The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance have debuted a free walking tour app that combines historical photos and audio narration with historical facts about the Milwaukee Soldiers Home Historic District.
The app features a narration of the National Historic Landmark site by Jim Draeger, State Historic Preservation Officer, and includes a corresponding map of the site.
“Though the Milwaukee Soldiers Home has been around for more than a century, there are still many people in the area that have never walked the grounds,” said Genell Scheurell, senior field officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We hope the walking tour encourages more people to visit the grounds and learn about some of Milwaukee’s oldest and most significant historic buildings, as well as the veterans that were and continue to be served there.”
The Milwaukee Soldiers Home opened in 1867 and exists as one of three original Soldiers Homes still standing in the United States. The historical property, which has kept most of its original infrastructure and landscaping, contains a post office, library, recreation hall, theater, chapel, lake, original domiciliary known as Old Main and more.
The home is located on a spread of more than 90 acres west of Miller Park.
iPhone users can access the new app on iTunes, and Android users are able to download the app through Google Play. The innovation also functions as a free MP3 download.
To learn more about the app and how to download it, visit www.savethesoldiershome.com.
