of the Golden Fleece — a 501(c)3 charitable organization — and will allow for promotion of this “hidden gem” of a museum.