Take a Cruise to the Victorian Summer Retreat of a Chicago Beer Baron
Black Point Estate was built for Chicago Beer Baron, Conrad Seipp, in 1888 as a retreat, and in that spirit the home remains a place to relax, refresh, and explore. Just like the Victorian VIPs who established the estate, you’ll arrive in style and enjoy stunning Geneva Lake views on your cruise to this magnificent summer home, considered one of the finest examples of period architecture and furniture in the Midwest, and one of the oldest homes in Lake Geneva.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Get the Best Deal in History
Wisconsin Historical Society members receive unlimited free admission to our 11 historic sites and museums, a complimentary annual subscription to the Wisconsin Magazine of History, merchandise discounts and more. Join at the Family level and above for added benefits and discounts at over 1,200 organizations nationwide!
Black Point Estate and Gardens
Step into Gilded Age elegance at the 1888 Summer home of Chicago beer baron, Conrad Seipp. Guests enjoy a narrated boat ride to the property via the Lake Geneva Cruise Line, a guided tour of the mansion, & time to relax and sip Seipp beer on the veranda.
In the summer of 2023, interns Maria Dickfoss and Kyreland (Kiki) Nolan interviewed more than forty Black Point volunteers and staff members. We will be sharing one of those interviews each week during 2025.
What is your name and how long have you worked at Black Point?
My name is Camille Grabski and I have been here since 2017.
How did you get into working at Black Point?
I have always been interested in old houses. I used to work as a tour guide at the Morton Arboretum leading kids on outdoor education field trips. I enjoyed that a lot. A friend of mine, gosh it must have been 2015-16, gave me a big ad in the Lake Geneva Regional News about Black Point looking for volunteers.
What did you do before working here?
I’m retired so I spent ten years leading groups at the Morton Arboretum, and then I had two years of trying to clean out our house and pack up and get ready to move to Lake Geneva full time. And I was home before that for twenty years raising our family.
How long is your connection to this area?
Almost twenty years. We had a condo in Lake Geneva for nine years and we have been full-time residents in Williams Bay for nine years.
What is your favorite story or artifact in the house?
I like the story about Otto Schmidt taking his boat and the kids on the lake to learn to sail because we learned to sail years ago with a small sailboat and flipped a lot because we had no idea how to start and I can just picture that.
Is there anything else that stands out to you about Black Point that
not many people know?
I think the tours have come a long way from the early days. I was on a tour in 2008-9 so it was one of the early years and I think Dave has done an outstanding job and he’s great for this place. I just think the tours get better and better and if you get people who are here long enough and they are really comfortable and knowledgeable and they don’t get thrown off when someone asks a lot of questions or interrupts a lot. I try to keep my tour more conversational, and I love it when people ask questions because it really does help me tailor the tour. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Happening tonight, March 25, 2025 in Janesville with our good friends at the Hedberg Public Library. Click the image below for details.
These programs are alwasy free and open to everyone.
Libraries and museums make our communities better. ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Comment on Facebook
We will be sharing our new program, 1920: The Year that Made the Decade Roar at the Lake Geneva Public Library on Wendesday, March 26th.
Museums and libraries make our communities better.
Details on this free program are avialabe by clicking in the image below. ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.Comment on Facebook