Exploring the Barn Quilts of Shawano County!

Shawano County has a lot of beautiful natural scenery to admire anytime of year.  But, have you heard about the barn quilts there?  Originally introduced to the county in 2010, there are currently 331 barn quilts.  (What exactly is a barn quilt?  Learn details of how they’re made here)

Shawano county is Wisconsin’s barn quilt capital!

Going along the theme of fall & winter day trips and getaways in Wisconsin, a barn quilt driving tour in Shawano county can be done any time of year.  Personally, I feel like there’s a different type of charm doing the drive in each season.  I may have to look into a return visit later in the year!

Shawano County Tourism has great little pamphlets with driving routes and addresses to see the barn quilts.  Since I was hoping to stop and take pictures, I chose to go to the barns that weren’t on the busier highways.  Driving around the county was a lot of fun, especially when you’d spot a barn quilt along the way that you weren’t looking for!

Shawano is located ~45 min from Green Bay, ~2.5 hrs from Milwaukee, ~2 hrs 40 min from Madison, and a little less than 4 hrs from Chicago.

 

The driving route I took:

My first stop was at:

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Long-Pointed Star (Quilt #61) N6635 Fox Lane

Then I made my way to Gresham

There were so many barn quilts on Main Street in Gresham, that I parked and spent awhile walking around the Village.  I’ll share pictures of what I saw there in a future post.

After Gresham, I drove back to Shawano and saw:

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Nine Patch Star (Quilt # 69) W8966 Beech Road

 

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Patriotic Star (Quilt #10) W8641 Broadway Road

 

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Patchwork Heart (Quilt #59) N6108 Maple Avenue

I drove past “Sunburst Cross of Hope” (Quilt #118) [N6070 Maple Avenue] and missed it.  When I looped back around, I saw the quilt, but it was a little less obvious from the roadside than the others.

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Southern Star (Quilt #174) W8585 Hazel Drive

“Southern Star” could be seen from Maple Avenue as well (partly why I think I drove past “Sunburst Cross of Hope” since they are very close to each other).  The picture above is the view from Maple Avenue, and I used a zoom lens.  I also drove past the barn from Hazel Drive, and the view there was much closer.  Both locations are pretty!

I tried driving past “School Days” (Quilt #191) [W8393 Oak Avenue] but couldn’t find it.  Maybe my phone/GPS was being weird?  I’m not sure.  I didn’t circle around too much over there though.

Then, the final barn quilt on my loop to photograph:

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Sunflower (Quilt #33) N5467 Locust Road

 

 

TL;DR, Recap:

  • Shawano County is the Barn Quilt Capital of Wisconsin.
  • With (currently) 331 barn quilts in the county there is a lot to explore.
  • Shawano County Tourism has nice pamphlets with suggested driving tour routes.
  • Fun day trip for any time of year!
  • Since there are so many barn quilts, you could easily pick a different route and plan a return visit.

Stay tuned for more adventures from my recent trip to Shawano County!

Edit: More posts from my adventures in Shawano County – Walls of Wittenberg (WOW)Gresham barn quiltsHotel & Restaurant review

 

Disclaimer: I received some “Chamber bucks” to spend on food etc. at local businesses while on my trip to Shawano County, and had a discounted rate for overnight accommodations.  I picked my own itinerary based on suggestions from Shawano Country Tourism.  All opinions are my own.

 

Shawano County Barn Quilts
Shawano County – Barn Quilts

 

6 COMMENTS

  1. Hang Around The World | 28th Oct 17

    We have to confess you that this type of places are some of our favorite. This is so characteristic! What was your first impression about it?

    • Christie | 28th Oct 17

      I loved the barn quilts! Such charm, and so fun to spot them while driving through the county.

  2. C-Ludik | 28th Oct 17

    I’ve never heard about barn quilts before. Your photos have perfectly captured the beauty of this area ! I love the concept of Barn quilts illustrating Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage by incorporating the beauty of a bucolic barn and the warmth of quilting art :-) Who’s in charge of the displays ? The owners of the barn or the barn quilt artist ?

    • Christie | 28th Oct 17

      I hadn’t heard of them either until I started researching a visit to the area! They were so beautiful, especially with the fall scenery (I’m hoping to go back in another season to see them again!). There are a lot of different people involved in the displays. A variety of sponsors (from businesses to individuals) make it possible to paint the barn quilts and place them up on the barns. Such a cool project!

  3. Rahul Khurana | 29th Oct 17

    Omg.. the barn quilts are so pretty. This is my kind of place, completely away from the city life. I wouldn’t mind spending weeks living in such a place. Rather, I found these so beautiful. Wonder how it would have felt to see them in real. :)

    • Christie | 15th Nov 17

      They are so much more beautiful in person! Definitely worth a visit :)

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