MILWAUKEE — The roar of the crowd. The excitement of a home run. Bernie Brewer sliding into a giant beer mug as balloons filled the air. For generations of Milwaukee Brewers fans, those were some of the moments that made a trip to County Stadium unforgettable.
And while the stadium itself is long gone, one of its most beloved attractions is still standing — just not where you might expect.
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High above the brewing equipment at Lakefront Brewery sits Bernie Brewer's old chalet, the little house where the Brewers mascot once celebrated home runs.
It's a piece of Milwaukee baseball history that nearly disappeared when County Stadium closed.
Instead, it found a second home thanks to one lifelong Brewers fan who was willing to spend thousands of dollars, and even make a hole in his brewery wall to save it.
A lifelong Brewers fan with a connection to history
Lakefront Brewery President Russ Klisch has been following the Brewers since the very beginning.
He was there for the team's first game in Milwaukee in 1970, an experience he still remembers more than five decades later.
Klisch was in eighth grade when he was unexpectedly called to the school office. His mother was waiting with some exciting news: His father had taken off work early, and his parents were pulling him out of school to attend the Brewers' first game.
He described the outing as one of his most memorable experiences with his parents.
Over the years, Klisch watched the Brewers grow into a Milwaukee tradition. He remembers the excitement surrounding the team's 1982 World Series run, the trips to County Stadium with friends and eventually bringing his own young daughters to games.
And, of course, he remembers Bernie.
"It was a joyous occasion. The balloons came out of the mug. Uh, it was — it was just fun," Klisch said, recalling the celebrations after Brewers home runs.
Bernie's chalet and slide became part of the County Stadium experience — something fans looked forward to seeing almost as much as the action on the field.
An $18,000 decision that saved a Milwaukee landmark
When County Stadium closed after the 2000 baseball season, the future of many of its familiar features was uncertain. One morning, Klisch opened his newspaper and came across an article explaining that the Brewers were looking for someone to give Bernie's chalet a new home.
He immediately saw an opportunity.
"And when I saw this available, it's like, well, jeez, this is, you know, like a Milwaukee icon and I have an opportunity to buy it," Klisch said.
When he arrived at work, he called the Brewers office to ask about purchasing it. The asking price was $18,000.
"They said, 'Sure, we'll sell it to you at $18,000.' And I said, 'OK, I'll come right down with a check,'" Klisch recalled.
He said he quickly delivered the payment and, by about 9:30 that morning, he owned Bernie Brewer's chalet.
Not everyone shared his enthusiasm.
"So a lot of people thought I was crazy to buy it," Klisch said.
But he saw more than an aging stadium attraction. He saw a chance to preserve something that generations of Milwaukee families had enjoyed together. There was just one problem: he had to figure out how to get it inside his brewery.
Getting Bernie’s chalet into the brewery was no easy task
Buying the chalet turned out to be only the beginning. Klisch hired movers to transport the structure from County Stadium to Lakefront Brewery, where it would need to be lifted into place above the brewery floor. That meant navigating a large, awkward structure through a building that wasn't originally designed to accommodate it.
"Oh, it was — it was getting it through the door, and getting it on — you know, the semi — and getting it down there and then lifting it up and building the stand for it," Klisch explained.
The project also required modifications to the brewery itself.
"I had to, you know, blow a hole through the wall here so you got a door to come on in, make sure it matches it up with it," he said.
The chalet was eventually installed on an elevated platform overlooking the brewery's operations. Klisch also acquired Bernie's famous beer mug and slide, preserving even more of the old County Stadium experience.
More than two decades later, the chalet remains one of the brewery's most unusual attractions.
From home run celebrations to date nights
Today, the chalet is creating an entirely different kind of memory. Instead of overlooking a baseball field, it overlooks the brewery floor. The walls are covered with handwritten messages and signatures left by people who have visited.
Some leave their names. Others write messages about their favorite baseball teams or loved ones. And fans can do more than simply look at the historic structure: they can actually spend time inside it.
Klisch said the idea of using the chalet for private dining developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when customers were looking for more private places to eat. The brewery began offering the chalet as a space for private dinners and date nights.
The concept proved popular, giving visitors a chance to enjoy a meal surrounded by Brewers history.
For some, it's a chance to remember childhood trips to County Stadium. For others, it's an opportunity to experience a piece of Milwaukee baseball history they were too young to witness firsthand.
Klisch said he frequently sees the excitement when visitors realize they're standing inside the actual chalet.
"Oh yeah, they all have a smile on their face. They say, 'Oh my gosh, this is it,'" he said.
He said the chalet also draws interest when baseball excitement is running high, including opening day and other major moments in the Brewers season.
There's another Bernie Brewer chalet — and it's at Lakefront Brewery, too
Here's something even longtime Brewers fans might not know: the chalet displayed inside Lakefront Brewery isn't the only one from County Stadium.
Klisch explained that an earlier chalet was removed when changes were made to the stadium's center-field area. When Bernie eventually returned, a newer structure was built. Years later, the Brewers decided to auction off the earlier chalet.
Klisch attended the auction, hoping to acquire it as well. He had a limit in mind for how much he was willing to spend, but another bidder offered more. After the auction, Klisch approached the winning bidder and asked what he planned to do with it.
The man wasn't sure, and asked whether he could store the chalet at Lakefront Brewery.
Klisch agreed.
"And I said sure. And so I went and I got it. I brought it over here, and he never came to pick it up," Klisch recalled. "So I still have the original chalet, but that's out in the yard."
According to Klisch, the earlier chalet has occasionally been brought out for festivals and special events, including German Fest. That means two different eras of Bernie Brewer's County Stadium history have been preserved on the brewery grounds, although the earlier chalet is not part of the regular indoor display.
More than a piece of baseball memorabilia
For Klisch, the chalet represents something bigger than the Brewers mascot or the structure itself: it's a reminder of the people who filled the seats at County Stadium and the memories made there, parents who took their children to their first baseball game.
It's also a reminder of friends who cheered together through winning seasons and disappointing losses, and families who returned year after year, building traditions that lasted long after the stadium closed.
Klisch understands that connection because he lived it himself, from being pulled out of school to attend the team's first game, to later bringing his own children to County Stadium.
He believes those shared experiences are what make the chalet worth preserving.
"In a few words — that it was all about good times. There's all good times that were shared with the chalet," Klisch said.
The Brewers have a different ballpark now, and Bernie has a different home from which to celebrate. But thanks to one lifelong fan, a piece of the old County Stadium experience remains part of Milwaukee, because even when a stadium disappears, the memories made there don't have to.
How to see Bernie Brewer's chalet
Location: Lakefront Brewery, 1872 N. Commerce St., Milwaukee, WI.
What you'll find: Bernie Brewer's former County Stadium chalet, the famous beer mug, and other memorabilia connected to the Brewers mascot.
Can you go inside? The chalet is available for private dining experiences and special reservations. Visitors should contact the brewery for current access arrangements and availability.
Private dining: Contact Lakefront Brewery to ask about reserving the chalet for a private dinner or special occasion. Phone: 414-372-8800 Website: lakefrontbrewery.com
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