In Oshkosh, Wisconsin, there’s a palace hidden in plain sight. The Paine Art Center and Gardens is easy to miss, located in an area that’s surrounded by quiet residential neighborhoods, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and the Fox River. It’s a place with street lights and sidewalks and no princes or princesses to be seen.
But step into this magical historic estate and you’ll feel like you’ve entered a royal dream world. The Paine is an architectural gem, a place created by a lumber baron who wanted to use his timber riches to create an opulent home like no other. While not everything with this house went to plan, the experience he sought to create is alive and just waiting to be discovered.
The Paine was first commissioned by lumber baron Nathan Paine and his wife, Jessie Kimberly Paine in 1925. Construction began in 1927 on the Tudor Revival-style mansion. It was meant to be a place that would showcase exceptional architecture, furnishings, art, and natural beauty.
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But trouble struck the project. While the exterior was finished by 1930, the Great Depression arrived and devastated the lumber industry. Construction was halted and the project was in jeopardy of being abandoned.
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After World War II the project was resurrected when the Paines established a nonprofit to manage and oversee the home for public benefit. The Paines never moved in and Nathan Paine died in 1947.
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The Paine became a historic house museum and art gallery that is surrounded by carefully manicured gardens. It’s all open to the public.
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The Paine has a collection of French Barbizon school and American paintings, sculptures, and decorative woodworkings, Persian rugs, tapestries, and English and American silver and china.
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The Paine’s botanical gardens have thousands of species of beautiful plants and flowers.
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The Paine Art Center and Gardens is open Tuesday-Sunday throughout the year, and reservations are recommended. As of the time of publication, the admission fee is $12 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5-17, and free for kids 4 and under. The center frequently holds interesting educational and cultural public events, so it’s a good idea to check their calendar to see what’s coming up. Once you’ve toured the Paine, you might consider spending a night in this Wisconsin castle, the dream of another wealthy lumber baron.
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Address: Paine Art Center and Gardens, 1410 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh, WI 54901, USA
