Rusk County Historical Society Museum facts for kids
The Rusk County Historical Society Museum is a super cool place in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, where you can explore the past! It's like a time machine that takes you back to see what life was like long ago in Rusk County. The museum is packed with over 9,000 amazing items, called artifacts, that tell stories about the area's history.
The museum is run by the Rusk County Historical Society, which started way back in 1955. This society is a non-profit group, which means they don't try to make money. Instead, they use all their efforts and any money they get to help discover, save, and share the history of Rusk County and Wisconsin with everyone.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Rusk County Historical Society Museum is special because it's an open-air museum. This means it's not just one big building. Instead, it has several different historic buildings spread out, and you can walk between them on paths. Each building shows a different part of history!
Buildings to Explore
When you visit, you can step inside and imagine life in these cool buildings:
- Henry Golat Welcome and Research Building: This is where you start your adventure and can even learn how to research history.
- Little Red Schoolhouse: Imagine going to school here! This building shows what a classroom looked like for kids many years ago.
- Teacher's Cabin: See where the teacher might have lived, right next to the schoolhouse.
- Gates County Courthouse: This building was once a real courthouse where important decisions were made for the county.
- Log Cabin: Step into a simple log cabin and see how pioneers lived with basic tools and furniture.
- Flambeau Mine Visitors Center: Learn about mining in the area and what it was like to work in a mine.
- Jones LeCount Military Building: Discover stories and items from people in Rusk County who served in the military.
- Logging and Farm Equipment Building: See the huge machines and tools that people used for logging (cutting down trees) and farming.
- Glen Flora Jail: Get a peek inside an old jail from the town of Glen Flora.
- Farm Machine Shed: More big farm machines are kept here, showing how farming changed over time.
- NATO Tank: Yes, there's even a real tank! It's a powerful piece of military history you can see up close.
Plan Your Visit
The museum is located at the Rusk County Fairgrounds in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. It's usually open during the summer months, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. You can visit on weekends from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. It's a great place to learn about history in a fun, hands-on way!
