When Milwaukee County Stadium closed its gates for good after the 2000 baseball season, one of its most recognizable landmarks faced an uncertain future — until a lifelong Brewers fan stepped in to save it. Russ Klisch, president of Lakefront Brewery, bought Bernie Brewer's old chalet and gave it a permanent new home perched above his brewery's fermentation tanks, where it still stands today.
According to TMJ4, the Milwaukee Brewers were searching for a new home for the chalet once the stadium shut down, and Klisch answered the call. TMJ4 reported the asking price was $18,000, though Spectrum News 1 reported that Klisch bought the structure from the team for Spectrum News 1 says was $15,000 — the two outlets differ on the final price. Klisch hired movers to haul the whole structure from County Stadium to Lakefront Brewery's building on North Commerce Street, where it was installed on an elevated platform overlooking the brewery's operations, per the station's report.
A Hole in the Wall for a Piece of History
Fitting a stadium chalet into a working brewery wasn't exactly simple. Klisch described cutting straight through his own building to make it work, saying he had to “blow a hole through the wall here so you got a door to come on in.” The result is a structure that now sits above the brewing floor, accessible through that very opening, the same TMJ4 report notes.
The chalet still carries its stadium-era character. Its walls are covered with handwritten messages and signatures left by visitors over the years, a detail the station highlighted as one of the structure's most distinctive features. Lakefront Brewery has since turned the space into more than just a museum piece — the brewery began offering the chalet as a venue for private dinners and date nights, according to the same account.
From Centerfield Fixture to Romantic Dinner Spot
Lakefront Brewery now lists the chalet as an official stop on its public tours. The brewery's own website states plainly that Lakefront Brewery is the proud owner of Bernie Brewer's chalet, and that it offers visitors a piece of Milwaukee baseball history. Beyond the tour, the brewery also takes reservations for a date-night package, inviting couples to enjoy a romantic meal for two inside Bernie Brewer's original chalet overlooking its fermentation cellar, per the brewery's reservation page.
The arrangement has proven popular. The brewery's staff converted the structure into a dedicated date-night spot, and Klisch told Madison.com that it typically draws four to five reservations a week. That steady demand suggests the chalet has found a second life well beyond its original purpose as a mascot's perch above the outfield bleachers.
A History of Moves Before Landing at Lakefront
The chalet's path to Lakefront Brewery was not the first time Bernie Brewer's home base had been uprooted. Jsonline.com reported that the original chalet first appeared at County Stadium in 1973, only to be removed after the 1984 season because it blocked a center-field speaker tied to the stadium's then-new sound system. It did not return until May 26, 1993, when a chalet came back to the ballpark after nearly a decade's absence, the same outlet reported.
That reinstalled structure — the one Klisch would eventually acquire — stood at County Stadium from 1993 until 2000, according to Spectrum News 1's account of the chalet's history. TMJ4 separately noted that an earlier chalet had been removed when changes were made to the stadium's center-field area, and that the Brewers built a newer structure once Bernie eventually returned; Madison.com reported that newer chalet now sits in the upper deck of what is today called American Family Field.
A Fan Who Never Missed the Story
For Klisch, the purchase was personal. He was in eighth grade when he attended the Brewers' first game in Milwaukee in 1970, and he has followed the team since its beginning, according to TMJ4's reporting. He also recalled the team's 1982 World Series run, telling the station of celebrations tied to Bernie's chalet era: “It was a joyous occasion. The balloons came out of the mug. Uh, it was — it was just fun.”
Lakefront Brewery's connection to Bernie Brewer memorabilia doesn't end with the chalet now mounted above the brewing floor. Madison.com reported that Lakefront Brewery also owns an original Bernie Brewer chalet built in the late 1970s, a separate structure now kept in the brewery's yard rather than its regular indoor display. That older chalet has occasionally been brought out for festivals and special events, including German Fest, according to TMJ4's reporting, giving Milwaukee baseball history yet another home to be seen in — even if it's not the one overlooking the fermentation tanks where couples now book dinner.
