A drone point of view photo of Black Point Estate.

See You in Spring 2026! 

Thanks for another great season! We reopen for visitors in May 2026.

Preserve the elegance of Black Point Estate! Your donation helps maintain this historic gem on Geneva Lake, ensuring its stories and beauty endure for future generations. Support our mission with a gift today!

See You in Spring 2026! 

Thanks for another great season! We reopen for visitors in May 2026.

Preserve the elegance of Black Point Estate! Your donation helps maintain this historic gem on Geneva Lake, ensuring its stories and beauty endure for future generations. Support our mission with a gift today!

Black Point Estate & Gardens building at Grand Geneva surrounded by trees

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

Black Point Estate and Gardens

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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 spring of 2025 Black Point director, Dave Desimone visited the site of the Seipp Brewery. The site was most recently the location of the Michael Reese Hospital but has been an empty lot since the late 1980s.

By using existing street locations and Sanborn maps from the 1900s Desimone was able to determine the location of the original Seipp bottling works.

A quick sift through the debris uncovered fragments of multiple beet bottles from the era.
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1 day ago

Comment on Facebook

Very cool Dave

The Past sometimes leaves her signature for those dedicated enough to find it. Thank you, Dave!

How cool. Tumble some glass and make some artwork or jewelry with it

They had to of course have beer tastings!

This is great...we love Sanborn Maps! We have been lucky to print them for folks across the US and they never stop amazing us! So much detail in every map!

View more comments

Our first Geneva Storytellers event is today, December 4th at the Geneva Tap House.

The program starts at 6:00PM

Storytellers for this evening include Rita Moore from American Ghost Walks, Sonja Akright from the Geneva Lakes Museum and Dave Desimone from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

This is a free event so come on out and get yo know your neighbors on story at a time.
... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago
Our first Geneva Storytellers event is today, December 4th at the Geneva Tap House. 

The program starts at 6:00PM

Storytellers for this evening include Rita Moore from American Ghost Walks, Sonja Akright from the Geneva Lakes Museum and Dave Desimone from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

This is a free event so come on out and get yo know your neighbors on story at a time.

Comment on Facebook

This was so much fun! Thank you!