Cedar Creek Settlement: A Visitor's Guide to Cedarburg's Historic Mill

Cedar Creek Settlement is a restored 1864 woolen mill in downtown Cedarburg, Wisconsin, now home to more than twenty independent shops, three restaurants, and Cedar Creek Winery. The limestone buildings sit along the banks of Cedar Creek, their original beams and floorboards still in place, and the cobblestone walkways between them have not changed much since the 1970s restoration that saved the complex from demolition.

That restoration matters because most of what stands in historic downtown Cedarburg today exists because of what happened at Cedar Creek Settlement first. When the mill closed in 1969 and sat empty, a gas station almost replaced it. A local home winemaker named Jim Pape bought the building instead, and what followed reshaped Cedarburg's character for the next fifty years.

The Settlement is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Below is everything to know before visiting: the history, the winery, the shops, the restaurants, and how to plan your day.

Most of what's standing in downtown Cedarburg is here because Jim Pape didn't let the woolen mill become a gas station.

Where is Cedar Creek Settlement?

Cedar Creek Settlement is located at N70 W6340 Bridge Road in downtown Cedarburg, Wisconsin, approximately 25 minutes north of Milwaukee via I-43. The historic mill complex sits along the banks of Cedar Creek, a short walk from Washington Avenue and the rest of Cedarburg's historic district.

From the main downtown drag on Washington Avenue, the Settlement is roughly a two-minute walk north along Bridge Road. Free parking is available in the adjacent lots and along Washington Avenue itself, though the lots fill quickly on festival weekends and during the holiday shopping season.

Driving from Milwaukee, take I-43 North to the WI-60 East exit toward Cedarburg, then follow the signs into downtown. Verify the route against current traffic before leaving, as construction and seasonal closures sometimes affect the approach. Drivers coming from Chicago should plan on roughly two hours via I-94 North to I-43 North. Anyone searching cedarburg directions for the first time will find the Settlement signed clearly once inside the village.

A history of Cedar Creek Settlement

The story begins in 1864. Diedrich Wittenberg, a German immigrant who arrived in Cedarburg as a child in 1845, partnered with Frederick Hilgen, the financier widely considered the father of Cedarburg, to build a woolen mill on Cedar Creek. The mill cost $30,000 to construct, all of it financed by Hilgen, and became known as the Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill.

The mill was powered by Cedar Creek itself. An open-flume water wheel turned a turbine generating 50 horsepower, which in turn drove 21 looms and knitting machines on the floors above. The timing was good. The Civil War had disrupted Southern cotton mills, and Wisconsin wool found a market. At peak operation the mill employed 45 people, produced about $100,000 in annual revenue, and made yarns, blankets, flannels, mackinaws, and (according to local records) socks worn by the old Chicago White Sox.

It operated continuously from 1864 until 1969. Then synthetic fabrics finished the woolen industry, and the mill closed.

For three years the building sat vacant. According to OnMilwaukee's 2022 feature on the Settlement's 50th anniversary by Bobby Tanzilo, a gas station nearly replaced it. Community pressure stopped the demolition, and in 1972 Jim Pape and Bill Welty bought the property and began the restoration. Pape, a local home winemaker, opened the wine shop in the cellar in May 1972, using bricks salvaged from the original boiler room for the wine shop floor. As Pape later told OnMilwaukee, "I had to borrow the money to do the improvements."

First-floor shops opened in 1973. Second-floor shops followed in 1974. In 1978 the third floor opened as artists' studios with limited retail, and the same year Pape launched Cream and Crepe Cafe on the third floor. The cafe still operates there today.

In 1990 the Wollersheim family of Prairie du Sac acquired the wine business and renamed it Cedar Creek Winery. The same family runs Wollersheim Winery upstate, and Cedar Creek has operated under their ownership since. The Settlement was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and Pape's original retail vision now anchors a downtown district that draws visitors from across the Milwaukee metro and beyond.

Cedar Creek Winery

Cedar Creek Winery occupies the original 1864 woolen mill building at the heart of the Settlement. The Wollersheim family of Prairie du Sac has owned the winery since 1990, operating it as a sister brand to Wollersheim Winery. It remains the Settlement's anchor tenant and one of the most-searched destinations in Cedarburg.

The wine focus is traditional grape wines plus a smaller line of grape-based fruit wines. The fruit wines are where Cedar Creek gets distinctive. The Cranberry has a light cranberry aroma and refreshing finish. Cedarburg Spice carries Christmas-aromatic notes of cinnamon and seasonal spice and tends to sell out around the holidays. Christmas Blush appears seasonally. The Strawberry is exactly what it sounds like, and pairs well with the kind of summer afternoon that makes visiting a winery in Wisconsin feel less novel than it should.

The setting matters as much as the wine. The underground limestone cellars stay cool year-round and house the barrels used for aging. The wine shop floor is laid with bricks salvaged from the mill's original boiler room when Pape gutted the building in 1972. The visible patina on those bricks is older than the Wollersheim ownership by more than a century.

Wine tastings and tours run daily. Personalised wine flights let visitors sample crisp whites, traditional reds, and the seasonal fruit specialties side by side. Outdoor seating opens during warmer months and stays popular through early autumn. The gift shop carries Wisconsin Gift Sets, cheese boards, and a selection of cheese spreads, including the pinot grigio Swiss cheese spread that ends up on the Cedar-Burger at Hefner's down the road, which is covered in detail in the Cedarburg restaurants guide.

The winery's reputation extends well beyond Cedarburg. Searches for cedar creek winery cedarburg consistently bring visitors from Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago. Within the Settlement, it's the natural first stop.

The shops at the Settlement

The shops at the Settlement occupy three floors of the original mill plus several adjacent buildings, housing more than twenty independently-owned boutiques and specialty stores. Tenants set their own hours, but most are open daily from 10am to 5pm, with some closed on Mondays.

The tenant mix reflects the building's history. The third floor opened in 1978 as artists' studios, and the building's creative DNA still shapes which shops thrive here. Original 1864 floorboards creak underfoot. Doorways are narrow. The stairs between levels are original and worn in the centre from a century and a half of footsteps. The historic architecture is part of what makes the visit feel distinct from a typical retail district, and it also means accessibility is limited in parts of the buildings.

The cedarburg shops scene at Cedar Creek leans toward specialty rather than general retail. Gift shops occupy a meaningful portion of the tenant list. Alpine Gift Haus, situated inside the Settlement itself, is particularly known for its Christmas decorations and festive ornaments, a year-round selection that draws visitors during the holiday shopping season. The Olive Sprig specialises in high-quality olive oils, balsamics, organic pastas, and pantry staples, with taste tests available so visitors can find their preferred flavour profiles before buying. Itty Bitty Piggies, along nearby Washington Avenue, focuses on children's clothing, toys, and educational books with a mix of new and pre-loved items.

The vintage and boutique angle runs through the rest of the Settlement. ReFabulous occupies the second floor with a curated selection of repurposed home accessories and gifts, arranged with a boutique sensibility rather than a traditional antique-store layout. Creekside Vintage spans two levels and stocks everything from vintage kitchenware and classic toys to vinyl records and vintage soda advertising. The lower-floor windows look directly out over Cedar Creek. The Irish Boutique of Cedarburg offers traditional woolen goods, Irish food imports, and a selection of premium gins and whiskies for visitors who want something specific to the Emerald Isle.

The shopping experience extends beyond these named tenants. Specialty stationery, handmade chocolates, fashionable clothing, jewelry, pottery, and seasonal holiday decor all have space inside the Settlement, and the tenant roster shifts as shops change over time. The Settlement's official site maintains the current list.

Eating and drinking at the Settlement

Three restaurants operate at or immediately adjacent to the Settlement, with Cedar Creek Winery's tasting room rounding out the food and drink offering.

Cream and Crepe Cafe has occupied the Settlement's third floor since 1978, when Jim Pape opened it during the final stage of the original restoration. Pape sold the business to an employee in 1992, and it has continued operating under successive ownership since. The menu is built around French-inspired crepes ranging from hearty savoury options to indulgent sweet versions, with classic American sandwiches and soups filling out the offerings. The setting, a restored woolen mill on the third floor, is what most visitors remember as much as the food.

The Hamilton at Cedar Creek sits adjacent to the Settlement and operates as a corner bar with farm-antique decor and a heated outdoor patio. It is one of the more distinctive cedarburg bars and a working part of the neighbourhood rather than a destination restaurant. The menu focuses on bar snacks and classic refreshments: savoury cocktails served with traditional beer chasers, bowls of warm cashews, and casual fare. Sunday mornings draw a lively crowd. Weekday evenings are quieter and feel more local.

Anvil Pub & Grille operates from a restored 19th-century blacksmith shop a short walk from the Settlement. The interior retains the rustic character of its original use, with a loft dining area and stone hearth oven that bakes the bread used in its signature sandwiches daily. The menu runs through American classics like hearty soups, shepherd's pie, and indulgent appetisers. The restaurant draws a strong following from both visitors and Cedarburg locals.

Cedar Creek Winery rounds out the food and drink with cheese trays and wine pairings during tasting room hours. For visitors planning to extend a day at the Settlement into a full Cedarburg evening, where to eat in Cedarburg covers the broader downtown restaurant scene.

How to plan your visit

The Settlement complex is open year-round. Individual shops, restaurants, and the winery set their own hours, with most open between 10am and 5pm daily. Some tenants close on Mondays. Confirm the specific shop or restaurant before visiting if a particular destination is the draw.

For driving from Milwaukee, plan on roughly 25 minutes via I-43 North to WI-60 East. From Chicago, plan on about two hours via I-94 North to I-43 North. Verify the route against current Google Maps directions before leaving, since construction projects in the area can affect timing.

Free parking is available in adjacent lots and along Washington Avenue. The lots fill quickly during the Strawberry Festival weekend in June, Wine and Harvest Festival in September, and the holiday shopping weekends in late November and December. On those days, arriving before mid-morning saves a longer walk. Cedarburg's annual festivals also affect parking patterns across the rest of the downtown district, so it pays to check the calendar before planning a visit on those weekends.

Accessibility deserves a note. The original 1864 architecture means original floorboards, narrow doorways, and stairs between the mill's three levels. Some parts of the historic buildings are not ADA-accessible. ADA-accessible parking is available on Washington Avenue, and ground-floor shops accommodate most mobility needs. The third floor is reachable only by stairs.

Most visitors spend two to four hours at the Settlement. Two hours covers the winery, a meal at one of the restaurants, and a browse through the main shops. Four hours allows for a thorough exploration across all three mill floors and the adjacent buildings, plus time at Cedar Creek Park next door. Add another hour or two if the day extends to Washington Avenue shopping or a stop at the Cedarburg Covered Bridge a short drive north.

Seasonally, fall (September and October) is when most visitors find Cedar Creek at its best. The foliage along Cedar Creek turns first, the Wine and Harvest Festival weekend draws a different crowd than summer, and the walking weather is reliably comfortable. The holiday season from November through December brings the Settlement's seasonal decor to its peak, and the Christmas-specialty shops carry their full inventories. Summer is busier and warmer, with the Strawberry Festival weekend creating the year's heaviest crowds. Winter weekdays are the quietest visit possible, with full access to every shop without the festival-weekend rush.

What's near the Settlement

Cedar Creek Settlement anchors Cedarburg's historic district, with several attractions worth combining into the same visit.

Cedar Creek Park

Cedar Creek Park sits immediately adjacent to the Settlement and offers the quiet outdoor counterpart to the indoor shopping experience. The paved walkway runs more than a kilometre along the creek itself, lined with benches, picnic areas, and small bridges crossing the water at intervals. A bandstand hosts live music during the warmer months, the modern playground draws families, and the riverfront provides good spots for fishing. The waterfall and bridges near the centre of the park are among the most photographed spots in downtown Cedarburg.

Downtown Cedarburg shops and restaurants

Washington Avenue extends north and south from the Settlement with additional independent shops, restaurants, breweries, and the historic Washington House Inn. The broader downtown cedarburg shopping district complements rather than competes with the Settlement, and many visitors do both in the same day, walking between them in a few minutes. For a full picture of where to eat in Cedarburg beyond the Settlement, the dedicated restaurants guide covers the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brewery options in detail.

Cedarburg Covered Bridge

The Cedarburg Covered Bridge is approximately 10 minutes north of downtown by car and is Wisconsin's last covered bridge still standing on its original site. Built in 1876, it's one of the most photographed historic landmarks in southeastern Wisconsin and worth the short detour for visitors with extra time. Verify the exact distance against Google Maps before planning the trip, as the rural route can vary by approach direction.

Cedarburg Art Museum

The Cedarburg Art Museum sits within a historic residence in the heart of downtown, a few blocks from the Settlement. The collection focuses on regional artwork like watercolours, pen sketches, pastels, and works from local masters. Knowledgeable volunteers are on hand to share the architectural history of the building alongside the artwork. It is a separate institution from the Cedarburg Cultural Center, which is also worth a stop for visitors with extra time.

Festivals at the Settlement

The Settlement participates actively in Cedarburg's major events. The Wine and Harvest Festival in September is the most direct overlap, with Cedar Creek Winery serving as a natural anchor for the festival weekend. The Strawberry Festival in June brings the year's biggest crowds to downtown. Cedarburg's annual festivals covers the full calendar of events and the practical details for visiting on festival weekends.

If you're planning a day in Cedarburg, browse other experiences and shops on the Cedarburg Guide, where every listing is locally verified before it goes live.