History To Be Told, One Tavern at a Time

Gary Kulas is a Muskego resident, lover of history and certified tour guide, so the Historic Muskego Pub Crawl is right in his wheelhouse.

"I've done walking tours in Milwaukee, bus tours and I'm excited to tell the history of Muskego's various establishments throughout the years," Kulas said.

The pub crawl is scheduled for March 16, but has sold out about a week ahead of time, and Kulas said it's not so much the beverages as the buildings that are attracting people.

"So far I can see that this is developing into something other than your typical pub crawl," he explained. "It seems to be appealing to a wide mix of interests, including City Hall employees, former bar owners, other historians, some folks with experience hash marks on their sleeves from earlier years, and some from a younger curious crowd. Oh for sure there will be a tasting of the suds along the way, how could that not happen especially since we launch this program on the eve of St.Patty's Day?  It was purposely not marketed as an Irish Pub Crawl to distance itself from all the other pub crawls that will be taking place throughout the region at this time of year."

Proceeds from the event will go to help refurbish the Tailspin roller coaster sign, which once adorned the side of Muskego Beach's/Dandilion Park's iconic ride.

The bus will leave Marx Pioneer Inn around 6:30 p.m., and stop at Sobek's Resort around 7 p.m., Sneesby's Denoon Saloon around 8 p.m., Schmidt's Refuge around 9 p.m., and Mug-Z's around 10 p.m. before returning to Marx's.

Similar events are planned as a five part series so that over a period of time they will hit most, if not all, of Muskego's remaining saloons, taverns and bars.     
In addition to narrations about the specific establishments they will be visiting, there will be brief discussions about a variety of other Muskego subjects, such as the amusement park, Interurban trolley lines, former hotels and resorts, brothels and brewery-tied bars.  Many of these topics will be touched upon again on the remaining tours in the series along with the specifics about the new places we will be visiting, according to Kulas.

He will gauge interest after this outing to perhaps schedule another around April 27 "to help us get through these winter doldrums.  Then we'll take a break during the summer months and perhaps have another round in the fall.  It will all depend on how well the community receives an event like this."

Kulas has also contacted the Muskego Public Library about starting a lecture program that would touch on many of these topics relating to Muskego.    

"Of course it would be a dry program, but certainly not dull," Kulas said. 

Given the nature of the tour, Kulas is also toying with the notion of a Golden Pub Crawl series which would feature a small bus with a lift, and touring some local establishments in mid-afternoon prior to opening to the general public for seniors in the area.