Area Guide Spotlight: Elderflower Retreat at Hillside Pastures

Tell us about Elderflower Retreat at Hillside Pastures!

Elderflower Retreat is a community and private rental space that is the perfect homebase while you attend back-to-back APT shows over the long weekend. We are located two minutes from American Players Theater and just eight minutes from downtown Spring Green. Guests can enjoy this four bedroom, four bathroom luxury retreat for five to nine overnight guests, with a stunning view of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin along with picturesque hills and vales of grazing cattle.

Retreat to this well-appointed space between shows to share meals, relax, refresh, snack or hike two easy-to-access Driftless Area Land Conservancy trails just minutes away. The home features a "cook's kitchen" with all you need to host a delicious meal, outdoor patios and a barbecue grill.

Can you share some background on Elderflower Retreat's host, the Savanna Institute?

Inspired by the oak savannas native to this region, the Savanna Institute supports the growth of more diverse, perennial farming in the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds, with a focus on tree crops and agroforestry. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013, with headquarters in Spring Green, WI and Champaign, IL

As the Savanna Institute began establishing its Spring Green Campus in 2020, we’ve been fortunate to be situated in a vibrant community of land conservationists, sustainable farmers, and cultural institutions that align with our mission and draw thousands of visitors to the region each year. We are grateful for the support we have received from our new neighbors and partner organizations, and hope that we can contribute to the beauty and resilience of the region as we continue to learn from these partners.

Today on our Spring Green Campus, which consists of four farms around the town of Spring Green, we demonstrate a variety of agroforestry practices at a field scale, conduct agroforestry research, provide on-farm training, host tours, and rent the Elderflower Retreat.

Why is Elderflower Retreat a good fit for the community and folks visiting APT this summer?

Elderflower Retreat is a place where our friends and community can gather, dream big and think outside the box. The space is available for day use rental as well as overnight. We’ve hosted staff retreats, workshops, poetry readings (with APT actors!), family reunions, small weddings and other special gatherings. Organizations we collaborate with include Savor the River Valley, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Lowery Creek Watershed Initiative, Spring Green Literary Festival, Wormfarm Institute, and Driftless Area Land Conservancy to name a few!

The Spring Green community is rich with artists, teachers, learners, conservationists, growers, farmers, and some of the best food, truly, on the planet! We host dinners with Savor the River Valley, a local food initiative, featuring chefs and cooks who use locally-sourced and perennial foods. We've arranged private dinners for guests staying at the retreat and other special events. Please inquire if this experience sounds interesting to you!

Connect with Elderflower Retreat at Hillside Pastures to book an upcoming stay and learn more about summer events with Savanna Institute.