Flashlight Tours at the Warden's House Museum
2025-10-17 18:00 - 20:30, 2025-10-18 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Come and see the house and grounds after dark, while you hear true tales of terror and tragedy from the Minnesota State Prison. Local legend says that the place is haunted…come and find out for yourself if you dare!
Times and Dates:
Friday, October 17 @ 6:00PM, 6:45PM, and 7:30PM
Saturday, October 18 @ 6:00PM, 6:45PM, and 7:30PM
Tours will last approximately one hour.
Tickets:
Tickets are $35 per person. Click here to buy tickets!
Please arrive approximately 10 minutes before the tour start time. After purchasing your ticket, we will add your name to the guest list! Bring your ID to the event to claim your tickets.
Questions?
Call the Warden’s House at 651-439-5956 or email heidi.heinze@wchsmn.org

Shadows of Stillwater: A Halloween Experience
2025-10-23 18:30 - 2025-11-01 21:30 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States

Haunted History: The Afterlife Sentences
2025-10-24 18:00 - 21:30 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Warden’s House Museum is excited to host the Twin Cities Paranormal Society (TCPS) for a presentation sharing their spookiest evidence from past ghost investigations including an investigation at the Warden’s House Museum.

What showed up on their cameras and audio equipment? Is the Warden’s House Museum actually haunted?

Friday, October 24, 2025
6:00pm presentation (Doors open at 5:30pm) – buy tickets here
8:30pm presentation (Doors open at 8:00pm) – buy tickets here

About The Twin Cities Paranormal Society (TCPS)
The Twin Cities Paranormal Society is a not-for-profit organization serving the greater Twin Cities Metro area. We are dedicated to the research, investigation, documentation, and education of the public regarding paranormal phenomenon. Our objective is to investigate and research claims of alleged haunted activity. All investigations are approached with an open mind and are conducted in a professional manner.

Haunted History: The Afterlife Sentences
2025-10-25 18:00 - 21:30 | Warden’s House Museum, 602 Main Street North, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Warden’s House Museum is excited to host the Twin Cities Paranormal Society (TCPS) for a presentation sharing their spookiest evidence from past ghost investigations including an investigation at the Warden’s House Museum.

What showed up on their cameras and audio equipment? Is the Warden’s House Museum actually haunted?

Saturday, October 25, 2025
6:00pm presentation (Doors open at 5:30pm) – buy tickets here
8:30pm presentation (Doors open at 8:00pm) – buy tickets here

About The Twin Cities Paranormal Society (TCPS)
The Twin Cities Paranormal Society is a not-for-profit organization serving the greater Twin Cities Metro area. We are dedicated to the research, investigation, documentation, and education of the public regarding paranormal phenomenon. Our objective is to investigate and research claims of alleged haunted activity. All investigations are approached with an open mind and are conducted in a professional manner.

Minnesota Seventh in the Civil War with Eric Linner
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Eric Linner’s family has a long history of Army veterans, including himself, two brothers, his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great grandfather. His inspiration to research his great-great-grandfather’s journey with the Minnesota Seventh in the Civil War-West started 50 years ago when his grandmother piqued his interest in family history.
The presentation will give a brief history of his great-grandfather Sergeant James Madison Canfield, with a primary focus on the 10,600 mile journey the Minnesota Seventh traveled starting with the 1862 Dakota War and ending with the Battle of Spanish Fort, AL in 1865.

Click here to watch the program on WCHS’s YouTube page

Discovering Pioneer Ancestors in Washington County with Judith Stern
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Who built the enormous, strong barn at Aamodt’s Apple Farm?
Surprise! It was Judith Stern’s own great, great, great grandfather from Meissenheim, Baden, Germany.
Judith only learned that after moving to Washington County. Like a hungry detective, she wanted to learn more. Her family tree on her maternal side grew to 159 names beginning in 1517 in Germany; and continuing in Minnesota.
Judith Stern will show the audience her research including barns, newspapers, and photos of her ancestors. Artie Schaefer may be the only famous local musician in the Schaefer family, but we all miss the um-pa, um-pa singer who excited the crowds – raising his beer mug, rousing us with the ticky, tacky, ticky tacky, oie, oie oie!
The show has a talk and screen presentation.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

Townie Tuesday @ Lift Bridge Brewing Company
2025-11-25 17:00 - 21:00 | 1900 Tower Dr. W Stillwater, MN 55082, 1900 Tower Dr. W Stillwater, MN 55082
Join Lift Bridge Brewing Co. on Tuesday from 5:00 to 9:00 PM to enjoy a great Lift Bridge Brew and raise money for the Washington County Historical Society!
$1 from every Tap Beer or Seltzer and $2 from every Crowler, To Go Specialty Bottle or 12 Pack sold during the Event goes directly to WCHS. Buy a beer and make a difference!
In addition to catching up with neighbors and friends over a glass, WCHS will be doing showings of the short film featured in their brewery exhibit at the Heritage Center, produced by Square Lake Productions. The film features four local brew masters including Lift Bridge’s Brad Glynn.
Lift Bridge Brewery created the Townie Tuesday program for our Stillwater Taproom in 2013 to give back to local non-profits, charities & organizations. It’s a fun way to help promote the awesome things in our community while enjoying a tasty beverage!

#SupportLocal #DrinkLocal #MakeADifference #Community #TownieTuesday

Located at Lift Bridge Brewing Company’s Stillwater Taproom
1900 Tower Dr. W
Stillwater, MN 55082

Black Friday Sale at the Heritage Center
2025-11-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States

The Fallen Washington County Service Members of Vietnam and How We Remember Them with Herb Reckinger
2025-12-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) opened the Vietnam Memorial on our US Capitol Mall in1982 to honor all veterans of that war. With a PowerPoint presentation we will discover how that same organization makes sure we never forget the men and women of that era.
Join us for a free program to see the images from The Wall of Faces, the story of how The Wall came to be and the traveling wall called The Wall That Heals, a 3-quarter size replica that travels to communities all over our country. Lastly, we will cover the 50-year anniversaries of the endings of the war in 1975.

Barton Johnson is on the left and Mark Steeley is on the right. Barton is from the very northeast part of Washington County- Scandia. Mark is from the very southwest part – Cottage Grove.
Presenter Herb Reckinger is a member of the Washington County Historical Society, on the board for the South Washington Heritage Society, volunteer for The Wall That Heals, and has given several talks at the Heritage Center in the past. Learn more about the Vietnam Traveling Wall at: https://www.travelingwall.us/
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page
The Traveling Memorial —

Minnesota Streetcar History with Aaron Isaacs
2026-02-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Before automobiles, planes, and the Light Rail, there were streetcars in cities across Minnesota. They were pulled by horses until 1889, when electricity became practical. Stillwater had no horsecars because of its steep hills, but in 1889 it opened the first electric streetcar lines in the state, ahead of Minneapolis and St. Paul. A public transit boom ensued.
By World War I, Twin City Rapid Transit company was running over 1100 streetcars on a system that reached from Lake Minnetonka to the St. Croix River, including Stillwater and Bayport. It lasted until buses replaced the last of the streetcars in 1954.
Presenter Aaron Isaacs will speak about Twin Cities streetcar history, then focus on the Stillwater area. Isaacs spent 33 years as a planner and manager for Metro Transit, where he worked in route and schedule planning, operations, maintenance, transit facilities, light rail and traffic advantages for buses. He’s a historian of transit, as a 40+ year volunteer with the Minnesota Streetcar Museum. He’s co-author of Twin Cities by Trolley, The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and author of Twin Ports by Trolley on Duluth-Superior.

In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

National Toast Day Celebration!
2026-02-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Just over a century ago, Charles Strite was employed at a local manufacturing plant. Fed up with burned toast in the cafeteria, a great idea “popped” into his head, and the Toastmaster automatic electric toaster was born!
About the event:

Enjoy a program about the history of toast and view our antique toaster collection.
Sample toast and toppings from local bakeries and markets, and vote for your favorite to be named Toast of the Town.
Listen to Warden’s House Site Manager Heidi Heinze tell the history of the automatic pop-up toaster and its origins in Stillwater!

Toast Tasting begins at 6:00pm
Program begins at 6:30pm
Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information please contact heidi.heinze@wchsmn.org

2026 Annual Meeting and Dinner
2026-03-19 17:30 - 20:30 | Stillwater Event Center, 1910 Greeley Street South, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Where: Stillwater Event Center, 1910 S. Greeley Street, next to Washington County Heritage Center
When: Thursday March 19, 2026
Itinerary: 5:30pm Social Hour [Cash Bar]
6:30pm Dinner Catered by Scheel’s Catering
7:30pm Annual meeting
Program to follow meeting
Presentation: “THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE THAT ANYMORE!”
America’s love affair with the automobile over the decades has been hot, lukewarm, and even cold, but one thing is certain, cars are a part of who we are. WCHS board member and historian George Schire will take you on a highway of historical facts and hilarious anecdotes featuring the cars that have shaped all of our lives. Buckle up your seat belts and mark your calendars for this nostalgic road trip from the Horseless Carriage to present day EVs.
Reservations:
Reservations required in advance
Seating is Limited/Large Attendance Expected
Event open to the Public
Cost: $25 for WCHS members / $30 for nonmembers

Reserve your spot here!

“Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: An Architect’s Sketchbook" with Jim Lammers
2026-03-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Jim Lammers presents his newest book, “Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: An Architect’s Sketchbook.”
The book contains 500 sketches of beacons all over the Great Lakes area. Lammers takes readers on a road trip, sharing the history and inner workings of the lighthouses as well as the lighthouse establishment itself. Copies of the book will be for sale at the event.
“If you love the Great Lakes and lighthouses, this is the book for you. Lammers is an entertaining guide for this illuminating adventure, combining fascinating history and personal vignettes with wonderful sketches of the noble beacons he encounters along the way. Don’t be surprised if, after reading this book, you want to hop into your car to take your own lighthouse tour.”
—Eric Jay Dolin, author of Brilliant Beacons: The History of the American Lighthouse
Free, but donations are always appreciated. No registration required.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

"The Tales and Times of Isaac Labissonière" with Mark Labine
2026-04-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Author and historian Mark Labine will tell the adventurous story of​ ​Isaac Labissonière, a 19th Century Métis pioneer who ​blazed a trail of firsts in Minnesota.
Isaac traveled with his family via oxcart from the Selkirk Colony to become one of the first settlers of St. Paul in the 1830s. He went on to build the St. Paul Chapel, became one of the first landowners on Lake Como in 1848, and established a community in Osseo. In addition, his military career included the Battle of Kaposia in the U.S. Dakota War.
Copies of Mark Labine’s new book titled, “The Tales and Times of Isaac Labissonière” will be available for purchase at the event.

Free, but donations are always appreciated. No registration required.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

"WHO'S GOT THE TITLE BELT?" wrestling history with George Schire
2026-04-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
AWA wrestling fans mark your calendars for April 29, 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm for author/historian George Schire’s next talk and presentation. It will be another Main Event as George share’s stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly character’s that wore wrestling’s greatest prize. In addition, George will include stories of the championship belts they held. Run, don’t walk to attend!
Free, but donations are always appreciated. No registration required.
In-person attendees:
1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082
Virtual attendees:
Link to WCHS YouTube page

Washington County Historic Scavenger Hunt
2026-06-02 10:00 - 2026-09-08 16:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Washington County Historical Society is sending you on an adventure across the county this summer! Pick up a historic hunt card at the Washington County Heritage Center at 1863 Greeley St. South to begin your quest. Use the photos and clues to determine the mystery historic site in Washington County and write the answers on the card. Once you have found all histroic sites, return the card to the Washington County Heritage Center to be entered into a drawing for prizes at the end of the of the event.
Because we encourage everyone to physically visit these sites if able, snap a picture of you at the site and upload it to social media. Tag the Washington County Historical Society and use the hashtag: #washingtoncountyhistorichunt. We’ll add your name for every picture uploaded to the drawing for increased chances of winning. Don’t have social media? Uncomfortable posting? Not a problem. Come in to the Heritage Center and show us your photos when you drop off the card and we’ll add your name to the drawing.
The winner of the drawing must have all the answers correct on their card and it must be completely filled out. One card per participant. Duration of the event is from June 2 to September 8. You can pick up a Washington County Historic Hunt card starting June 2.
Happy Historic Hunting!

The Story of the American Flag with Nathan "Rocky" Bliss
2026-06-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Washington County Historical Society is excited to continue our USA 250 programs
with Rocky Bliss about the history of the US Flag at the Washington County Heritage
Center, 1862 S. Greeley Street, Stillwater, on Tuesday June 2 nd from 7pm to 8pm.
The “Stars & Stripes” have flown over forts as well as city halls and private residences
for more than 250 years. Bliss will tell the ever-changing story of the American Flag and
what it has come to symbolize.
Nathan (Rocky) Bliss was born in Stillwater and lived there until he was four when his
family moved to Bayport. A graduate of Stillwater High School, Rocky’s interest in flags
started when he was eight by curiosity about the flags of the first thirteen states displayed
on the front of the Lowell Inn.
In the 1980s, Rocky served as a council member then mayor for the City of Bayport and
designed the Bayport flag. He has an amateur interest in history and is currently a
member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Sons of Norway, and an affiliate
member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Historical Society’s USA 250 programs are free to the public. For more information
contact the Washington County Heritage Center at information@wchsmn.org or call at
651-439-2298.

Apollo Club Returns to Stillwater
2026-06-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Manitou Fund Education and Arts Center, 601 N. Main St., Stillwater, 55082, United States
The Washington County Historical Society is proud to present “Our Songs, Our Stories: Apollo
Club Returns to Stillwater” on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 3:00pm. For 130 years, The Apollo
Club has stood as a monument to artistry, leadership, and cultural excellence. The award-
winning, all-male choral group’s roots are deeply connected to Minnesota’s history, including
leadership from Charles McCormick Reeve, former Warden of the Stillwater Prison and Apollo
Club’s first president.
A century ago, Apollo Club performed regularly in Stillwater for members of the Country Club
as well as convicts at the State Prison. “Our Songs, Our Stories” will include both history and
songs to honor Apollo Club’s legacy rooted in brotherhood, music, and community. Historian
Heidi Heinze, director of the Warden’s House Museum, will begin the presentation with a
slideshow about the Club, its founder, and the impact both have had on Minnesota, America, and
the world. The melodious Apollites will then entertain the audience with their final performance
of the season. This historic homecoming concert will showcase music from the Club’s extensive
library, old standards, patriotic tunes, and some new favorites.
This event is being generously hosted by the Manitou Fund, at their Arts and Education Center at
601 N. Main Street in Stillwater. The former Minnesota Zephyr building is now a state of the art
performance space combined with community education and reception areas overlooking the
beautiful St. Croix River.
The Warden’s House Museum, 602 N. Main Street, located across the street, was once the home
of the Apollo Club’s founder, Charles McCormick Reeve. It was acquired by the Washington
County Historical Society in 1941 and opened as a museum that year to share the stories of the
prison, wardens, and inmates. Attendees of the “Our Songs, Our Stories” concert can tour the
museum for the discounted admission of $8.00. The Warden’s House will be open from noon
until 8:00 on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
Please join us for an evening that reflects on our origins while celebrating the enduring power of
song to connect our past, present, and future.
Tickets are available at TicketSpice.com or follow this link to the pay-what-you-choose ticket
page https://theapolloclubmn.ticketspice.com/apollo-club-returns-to-stillwater.
Tickets prices are at a “pay what you choose” basis, see website link for more details. For more information contact heidi.heinze@wchsmn.org or call the Warden’s House at
(651)439-5956.

19th Annual Hay Lake Beer Tasting
2026-06-20 16:00 - 19:00 | MN
[Castle Danger Brewery passing out beer at Hay Lake Beer Tasting, 2025]

19th Annual Hay Lake Beer Tasting at Hay Lake School Museum in Scandia

The Washington County Historical Society is hosting on Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 4:00-
7:00pm the 19th Annual Hay Lake Beer Tasting Fundraiser & Silent Auction. Admission to the
event is $20 per person and participants must be 21 years or older. All proceeds from this event
benefit the Washington County Historical Society. Tickets can be purchases in advanced, through
the Historical Society website, www.wchsmn.org.

For Nineteen years, this event has become the keystone fundraiser for the Washington County
Historical Society. This year the breweries attending are Gambit Brewing, Bent Paddle Brewery,
Spiral Brewing, Castle Danger, Lift Bridge Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewery, Summit Brewery, 2 Silos Winery,
Rustic Roots Winery , Joseph Wolf Brewing Company, and more!
The beer is just a part of it; in addition, there will be a silent auction that includes tickets to the
Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Lakeshore Player Theatre, tickets to the Bell Museum, Logger’s
Golf Course green fees, and signed items from the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. There is much,
much more!
The Hay Lake School was constructed of brick in 1896 and held classes until 1963. After that, the
Washington County Historical Society purchased the school in 1978 and has been a public
museum ever since. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hay Lake School Museum & Johannes Erickson Log House Museum are located at 14020
195th St N, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047.

Please contact Leila Albert at; Leila.Albert@wchsmn.org or 651-433-4014 with any questions
regarding this event or to schedule a tour of the museum.

Tuesday Trivia at WCHS
2026-06-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Washington County Historical Society is excited to announce a new monthly event coming to the Heritage Center – Tuesday Trivia! Hosted on the last Tuesday of every month at 5:30 pm, WCHS challenges you to form your team and face off with others to put your historical knowledge to the test. Every month has a different theme and the first theme for the month of June is – Minnesota History!

This family friendly event is free to everyone and anyone who wants participate. For more information or questions contact Heritage Site Director, Alexis Foster, at 651-439-2298 or by email at alexis.foster@wchsmn.org.

Malice Towards None By Daniel C. Munson
2026-08-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
The Washington County Historical Society invites you to join us for Daniel C. Munson and his work, Malice Towards None: Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, the Homestead Act, and the Massacre – and Heartwarming Survival – of the Kochendorfers.
Thursday, August 6
7:00pm – 8:00pm
Washington County Heritage Center
This Minnesota story begins when a gravestone inscription leads the author on a search through early Minnesota history, and then U.S. and Civil War history. He discovers that four siblings orphaned by the Dakota War commissioned that inscription in memory of their parents and younger sister, and that their many descendants now live all around him. Those quiet descendants have kept many wonderful family records, and in those letters and photographs he learns that those four brave orphans lived lives of tolerance and gratitude, lives that answered President Lincoln’s hopes in that Second Inaugural Address.
Reviews for Munson’s works include:
“Malice Toward None is a fascinating and heart-warming book about four orphaned children that carries a message of forgiveness and charity that is truly timeless.” -John Lindley, Ramsey County Historical Society.
“One of the most detailed explanations of events leading up to the Dakota Uprising that I’ve ever read…An excellent history book that also deals with the impact of major events on one family.” -Bob Jensen, Maplewood Area Historical Society.
“Malice Toward None…chronicles the Kochendorfers’ clash with the bloody history of their times and tells the inspiring survival story of the four kids…Munson’s book evenhandedly tells the tale, using one family’s story as the spine of a narrative that captures the complexities of the U.S.-Dakota War” -Curt Brown, Minneapolis StarTribune.
“This is not a bare-bones account, but rather a rich portrait of the lives of four brave orphans, supported and filled in by original authentic letters and photographs preserved by their descendants.” -Sarah Bell, Hennepin History Museum.
“I was really impressed with [the] writing. Excellent work.” -Jeff Williamson, Bloomington Historical Society and the Pond-Dakota Heritage Society.

History Cruise Along the Picturesque St. Croix River
2026-08-12 18:00 - 20:30 | Stillwater River Boats, 525 South Main St., Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Join the Washington County Historical Society for a relaxing and entertaining evening on a Stillwater River Boat. Visitors will enjoy stories of the gondola by John Kershbaum, relish in hearty hors d’oeurves, and treat yourself to a cash bar on this exquisite sojourn supporting the Washington County Historical Society.
This even is Wednesday, August 12 on the Stillwater River Boats, located at 525 South Main St. Boarding begins at 5:30pm and leave Stillwater at 6:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased at stillwaterriverboats.com/specials or by calling 651-430-1234.

Bad to the Bone: An Inside Look at Wrestling Villains By George Schire
2026-09-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Washington County Heritage Center, 1862 South Greeley St, Stillwater, MN, 55082, United States
Hey old school professional wrestling fans, MARK YOUR CALENDARS for THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24th at 6:00pm for another presentation by Historian, Author, and WCHS board member George Schire.

As it always is, this will be another Main Event look at the villains you loved to hate in the ring! They growled, bit, hissed, broke the rules and attempted to hurt your favorite good guys in their efforts to climb to the top of the wrestling ratings!

Schire will share stories and insights in to the characters and personas of these ruffians that made you flock to the auditoriums with hopes of seeing them get beat.

RUN, DON’T WALK TO GET A SEAT!
***It’s FREE TO ATTEND***

DATE: Thursday September 24, 2026
TIME: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
PLACE: Washington County Heritage Center
ADDRESS: 1862 Greeley St. S, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082
