Tinker Swiss Cottage - MOST UNIQUE WORK SPACE

Built in the late 1800s, Tinker Swiss Cottage is a 22-room mansion modeled after a Swiss chalet. It houses more than 10,000 artifacts, most owned by the Tinker family.

Samantha Hochmann is executive director of Tinker Swiss Cottage and has a master’s degree in history. Between welcoming visitors from around the world and hosting special events, she says no two days are the same at the cottage.

The museum even opened its doors to the “Ghost Hunters” TV show in 2012 to investigate reports of “visits” from long-dead Tinker family members.

“We also believe some of their workers are still present, as well as some children that once resided at the Illinois Cottage, a home for children that was where our parking lot is now,” Hochmann said.

The Tinker family’s contributions are integral to Rockford’s history. Originally an accountant, Robert Tinker became mayor in 1875. He was a founding member of the Rockford Park District and president of several businesses, including the Rockford Oatmeal Co., Rockford Steel and Bolt Co., and C&R and Northern Railroad.

“We try to continue their legacy by embracing the positivity and community support the Tinker family worked so hard to develop,” Hochmann said. “The museum weaves together the story of our city’s early beginnings and shows how the Victorian-era builders are still connected with us in our modern world.”

Robert Tinker wrote in a journal that he “wanted to build a home that would give Rockford a name.” More than 150 years later, his home is celebrating 80 years as a museum, and it remains one incredibly special workplace.