Visitors and residents in the community strolling downtown now have a new stop to add to their shopping itinerary: Alpenhaus Market. The store, which officially opened June 7, is the creation of owner Abby Breseman, who turned an unexpected career shift into an opportunity to pursue her passion for vintage treasures and artisan goods.

“I grew up in Door County, went on to study biology, earned a master’s in athletic training, then shifted into sports marketing and eventually agricultural marketing,” Breseman said. “When I was laid off in late 2024, I realized it was my chance to take a leap and open the kind of shop I had always dreamed of.”

Breseman, who lives in Madison with her husband, Michael, and their two dogs, Wally and Winnie, said New Glarus was the natural choice for the store. “I have family here and have been coming to New Glarus since I was a child. After growing up in a tourist destination, I knew I wanted my shop to be in a place where people come to experience that small-town magic.”

Alpenhaus Market is a vintage and artisan collective, offering home décor pieces from the 1950s through the 1970s alongside handcrafted goods from 17 Wisconsin-based artisans. Customers can browse mid-century modern clocks and furniture, record albums, books, pottery, artwork, jewelry, pet treats, and more. “I wanted to create a space where customers can escape the monotony of big-box stores and shop sustainably while supporting local vendors,” Breseman said.