Amberg Historical Museum Complex facts for kids

The Amberg Historical Museum Complex in Amberg, Wisconsin is a special place where you can learn about the past. It includes the main Amberg Museum and several other old buildings that have been moved there to be saved. The museum complex is run by the Amberg Historical Society, a group that works with the town of Amberg. They are also connected to the "Wisconsin Historical Society" and are recognized as a Wisconsin Heritage Site.

Exploring the Amberg Museum

The main Amberg Museum building used to be the town's fire station. Inside, you can see the very first Amberg fire engine! It was a special chemical fire engine that firefighters had to pull to the fires themselves.

Native American and Lumber History

The museum has a cool collection about Native Americans. You can see Pottawatomie native medicinal plants, which are plants used for medicine. There's also a Menominee dug-out canoe, which is a boat made from a hollowed-out tree trunk.

If you're interested in logging, check out the lumbering collection. It has old chain saws and a medicine chest from a logging camp. You can also see special marks from logs that floated down the Menominee River.

Old Tools and Local Heroes

The museum also has a blacksmith shop. It's full of tools used by blacksmiths, carpenters, and mechanics from long ago. There's also a special exhibit honoring local veterans, especially those who served in World War I and World War II.

You can also look at many old photographs of pioneer families. These pictures show how the town of Amberg grew and changed over time.

Researching the Past

The Amberg Historical Society has a research library inside the museum. It's a great place to find old town records, school papers, family histories, and newspaper clippings. You can also find information online about many items in the museum. The website even has a virtual tour and a list of people buried in the Amberg Cemetery.

The Old House and Other Buildings

One of the special buildings at the complex is called the Old House. It shows what a home in Amberg looked like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many volunteers, local students, and businesses helped move and fix up this house. This project won an award called the "Hometown Pride Award."

Other important buildings moved to the museum complex include the original Amberg train depot. This depot was part of the "Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad". You can also see the Cedarville station, which was a "whistlestop" where trains would briefly stop. It was a place often visited by hobos in a community that no longer exists near Amberg.

Amberg's Quarry History

Amberg was once an important place for granite quarrying, which is digging out large stones. The museum complex has a derrick from the August Paveglio quarry. A derrick is a machine used for lifting heavy things.

The Amberg Historical Society wrote a book that lists eleven quarries near Amberg. Inside the museum, you can see granite samples, curbing blocks (stones used for curbs), and tools used by stone cutters.

The Historic Town Hall

In 2005, the town of Amberg let the Amberg Historical Society use the original Amberg town hall. This building is so important that it's on the "National Register of Historic Places".

The society gives tours of the town hall. Inside, you can see different exhibits like a general store, a school room, and displays about farming and old fabrics. Each exhibit shows items collected by the society that tell the story of Amberg.

Visiting the Museum Complex

The Amberg Historical Museum Complex is easy to find. It's located about one-third of a mile off U.S. Route 141 on County V. The museum is open on Fridays from 1 PM to 4 PM and on Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. It's open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The best part is, there's no charge to get in!

Images for kids

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  The Amberg Historical Museum

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  Historic Amberg Town Hall

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  The Amberg Historical Museum Complex Old House

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  The Amberg Depot