Cavanaugh Carriages

Cavanaugh Carriages sits quietly off Fairview Road, a slice of rural Wisconsin where families and local groups gather for something a little more genuine than your average weekend outing. The place is unmistakably rustic—barn boards, the scent of hay, the distant sound of horses. At its heart are Roger and Jan, who greet guests not as customers but as neighbors or long-lost cousins, eager to share their animals and stories about farm life. There’s an old-fashioned warmth in every interaction: kids pile onto hay bales for a haunted ride in the fall, wide-eyed at both the ghouls and the gentle way staff keep things fun for even the most timid child. The boundaries here between visitor and host blur quickly; parents find themselves learning alongside their kids, brushing horses or feeding goats. This isn’t just a tourist operation—it feels like an anchor for Neenah’s community rhythms. Local companies throw their picnics here; birthday parties morph into impromptu lessons on animal care. The annual haunted hayride is a rite of passage, with locals returning year after year to see what’s changed and what’s steadfastly the same. Like many family-run farms that open their gates to outsiders, Cavanaugh Carriages acts as a cultural bridge: city folk rediscover rural traditions, while longtime residents watch new faces light up with simple joys. Imperfections exist—a grumpy parking attendant can sour an arrival—but they’re quickly eclipsed by the authenticity of the place itself. You leave with straw in your shoes and stories to tell; if you’re lucky, maybe a new respect for life lived at a different pace.