Amenities

For a Total Breweriana Experience please come and enjoy a day at the National Brewery Museum™ and the Potosi Brewery complex. View American brewery artifacts, learn how beer is made and how beer influenced society, have lunch or dinner at the brewery restaurant, and checkout the gift shop.

National Brewery Museum
The National Brewery Museum is located on the second and third floors of the historical Potosi Brewery that was built in 1852.  The museum has over 100 interesting exhibits of brewery advertising history dating from the late 1800’s to the present time. The ceiling, walls, and exhibit cases convey brewery advertising from American breweries that are no longer in existence. It is a fitting venue for these items to be exhibited in a brewery that ceased operations after 120 years. You will see the fine art in brewery lithographs that will rival any art painting, brewery processing equipment from the late 1800’s, and items from the prohibition period. Enjoy kiosks showing early television commercials, a model beer train kids of all ages can actually run, and you can learn about the brewing process. Tickets required.


Museum and Brewery

American Breweriana Association Welcome Center
The items on exhibition in the museum are on loan from members of the American Breweriana Association (ABA). The ABA is an organization of brewery historians and collectors. The ABA Welcome Center is located on the ground floor near the lager cave and provides a sampling of the museum exhibits on the upper floors. Admission is free.


ABA Welcome Center

Potosi Transportation Museum
The Potosi Transportation Museum is located on the ground floor. Here, you will find interactive exhibits, see artifacts from the original Potosi brewery and view replicas of the vehicles that the Potosi Brewery used during their 120 years of operation. You will see items from the horse and wagon days, learn about the steamboat “Potosi”, and see how the brewery used the railroad, and transitioned from horses and wagons to trucks and cars. Admission is free.


Transportation Museum

Brewpub
You can enjoy a “Good Old Potosi” beer in the original Potosi brewery. You will see the fine workmanship in the front and back bars that were hand carved by Gary David. There are vintage Potosi brewery items on the walls and ceiling, and you will see the brewing tanks in the pub.  The brewing process begins on the second floor and works its way to the bar in the Brewpub on the ground floor. There is a window in the floor where you can see the underground spring water flowing beneath the building that is used to brew the beer.  Several standard beer styles are available as are special seasonal brews. There is also a great draft root beer on tap. Tours of the Potosi brewing process vary and if interested you need to check at the gift shop for availability.


Brewpup

Restaurant
The brewery restaurant is located on the ground floor and has an excellent selection of foods for snack, lunch or dinner. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. except on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year Day. On the walls and ceiling you will see excellent examples of Potosi Brewery advertising. Customers frequently travel from Madison, Wisconsin and Dubuque, Iowa to enjoy the excellent food menu.  The lunch special is always a good deal, be sure to come hungry.


Restaurant

Gift Shop
The gift shop is located on the ground floor, near the lager cave, and offers a variety of unique souvenirs, hats, clothing, and even cold Potosi beer to go. The counter at the gift shop is also where you can purchase tickets to enter the National Brewery Museum located on the second and third floors.


Gift Shop

Brewery Research Library
The Brewery Research Library, located on the second floor, is operated by The American Breweriana Association, Inc. The brewery library currently is available to ABA members and researchers by appointment. Requested items are checked in or out and delivered via the U.S. mail system. Several projects are underway to develop the library. One being the availability to interface with certain publications via the internet.  See the ABA web site – Click Here


Brewery Research Library

Restrooms
There are clean restrooms on the ground and second floors of the brewery complex. The restrooms are equipped with hand rails and large stalls to accommodate wheelchairs for persons with disabilities.

The Great River Road Interpretative Center
The Potosi brewery complex is located on the Great River Road which runs along the Mississippi River. Nearby are a hiking trail and a campground on the Mississippi River in Potosi.  The State of Wisconsin established an Interpretative Center in the brewery complex on the ground floor. Travelers may stop, rest, refresh, eat, and obtain travel brochures before continuing their journey.


Interpretive Center

Lager Cave
The lager cave is located on the ground floor near the gift shop. There is a large window at the entrance that looks into the lager cave. When the cave was used to lager beer, it would be packed with straw and ice cut from the Mississippi River in winter to preserve the beer so it could be enjoyed in the summer. Without refrigeration, beer had a short shelf life and had to be consumed soon after it was made to preserve the flavor.


Lager Cave

Beer Garden
There is a German style Beer Garden located on the south side of the brewery near the parking lot. On nice days or evenings people enjoy spending time there.  Food and drinks from the restaurant can be ordered.  From the Beer Garden you can see water from the underground spring filling a small fish pond near the outdoor stage.  On weekend evenings or special occasions there is dancing with a band performing on stage.


Beer Garden

Parking Lot
There are two parking lots close to the Beer Garden. One is on the same side of the street as the museum and the otheris just across the street.  The lots are large enough to accommodate buses and large RV’s.  Parking is free.


Parking Lot