County Grounds Park / Sanctuary Woods - History Tour 7/18/26 @10am

~1 mile free guided hike of Wauwatosa Sanctuary Woods and surrounding area - including photos and video
About this Event

🏛️🌳 Guided History Tour of County Grounds Park 🌳🏛️

📖 About the TourJoin Jonathan Piel, who has extensively researched and documented the history of County Grounds Park, for a fascinating ~1-mile guided hike. Through stories, maps, photos, and videos, Jonathan brings more than a century of the park’s history to life.

✨ Tour Highlights include:

• Majestic 300-year-old trees 🌳
• 150-years of rich history about the Milwaukee County mental health hospitals🏥
• 120-year-old fieldstone stairs, split-boulder pavilion, and 6' stone dolphin vase 🐬
• Remnants of former waterfalls 💦and sunken gardens

🎥 Bonus: Rare 1950s video footage + historic photos will be shared!

👣 Details

• Distance: ~1 mile with frequent stops
• Dress for the weather 🌦
• Paths are not suitable for mobility-impaired visitors
• 🚻 No onsite restrooms
• 🐕 Friendly dogs on leash are welcome!
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Tours are appropriate for all ages.

💚 Free Tour, Optional Donations

These tours are completely free, led by volunteers from the Friends of County Grounds Park, a non-profit working to protect and improve this special place.

If you’re inspired, consider a $5 per person donation — every bit helps with:

• Habitat restoration 🌻
• Tree planting 🌳
• Invasive species removal 🌱
• Outreach and education 📚
• Park signage 🚏

💳 Donate anytime online: PayPal (accpeting all credit cards)

💵 Or after the tour: Cash, or checks made out to “The Park People of Milwaukee” (write “County Grounds” in the memo).

🚗 Important Location Info

• Search “Sanctuary Woods Parking” in Apple/Google/Waze for directions.
• The parking circle is about 0.5 mile north & west of 87th & Watertown Plank Rd.
• Tour begins & ends at the square gravel parking lot in the park center at the park sign (see images below).
• Park map: 👉 www.countygroundsfriends.org

📧 Questions? Email:

🌟 Step back in time, see hidden relics, and discover the incredible history woven into County Grounds Park! 🌟