Founded in 1980, the Elmbrook Historical Society currently has over 200 members who care deeply about preserving the history of Brookfield and Elm Grove and its historic buildings. The Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum is its main project.

An active organization, the Elmbrook Historical Society hosts a number of activities that are open to the public. These include:

Lectures on a variety of historic topics held on the third Monday in the months of January, March, May, and September at the Brookfield Public Library.

Docent led tours of the historic Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum, the only building in Brookfield that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Special fundraising events held at the historic Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum such as:

"Civil War Encampment" - A two day Civil Way era re-enactment,

"Christmas at the Inn" - A holiday celebration,

"Days Gone by" - A celebration of the times of Laura Ingalls Wilder,

"Summer Sundays" - A series of special events held during the summer for the entire family.

In addition, our members:

Maintain the Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum, a stately Greek Revival Inn built in 1843, its outbuildings and its gardens,

Collect and display artifacts at the Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum reflecting the period of 1840 to 1872,

Archive documents and record information of historical interest from area residents,

Work to preserve building of historic interest in Brookfield and Elm Grove for generations to come.

In these and many other ways the Elmbrook Historical Society works to preserve the history of Brookfield and Elm Grove for generations to come.

The Elmbrook Historical Society (EHS) is a non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to research the history of Brookfield and Elm Grove and to collect, preserve, and exhibit objects from our past. The Elmbrook Historical Society is an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum

A Brookfield Landmark, this stately Greek Revival Inn, once stood at the corner of Bluemound and Watertown Plank Roads. It was built in the 1842 by Talbot Dousman, whose brother’s son Hercules, later built the Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien.

In 1857, Daniel Brown purchased the property and ran it as a stagecoach inn to accommodate travelers using the plank road that ran from Milwaukee to Watertown, Wisconsin.

After 1875, railroads supplanted stagecoach travel and the inn became a farm owned by Frederick Zimdars. From 1887 to 1980, its owners were Charles Dunkel and his descendent, John Behling. John Behling donated the inn to the City of Brookfield who leased it to the Elmbrook Historical Society. In 1981, the inn was moved by the Elmbrook Historical Society to its current location at 1075 Pilgrim Parkway in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Since then, society volunteers have restored and furnished the Inn with beautiful authentic antiques to the period when it was a stagecoach inn.

In addition, outbuildings have been added: The Donaldson Visitor’s Center/Gift Shop which was originally a 1852 log cabin, an Ice House, a Smoke House, a Wagon/Blacksmith Shop, and the Old Woodside School Bell Tower.