Waelderhaus

Waelderhaus is an Austrian-style building in Kohler Village that stands on a high bluff overlooking the Sheboygan River. The structure displays traditional Bregenzerwald architecture featuring intricate wooden carvings, iron details, and a surrounding landscape that slopes gently down toward the water.

The building was constructed in 1931 by Marie Christine Kohler as a tribute to her father Johann Michael Kohler, who had emigrated from Schnepfau in Vorarlberg, Austria. It stands as a tangible record of how a prominent Wisconsin family maintained their connection to their Alpine homeland.

The building serves as a gathering place for community performances and art exhibitions, where visitors encounter Austrian traditions and local creative work. Its interior spaces maintain the warmth of an Alpine lodge, connecting people to the heritage of early Austrian-American families who settled in Wisconsin.

Visitors should explore this place during daylight hours when light brings out the carved details and wall features at their best. The location is easily walkable and offers quiet moments to move through the grounds and take in the surroundings.

An exterior wall features an unusual sundial decorated with zodiac symbols that only tells time from sunrise to noon through its specially angled design. This functional artwork merges astronomy with craftsmanship in a way that visitors often discover only when looking closely.