The Columbus Antique Mall and Museum is a short drive from Madison. Housed in what appears to be an old mill or factory, the antique mall seems to go on for miles. Grab a basket or cart on your way in as it is unlikely you’ll be able to find your way back to that gem you stumbled over earlier.  The store sprawls over three uneven floors of stuff – from antique furniture, old magazine, bakelite phones, jewelry, toys, fiestaware and every other sort of old bric-a-brac you can imagine. Every visit brings to mind the scene in Return to Oz where Dorothy is stumbling from room to room stuffed full of art and furniture, trying to guess which items her friends had been turned in to.

If you manage to make it through shopping area without collapsing in exhaustion, head up to museum. This musty, gothic collection is primarily devoted to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Water-stained, musty and curling, most of the collection is fast decaying, but still fascinating. Fans of the book The Devil in the White City will especially enjoy the collection. The section devoted to Christopher Columbus has a selection of items that maybe/kinda could be vaguely related to Columbus…if you squint hard…with one eye closed… in low light.

A hokey, fun place to visit and pick up some cheap, fun memorabilia, furniture to refinish, garish costume jewelry or just wander to your heart’s content.

Note: Cash/check only!

239 Whitney St.
Columbus, WI  53925-0151
920-623-1992
Note: Cash only, no credit cards!

https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusAntiqueMall