THINGS TO DO

Start a tour of the site with an orientation video about the history of the location and find out why so many people – like you – have been drawn to the Steeles’ hilltop home for decades. Here, you’ll also find classroom space, the gift shop, and other amenities. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy on the deck of the visitor center where coffee and water are available for purchase, too.

Walk through Steele’s lovingly preserved home, filled with original furnishings, artifacts, and—of course—his breathtaking paintings. The home that the Steeles built in 1907 and expanded in 1908 featured high ceilings and screened porches, in contrast to the simple log homes of the area. Selma decorated the home with an eclectic mix of furnishings, arts and crafts. The home’s vernacular architecture features a pyramidal roof with the central fireplace. The Steele’s friend and artist Gustave Baumann engraved the words, “Every morning I take off my hat to the beauty of the world,” below the mantle. Today, you can experience the home much like T.C. and Selma’s visitors did when the couple lived there.

Prior to living on the Brown County property, Steele used a horse-drawn wagon as a studio to travel around the state to paint. T.C. brought the wagon with him to his Brown County home, but it eventually was destroyed in a barn fire in 1913. A modern version of this wagon and outdoor studio space has been recreated using verbal and newspaper descriptions. Visitors can tour this handicap-accessible area, create sketches of the surroundings, work “en plein air” (or outdoors) as T.C. did, and play games while discovering more about his art and life.

When not traveling, T.C. used what is now the living room of his home as studio space. In 1908, the Steeles added the west wing, which served as his studio for seven years. They then built what they called the “Little Studio,” which he used until 1916. The original structure is now used as a working studio for artists-in-residence. The artists live in “La Casita”, a small cottage next to the Little Studio the Steeles created by joining two small outbuildings for a secondary guest cottage.

T.C. built the “Large Studio” in 1916 to display his work in an atmosphere consistent with the surrounding landscape. The barn-like structure and wall of north-facing windows provide a fitting and backdrop for T.C.’s paintings. He used the studio primarily to exhibit his work, as well as for sales and entertaining. Today, it is restored and updated to display a rotation of Steele’s original work. Through interactive activities, visitors learn about how plein air painters like Steele create their works.

In keeping with Selma’s wish, this 92-acre “tribute to natural beauty” was dedicated in 1990. The topography supports the variety of plants with deep ravines and seasonally flowing steams that cut through a soft bedrock, as well as rich undergrowth that provides a wealth of wildflowers throughout the spring. Wildlife that call the preserve home include deer, squirrels, chipmunks, raptors, woodpeckers, and other birds. Wildflower enthusiasts should be sure to look for Yellow Ladies Slippers, and Showy Orchis. Visitors may access this natural area via two of the site’s hiking trails.

The Artist-in-Residence program at T.C. Steele State Historic Site is available to emerging and established contemporary artists in a variety of media who would benefit from a respite to their everyday routine and gain inspiration in a serene, rural setting. Visual, musical, literary and conceptual artists are all welcome to apply.