Contact Us
American Players Theatre
5950 Golf Course Road
P.O. Box 819
Spring Green, WI 53588
(Map)
Box Office: 608-588-2361
Administration: 608-588-7401
Fax: 608-588-7085
Area Guide Spotlight: Brisbane House
Posted March 27, 2025
On your next trip to APT, consider visiting, staying, shopping and eating local by consulting APT’s helpful Area Guide. APT’s Area Guide Spotlight series highlights all the things that make the Driftless area so incredible, including some of our favorite finds that should definitely be included on your summer itinerary.
Today, learn more about a historic treasure nestled just down the road from APT with a fabulous backstory. The Brisbane House combines Wisconsin history with modern, chic accommodations, perfect for a weekend escape or upcoming retreat with friends. With status as a registered local and national landmark, Brisbane House is truly a unique getaway for those seeking a fusion of past, present and future.
APT connected with owner Samantha Crownover to discover more about this one-of-a-kind stop.
Brisbane House
7050 Reimann Rd, Arena, WI 53503
(608) 576-6696 | brisbanehouse.net
About Brisbane House
The Brisbane House is newly opened for guest stays! It's a beautiful tall, skinny stone house on the State and National Historic Register of Historic Places. The award-winning restoration on 18 wooded acres sleeps up to ten people altogether in the main house and in the adjacent "summer kitchen." Gather your friends for an APT binge and stay overnight!
We are gaga for the house and for hosting. We want to make each guests' stay really special. Heritage tourists, especially, will love this beautifully restored stone home featuring warm wood floors, 24" thick stone walls, and heirloom quilts, as well as like new bathrooms and kitchen, contemporary art, USB outlets and dimmer switches.
A Historic Legacy
William Henry Brisbane built it in 1868. He made his way to Wisconsin from South Carolina crusading for human rights. To honor his legacy, all of the contemporary art on the walls is by nationally recognized artists of color, and there's a small library of anti-racist books and books by Black authors.
We had had our eye on this singular, beautiful place, on 18 wooded acres for nearly 30 years! We purchased it in 2021 and, in lightning speed, restored and furnished it. Over 160 people contributed to its preservation.
It is a valuable piece of Arena's history, with stones carved from its overlooking bluff, and has been a well-loved place by many community members for over 150 years. Many families in the area have relatives who lived there and has been affectionally known as the Stone House Farm, the pencil house, the Thudium place, and the house that splits raindrops. The last owner had a toy shop in the summer kitchen--you may remember that! Its new iteration as a guest house has been warmly received by the town and its community.
Why Brisbane House?
The Brisbane House is great for out-of-towners who need their annual fix of APT! Pick three or four plays over the course of a long weekend and stay overnight. If there are two of you, stay in the summer kitchen bedroom, surrounded by windows. If you've brought your friends, there's plenty of room for everyone. You can grill out at Brisbane before-hand if you don't picnic on the APT grounds. Since Brisbane is a short 12 minutes from the theater, nestled against Rattlesnake Ridge, it shares the same big, dark, starry sky above. There's even a fire pit outside to sit around and discuss the play you've just seen. Experience the restful comfort historic details, and extraordinary charm.
"Who needs Brisbane?" from a recent guest:
-Anyone needing serenity. Couples, a family, or old friends reconnecting. The layout allows for those needing quiet time to find their space, as in the second-floor den.
-Anyone appreciating the out-of-doors. Seconds away from the kitchen door, one is out on the trails to Rattlesnake Ridge or the prairie on the ridge to the east.
-Anyone with a modicum of interest in history will quickly get a sense of what folks moving west experienced while traversing Wisconsin--getting to the top of one drumlin only to see another one.