St. Croix Valley Business Women Open House

Celebrate the start of the new tour season at the St. Croix Valley Business Women Open House on Sunday, April 25th. Be the first to see the new exhibits and enjoy free admission to the Warden's House Museum. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public!

The Warden's House Museum is located at 602 North Main Street in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Museums Open

Washington County Historical Society museums will open on Saturday, May 1, 2010 for the new tour season. The WCHS is excited to announce three new exhibits at the Warden's House Museum. Each exhibit will focus on the theme of "place," a theme that will be carried throughout all Society activities in 2010.

The first exhibit, A Place of Mourning: Victorian Mourning Traditions, will show how people viewed death in the Victorian Era. On display will be various mourning artifacts: women's shrouds, mourning hats and veils, and a sampling of postmortem photography.

The second exhibit, Prison Art: Creativity in a Place of Confinement, will discuss the creative outlet used by many prison inmates to get through the long, often monotonous days of confinement. Several artifacts, including a horse bridal, bookstand, wooden doll cradle and wooden goblets, from the WCHS collection will be on display. In addition, WCHS will borrow a sewing box, made by Cole Younger, from the Northfield Historical Society.

The third and final new exhibit, Drawings of Place: Architectural Plans from the Minnesota Territorial Prison, will discuss architectural drawings and the process behind the creation of early blueprints. On display will be one of three sets of architectural plans submitted for the construction of the first prison in the Minnesota Territory. In addition to these plans, architectural drawings for a house in Stillwater and a one-room school in Washington County will also be on display.

Stop by for a tour to see these great new exhibits!

Third Annual Beer Tasting

Beer enthusiasts unite! Show your support for the Washington County Historical Society by raising your glass and offering a toast at our third annual Beer Tasting event on Saturday, June 26. The event will be held at the Hay Lake Museum Complex, located at the corner of County Road 3 and Old Marine Trail, just south of Scandia. Whether you enjoy a good lager or pale ale, we are sure to have something for everyone to enjoy!

The third annual beer tasting event is sponsored by Lift Bridge Brewery and Still-H2O.

This event is 21+ and costs $10 per person.

Hay Lake Day

Get a taste of life in a simpler time at Hay Lake Day, to be held at the Hay Lake School Museum in Scandia on Saturday, July 10, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Hay Lake Day is a great opportunity for families to experience a slice of life in the past, without the technologies we have today. Enjoy the one room schoolhouse and a variety of activities and skills from more than a century ago. It’s a fun way to spend a summer afternoon.

There will be food, music, craft demonstrations, old-fashioned butter-churning, a bake sale, raffle ticket sale, races and games. There will be two free tours of the historic Hay Lake School and the Johannes Erickson Log House.

The Hay Lake School Museum is located at the corner of County Road 3 and Old Marine Trail just south of Scandia, Minnesota.

Washington County Fair

Visit the Washington County Historical Society in building C at the Washington County Fair. We'll be there to answer your questions and chat about local history. We will also have lots of books for sale!