Museums & more...

Wizard of Oz Museum

319 1st. Street

Wausaukee, WI 54177

715-927-0767

Wizard of Oz Museum

Open daily from 10am-2pm from June through August

April, May, September and October are by appointment only

Closed for the season November-March

Free to the public – donations welcome

Browse through memorabilia from one of America’s most treasured films of all time. Thousands of items, many one-of-a-kind, from all over the world. See items from the original movie. Features items from the 1920’s through 2009, autographed items and personal photos, a piece of the original yellow brick road, a page of the original script, costumes, kitchenware, toys, dolls, matinee posters, holiday decorations and much, much more! This fascinating display is two floors packed full and is considered the largest collection in the Midwest.

Amberg Historical Complex

Grant Street, Amberg, WI

715-759-5281

www.amberghistory.org

information1890@amberghistory.org

Open Fri. 1pm-4pm, Sat. 10am-4pm Memorial Day through Labor Day. Special arrangements and group tours are available.

The Amberg Historical Complex features 4 separate buildings. The old town hall is on the National Register of Historic Places, a fully restored train depot, a general store, a blacksmith shop, school room and many other 19th century artifacts. Promoting the area where “granite was king”, you can find exhibits on granite quarrying, logging, turn-of-the-century domestic life and the military. There are many photographs and documents that help provide a visual description of Ambergs’ history. Ancestry research help is available.

Crivitz Area Museum:

104 Oak Ave.

Crivitz, WI 54114

715-854-3278

Open Wed., Fri. and Sat. 12pm (noon) to 4pm Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Also open by appointment by calling 715-854-7214.

Travel through eras gone by when visiting the Crivitz Area Museum. See an authentic log cabin and exhibits of an old time kitchen, schoolroom, general store, doctor office and communications stations. You can browse through the wide variety of manuscripts, photographs and bits and pieces of local history. Admission is free, however, donations are greatly appreciated.

Marinette County Historical Society:

Stephenson Island (Hwy 41)

Marinette, WI 54143

715-732-0831

www.marinettecountyhistory.org

Open Tues. through Fri. 11am-4pm Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. $3.00 admission.

The Marinette County Historical Society operates the Marinette County Museum on Stephenson Island. This museum showcases the county’s logging past. Exhibits include artifacts from the Menominee Indians and a miniature logging camp. Another exhibit honors the woman known as Queen Marinette, who ran a trading post along the Menominee River in the 19th century. Isaac Stephenson, lumber baron, senator and philanthropist, is also a feature in the museum. Furniture and memorabilia from Senator Stephenson’s home are on display. You can also visit the Evancheck log cabin which is a fully restored reminder of farmsteading in Marinette County a century ago.

Niagara Historical Society:

1024 Main Street

Niagara, WI

The Niagara Area Historical society Museum is housed in the former Hatton House, which is the original Niagara phone company. This museum includes a history of life in a paper mill town.

Peshtigo Fire Museum:

400 Oconto Ave.

Peshtigo, WI

715-582-3244

Open Memorial Day through October 8 from 10am-4pm.

The Peshtigo Fire Museum is housed in the first church rebuilt after the great Peshtigo fire of 1871. Exhibits in the museum show how Peshtigo rose from the ashes from one of the most tragic fires in American history where over 800 people perished. See artifacts that survived the fire and learn about the events that lead up to the fiery holocaust. Visit a general store, school room, kitchen, living room, church altar and many other recreations of 19th century life. Be sure to visit the cemetery next door where you can learn of the lives of survivors and their families and see the mass grave were over 350 unidentified fire victims are buried.

Menominee County Heritage Museum:

901 11th Ave.

Menominee, MI 49858

906-863-9000

Open Monday through Saturday 10am-4pm Memorial Day through Labor Day. One block east of Hwy 41-M-35.

Research Center - Open Wednesday from 1pm-5pm and Saturday from 12pm-5pm

Gift Shop and Book Store featuring a bound collection of 1890's - 1970's EagleHerald Newspapers

Specializing on the history of Menominee County, the City of Menominee and the history of the Menominee Indians, this museum offers exhibits on Indian and fur trade artifacts. The first permanent trading post has also been recreated in the museum. It contains one of the finest collections of sawmill and logging days exhibits on display. One of the highlights of this museum is the miniature circus donated by a local circus enthusiast. It is constructed of more than 12,000 pieces and many of the parts are animated.

West Shore Fishing Museum:

Hwy M-35

Menominee, MI

Located at Bailey Park 15 miles north of Menominee, MI

Open Sunday’s 1pm-4pm, June through August

The West Shore Fishing Museum depicts the fishing history of the west shore of Lake Michigan’s Green Bay and features the residence and out-buildings used by Charles Bailey.

Thunder River Rearing Station

Thunder River Rearing Station

Route 2

W13562 Hatchery Road (Off Caldron Falls Road)

Crivitz, WI 54114

715-757-3541

Open 7:00am - 3:00pm, seven days a week from the third week in May to the third week in October. The remainder of the year, they are open Monday through Friday. You can request a group tour by calling ahead.

The Thunder River Rearing Station was built as a facility to raise trout. Construction of the raceway buildings during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s provided jobs to local residents during the Great Depression. The earthen ponds were constructed in 1958. Brook, brown and rainbow trout have all been raised at the rearing station, however, it has been found that the cold water from the Thunder River is more suited for raising brown trout.

Currently, brown trout and coho salmon are raised at the facility. Brown trout can be seen anytime from May through October and the salmon can be seen anytime from October through April.

The rearing station does not hatch eggs. All fish raised at the station are brought in from the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery. When it is time for stocking, the fish are loaded into tank trucks and stocked into Green Bay and Lake Michigan.

Harmony Arboretum

7 miles west of Marinette on Hwy 64, turn 1/2 miles south on Cty E.

UW-Extension - 715-732-7510 or 877-884-4408

Marinette County Land & Water Conservation - 715-732-7780

Harmony Arboretum is a former county farm which is now owned by Marinette County. At 460-acres, the farm has been developed into a conservation and horticulture education and demonstration area.

The Arboretum is filled with a majestic hardwood forest, winding walking trails, a demonstration prairie, and vegetable and flower gardens. It is always open to the public and is free.

Friends of Harmony Arboretum, Northern Lights Master Gardeners Association, Chappee Rapids Audubon Society, UW-Extension, and Marinette County Land & Water Conservation work tirelessly to make the Arboretum better each year. They plan programs, demonstrations, walks, educational and holiday events.

To find out about what events are scheduled and print a copy of the events brochure, please click here.