Escape Village: The Midwest's New Tiny Home Resort

Making the transition to a tiny home is not a tiny decision.

Will you have enough storage? Privacy? And how many times a day will you bang your head on a door frame?

Only one way to find out: rent one, at Wisconsin’s newly minted Escape Village, just over five hours from Chicago.

Set on 100 acres along the shore of two private lakes, Escape is a condo-style resort populated by 100% tiny homes — some turnkey, some fully customizable.

If the designs look familiar, it’s because the same people built the treasured, couples-only Canoe Bay resort, which we wrote about back in 2014. The concept is similar (and right next door), but the Canoe Bay Escape Village is a more refined and fully realized pint-sized wonderland.

Escape Village (2 images)

“How do I end up in one of these beauts?” you ask.

Well, it’s basically a cabin getaway that’s customizable according to who gets their first.

After opening in late 2017, Escape Village released seven prime sites on the land: two on Mallard Lake, two overlooking it and three in wooded areas nearby. Three of the lake plots include Escape’s renowned tiny home designs, ready to rent or buy (one is already sold), and the others are vacant — waiting for interested buyers to select a model from their roster of Lilliputian palaces. Once these initial sites get snatched up, they’ll open up other units on the property.

For those interested in buying, Escape Village offers rental programs that can turn your tiny home into a potential investment opportunity. For the less invested, the prebuilt homes are immediately available as vacation rentals. (Pro tip: the weekends before and after Valentine’s Day are wide open.)

Escape Village 2 (5 images)

Sounds great in theory, but what do these economical abodes actually look like?

Premiere One or Two Bedroom
This is the most traditional, cabin-like design available. The two-bedroom version currently open includes a queen-sized master bedroom, as well as a bunk room with a full and twin bed. A screen porch looking onto Mallard Lake caps off one end, and natural pine finishes adorn the interior. Other amenities include a full bath, kitchen, air-conditioning, electric fireplace and flat screen TV — though the expansive windows should satisfy your viewing needs.

Traveler XL
Currently available and recommended for other sites, this is what comes to mind when you think “tiny home.” It’s set on sturdy steel trailer (if you buy it, you own it, and can wheel it wherever your heart desires) with a first floor and loft, which features a full-sized bed. The lower level includes a queen-sized master bedroom, living room, flat screen TVs in both, electric fireplace, full bathroom and kitchen.

Other designs from the quaint Vista to rustic Vintage XL are listed on their website, with the additional — and almost undeniable — option to go fully customized.

Word of warning: best get while the gettin’s good. Their future plans show space for upwards of 50 tiny homes, but if you pack up the car and head there now, you may just have the whole resort to yourself.

Photos: ESCAPE RV/Steve Niedorf