EXHIBITS
The Driftless Historium is an award-winning Interpretive Center telling the story of Southwestern Dane County from pre-history to modern day. Over 3,000 square feet of space is dedicated to sharing the lives of our rich cultural heritage.
Visit all three of our exhibit areas: our Permanent Exhibit that tells this area's story through engaging graphics and carefully chosen artifacts, documents and photographs from the Society's extensive collections; rotating exhibits in our Special Exhibits Gallery (see below for a description of the latest exhibit); and changing gallery shows in the Kalscheur Family Foundation Community Room & Gallery (see below).
Also visit our virtual reality kiosk as you virtually walk through three local historical sites.
Come and share the fun, and learn about the unique Driftless Area of Wisconsin!
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday; 10am - 4:00 pm. (Weather Closing Policy)
Visit all three of our exhibit areas: our Permanent Exhibit that tells this area's story through engaging graphics and carefully chosen artifacts, documents and photographs from the Society's extensive collections; rotating exhibits in our Special Exhibits Gallery (see below for a description of the latest exhibit); and changing gallery shows in the Kalscheur Family Foundation Community Room & Gallery (see below).
Also visit our virtual reality kiosk as you virtually walk through three local historical sites.
Come and share the fun, and learn about the unique Driftless Area of Wisconsin!
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday; 10am - 4:00 pm. (Weather Closing Policy)
Main Gallery
Life and Change at the Edge of the Driftless
PERMANENT EXHIBIT
This fascinating walk through history takes visitors on a journey from the great glaciers to the present.
Along the way, meet American Indians, miners, innkeepers, farmers, cheese makers, sportsmen, preachers, school teachers, shop keepers, tourists and Civilian Conservation Corps participants as you discover their stories through vivid text panels, historical documents and photographs, and hundreds of artifacts.
The 2,000 square foot exhibit incorporates all levels of the museum experience from traditional text panels to life-sized diorama settings, hands-on interactive stations to multimedia displays. There is something for all ages!
PERMANENT EXHIBIT
This fascinating walk through history takes visitors on a journey from the great glaciers to the present.
Along the way, meet American Indians, miners, innkeepers, farmers, cheese makers, sportsmen, preachers, school teachers, shop keepers, tourists and Civilian Conservation Corps participants as you discover their stories through vivid text panels, historical documents and photographs, and hundreds of artifacts.
The 2,000 square foot exhibit incorporates all levels of the museum experience from traditional text panels to life-sized diorama settings, hands-on interactive stations to multimedia displays. There is something for all ages!
A sampling of subjects you'll discover:
Driftless Landscape Explained
Immigraton
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Ebenezer Brigham: Dane County's First Permanent Settler
Cheese Factories: The Dairy State's Heritage
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Tourism In and Around Mount Horeb
Civil War
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Carpenter and Craftsman Aslak O. Lie
Agriculture
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Get ready for your visit!
Download the companion Scavenger Hunt HERE.
Download the companion Scavenger Hunt HERE.
Special Exhibits Gallery
Included in General Admission; FREE for Members and Veterans/Active Duty Military
Included in General Admission; FREE for Members and Veterans/Active Duty Military
NOW SHOWING
History in 3D: The Stereoview Sensation
Visitors don special glasses and step into a mesmerizing three-dimensional past, via images of the greater Mount Horeb area—converted and enlarged from their original stereoscopic format to red-and-cyan anaglyphs.
Also enjoy a companion display of modern stereoscopic views by Mount Horeb’s own Michael Pecosky. Michael has captured numerous accolades and awards, including 2016 Best of Show by the National Stereoscopic Association.
History in 3D: The Stereoview Sensation
Visitors don special glasses and step into a mesmerizing three-dimensional past, via images of the greater Mount Horeb area—converted and enlarged from their original stereoscopic format to red-and-cyan anaglyphs.
Also enjoy a companion display of modern stereoscopic views by Mount Horeb’s own Michael Pecosky. Michael has captured numerous accolades and awards, including 2016 Best of Show by the National Stereoscopic Association.
VIRTUAL TOUR of the Mount Horeb Area
View the exterior, interior and grounds of the Norway Building, constructed for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
At the end of the fair, the building was moved to a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, estate later owned by the Wrigley family of chewing-gum fame. Eventually it was moved to Little Norway, a local attraction in rural Blue Mounds where generations of visitors experienced its unique charms. Several years after Little Norway closed to the public, the building was moved back to Orkanger, Norway, where it was originally created.
Weeks before the Norway Building was dismantled and moved back to Norway, researchers at UW-Madison's Wisconsin Institute for Discovery scanned the structure and recreated it as a high resolution, 3D reconstruction. Using state-of-the-art technology, visitors to the Driftless Historium can once again experience this unique building as they virtually "walk" through and around the Norway Building at our 3D kiosk.
Also on view are 3D reconstructions of the historic Springdale Lutheran Church and a local "hanging" dairy barn, now part of Rare Earth Farm, owned and cared for by Charles Bauer and Charles Beckwith.
View the exterior, interior and grounds of the Norway Building, constructed for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
At the end of the fair, the building was moved to a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, estate later owned by the Wrigley family of chewing-gum fame. Eventually it was moved to Little Norway, a local attraction in rural Blue Mounds where generations of visitors experienced its unique charms. Several years after Little Norway closed to the public, the building was moved back to Orkanger, Norway, where it was originally created.
Weeks before the Norway Building was dismantled and moved back to Norway, researchers at UW-Madison's Wisconsin Institute for Discovery scanned the structure and recreated it as a high resolution, 3D reconstruction. Using state-of-the-art technology, visitors to the Driftless Historium can once again experience this unique building as they virtually "walk" through and around the Norway Building at our 3D kiosk.
Also on view are 3D reconstructions of the historic Springdale Lutheran Church and a local "hanging" dairy barn, now part of Rare Earth Farm, owned and cared for by Charles Bauer and Charles Beckwith.
Kalscheur Family Foundation Community Room & Gallery
Temporary changing exhibits, often featuring local artists, are FREE and accessible during regular museum hours.
Temporary changing exhibits, often featuring local artists, are FREE and accessible during regular museum hours.
NOW SHOWING through May 6, 2025
Driftless Photography and Beyond by Vicki France
Enjoy pastoral landscapes and Mother Nature’s incredible color palette, as showcased in “Driftless Photography and Beyond!”, an exhibition of photographs by Vicki France now showing in the Driftless Historium Kalscheur Community Gallery.
Vicki France is a self-taught photographer who grew up among the towering bluffs and winding rivers of the driftless region of Wisconsin. She uses photography to capture and share the emotion and drama of what she sees and feels when exploring the wooded hills and valleys of southwest Wisconsin.
According to France, “Every one of our thousands of backroads throughout the Driftless region offers adventures filled with discoveries and hidden gems. They weave us through beautiful countryside and small towns steeped in history, and past iconic farms and barns that tell the stories of our ancestors.”
Each featured piece captures the essence of Wisconsin’s distinctive Driftless region, and all are available for purchase directly from the photographer. Contact Vicki France at [email protected] or visit VickiFancePhotography.com for more information.
Check out this FREE exhibit during the Driftless Historium’s regular hours (Friday to Tuesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m) through May 4, 2025. For more information, email [email protected] or call 608-437-6486.
Driftless Photography and Beyond by Vicki France
Enjoy pastoral landscapes and Mother Nature’s incredible color palette, as showcased in “Driftless Photography and Beyond!”, an exhibition of photographs by Vicki France now showing in the Driftless Historium Kalscheur Community Gallery.
Vicki France is a self-taught photographer who grew up among the towering bluffs and winding rivers of the driftless region of Wisconsin. She uses photography to capture and share the emotion and drama of what she sees and feels when exploring the wooded hills and valleys of southwest Wisconsin.
According to France, “Every one of our thousands of backroads throughout the Driftless region offers adventures filled with discoveries and hidden gems. They weave us through beautiful countryside and small towns steeped in history, and past iconic farms and barns that tell the stories of our ancestors.”
Each featured piece captures the essence of Wisconsin’s distinctive Driftless region, and all are available for purchase directly from the photographer. Contact Vicki France at [email protected] or visit VickiFancePhotography.com for more information.
Check out this FREE exhibit during the Driftless Historium’s regular hours (Friday to Tuesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m) through May 4, 2025. For more information, email [email protected] or call 608-437-6486.