Voices From the Village

(4 reviews)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin audio tour: Voices From the Village

This is a 1.6mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The United States

$6.99

Access all 19 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

Buy for a Group

Reviews

About the Tour

Voices From the Village audio walking tour celebrates the centennial anniversary of the Village of Belgium by sharing stories of the past.

This hour-long stroll starts outside the Old Town Hall Studio & Gallery and ends at the Luxembourg American Cultural Society & Center. Along the way, you’ll hear from the people who have lived and worked here, and have contributed to the Village of Belgium’s history.

This tour answers the question, what is the Village of Belgium? The stories and locations represent the businesses, families, and gathering places that make Belgium unique. Listen to what it was like to grow up in Belgium during The Great Depression. And hear stories about the daily operation of Hubing and Hames Grocery, how the annual Luxembourg Fest began, and many more.

Tour Producer

Olivia Hoff

1 tour

Preview Location

Location 5

Allen Edmonds Shoe Store

OH- Stop here at the Lanser Towing Parking Lot. This parking lot used to be home to the Allen Edmonds Shoe Store, which opened its doors to Belgium in 1922. John Gantner, a former employee of Allen Edmonds and longtime resident of Belgium, talks about the fire in 1984 and the ... OH- Stop here at the Lanser Towing Parking Lot. This parking lot used to be home to the Allen Edmonds Shoe Store, which opened its doors to Belgium in 1922. John Gantner, a former employee of Allen Edmonds and longtime resident of Belgium, talks about the fire in 1984 and the impact the shoe store had on the community before it was relocated to Port Washington.

JG- Hi, my name is John Gantner. I was born here in the township of Belgium just one mile south of here.
But my history is not entirely with Allen Edmonds. I started when I was a sophomore in high school for a company here in Lake Church called Lake Church Leather Products. And I was involved with that building in Lake Church, setting it up for remodeling to accommodate cutting and sewing for Allen Edmonds. And then, once we got that plant up and running efficiently, I moved up to the plant in Belgium and that's where I started with the Allen Edmonds Factory.
The annual Allen Edmonds Tent Sale. It was always over the fourth of July, it ran for 10 days. I was involved with setting up the tent and it was a big deal because they were selling shoes, basically their seconds in the tent for a percentage off. And they would have bands playing, beer and brats being served, a lot of people came from all over the country for the tent sale.

It was devastation when that fire hit. People thought they would be out of a job, including myself, you know. We opened up a warehouse in the Lincoln School gym. And they brought in customer service, they hooked up phones there, and it was like a temporary building for sales, marketing, and warehousing. And it was only maybe three months and we had everybody back to work.
And you know, I think, the name of Allen Edmonds as it kept growing, growing, and growing--the Village of Belgium became more known. Today, when I come across people I don't know and come into conversation, I say that I am from Belgium. And first thing they say is, "that's where Allen Edmonds was."

OH- With the Lanser Towing Parking lot on your right, let’s continue down Main Street until we reach Luna’s Mexican Restaurant. What is now a delicious stop of tacos used to be home to many other local businesses in Belgium’s history. Each of these stories continue to show how hard working and resilient the Village of Belgium community is. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

Take virtual tours anywhere, like a podcast

Select Virtual mode in the VoiceMap app to listen to tours like a podcast - at home or in transit.

Buy for less on voicemap.me and sync

Once you've purchased a tour, it's added to your VoiceMap library. To access it in the app, just sign in using the same account.

Do tours without paying for data

Tours work offline, so you don't have to pay roaming fees. Just download them over WiFi before you get started.

Major Landmarks

Belgium Community Park
Luxembourg American Cultural Society and Museum
Old Town Studio and Gallery

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
806-820 Co Rd D, Belgium, WI 53004, USA
Total distance

3km
Final location
228-298 Park St, Belgium, WI 53004, USA
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins at the Old Town Hall Studio and Gallery located on Main Street across from the Laundry Mat and Lanser Towing in Belgium, Wisconsin. Once you exit HWY 43, go west and follow Main Street until you reach the former Old Town Hall. Street parking is available.

Show Directions

Gift vouchers

Buy tours for friends and family who delight in discovery

Buy Now

Buy for a group

Get 15% to 50% off when you buy for a group

Buy Now

License this tour

Adapt this tour to use your brand and suit your guests

Find out more

Tips

Places to stop along the way

If you are hungry, stop in to Luna's Mexican Restaurant for delicious tacos. Luna's is also home to three locations on the tour. Belgium Community Park has shade and benches, if you need to rest. The Luxembourg American Cultural Society and Museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Also check out the beautiful gardens of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society located behind the stone barn, free access for all.

Best time of day

From dawn to dusk. Avoid heavy traffic on Main Street from 4pm to 6pm.

Precautions

This audio tour is 1.6 miles long. Be sure to bring sunblock, water, good walking shoes, and headphones to experience this tour.

Get The App

Download tours to use them offline

Listen hands-free with GPS playback

Get turn-by-turn directions

Scan the QR Code

“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

4.8 / 5

4 Ratings

Display:

Sort by:

Relevant

Recent

Loading…

Loading...