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.
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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.
2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Over the next 250 days we will be highlighting historic people, places or things from around Walworth County.
Up next is Northwest Municipal Recreation Building / Riviera Ballroom.
Construction on the Riviera Ballroom began in 1932 when the public set aside $85,000 for a community building despite the hardships of the Great Depression. The city hired two crews, each working six hours per day to offer employment to more citizens.
The Riviera opened September 1, 1932…with a Grand Opening performance by Wayne King (“the Waltz King”) and his Aragon Ballroom Dance Band from Chicago on May 22, 1933. For the next few decades, it would host public dances to Big Bands and famous artists like Louis Armstrong. However, as big bands and dancing became less popular, the building began to deteriorate and decline until 1980 when the community decided to restore the building and maintain it as a public facility.
The Riviera Ballroom was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and today houses shops and ice cream parlors on the first floor for the public to enjoy in the summer season…and a beautifully restored ballroom on the second floor—a popular location for weddings, year-round.
The City of Lake Geneva completed a multimillion dollar renovation in 2021.
Walworth@250 #38. ... See MoreSee Less
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It's a beautiful building inside and out
This is a beautiful building, a beautiful town …..and such a fun and beautiful area. Lots of great memories !!!❤️🌺❤️
Our wedding reception was here... May 30, 1986!
Really awesome building!
Thank you Mayor Folman And the city council at that time, for making the decision to restore the beautiful Riviera to as it is today.
The restored upstairs room is a wonderful choice for wedding receptions.
Made the motion when I was an alderman to put an elevator in the building as I was tired of watching people having to carry grandma in a wheelchair up and down the stairs for weddings and other events. Let alone the catering companies.
Danced there summers of 74-76 with WSP! Great memories!
Maria Ralston …. Have you seen these posts?
Wow
Loved going to the pier and tying up our boat. Before being old enough to go we could hear the music on a hot summer night on the pier.
Wayne King was originally from the same little town in Illinois that my dad is from. Savanna, IL. They have a great museum in town that includes a room about Wayne King.
WW2 guys were dancing and meeting their future wifes there.
Beautiful.
Was tons of fun as Top Deck!!
I remember that place when it was the Top Deck , back in the late 70's
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2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Over the next 250 days we will be highlighting historic people, places or things from around Walworth County.
Up next is Nancy Reagan in Lake Geneva.
Back when the Maxwell Mansion was owned by Ruth and Christopher Brown, it was called The Oaks. Ruth Brown’s research on the history of the mansion revealed that former first lady Nancy Reagan, then Nancy Davis, visited The Oaks several times in the 1930s when she was a student at the Girls' Latin School in Chicago.
Nancy and her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Loyal Davis, were guests of Sangston Hettler, president of Hettler Lumber in Chicago, who rented The Oaks for the summer season.
As Nancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1952 she married Ronald Reagan who became the 40th President of the United States in 1980.
Walworth@250 #38
PS. George Washington never slept here. 😂 ... See MoreSee Less
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2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Over the next 250 days we will be highlighting historic people, places or things from around Walworth County.
Up next is John Powers.
Multi-talented Lake Geneva author and playwright John R. Powers asked the question "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?” This novel was selected for inclusion on the American Library Association’s list of Best Books for Young Adults in 1975.
He was also the playwright and co-producer of the Broadway musical of the same name.
Actress JaNelle Meyers performed in the original production and later she and John married.
Powers wrote three other books of fiction and two one-man shows which he also performed. He received two Emmy Awards for his work on television, writing for WMAQ TV and WLS TV in Chicago, and hosting his own Emmy Award-winning special Going Home. In addition. John traveled the country as a motivational speaker.
John Powers died in Lake Geneva in 2013.
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JaNelle is still amazing. And she keeps John’s spirit alive. ❤️. Thanks for recognizing him.
Thank you for recognizing John! A bigger than life man with a huge, kind heart
Jacey Powers ❤️