Events are subject to change. Please check back frequently.
Booth at the Midwest Horse Fair
April 16-18, 2021
*Update 11/27/2020: This event has been canceled due to the pandemic.
Visit our educational booth set up right next to the blazing forges of the World Championship Blacksmith Competition. The work of blacksmiths who served Native tribes through Indian Agencies in the early 19th century is a special focus.
Booth space donated by:
Guided History Hike on the Marquette Trail
May 1, 2021 | 10 am
Enjoy a guided tour along the historic Fox River on the beautiful Marquette Trail. The time when leaves are budding offers the best opportunity to experience the natural and historic beauty of this recreational gem. Meet outside the visitor center at 9:45. Children may participate if accompanied by a responsible adult. We are asking for a minimum donation of $5 per person.
Opening Day
May 15, 2021
Be the first of the season to enjoy an informative, engaging tour. We are open for tours Wednesday through Sunday each week through October 15.
School Tours Available
May 15 - June 11, 2021
Schedule a deeply significant Wisconsin history experience for your students. You may opt for a joint tour of our site plus the Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters down the road. Students will gain a firsthand understanding of the turbulent world of pre-state Wisconsin. Make arrangements by email or phone (608-742-6362).
Stories of Wisconsin: Dugout Canoe Project
Last Fri of Month | May 28 - Sept 24, 2021 | 6 - 8 pm
Enjoy a relaxing evening listening to stories of Wisconsin's days of old around a unique "camp fire." Each evening's story will be accompanied by progressing work on a fire-wrought dugout canoe! Working together, we will learn about and experiment with this ancient historical skill. Teens are welcomed to participate, as well, if accompanied by a responsible adult. A hot dog fundraiser will be held concurrently with each event, so come with an appetite for history and fun (and hot dogs!).
Living History Days: Civil War
June 5 and 6 | 10 am to 4 pm each day
The year 1863 saw much action during the Civil War. Learn about this conflict from the perspective of those living on Portage, Wisconsin's home front during the third year of the war. Interact with skilled reenactors from the Historical Timekeepers group throughout the weekend.
Flag Day Celebration
June 12, 2021 | 10 am
On June 14, 1777, the United States adopted the stars-and-stripes as its official flag. The flag has flown as a symbol of our nation and all it stands for over the past 244 years. Join us for a flag raising by a local Scouts BSA troop and the pledge of allegiance led by a very special guest (TBA). Then listen to a riveting story relayed by a genealogist who traced an ancestor's journey with Wisconsin's renowned Iron Brigade from Portage, Wisconsin, to the war-torn fields and farm lots of Gettysburg.
Exciting Spring Fundraiser: TBA
June 13, 2021
Watch here for the details when announced!
Stories of Wisconsin: Dugout Canoe Project (Part 2)
June 25, 2021 | 6 - 8 pm
Join us for part 2 of historical Wisconsin storytelling, fire-wrought dugout canoe making, and hot dog eating! (adults & teens accompanied by a responsible adult) Details HERE.
Family Heirloom Preservation Workshop
June 26, 2021 | 10 am
In 2021, the Agency House is exploring the ways in which history is passed down through time. The stories of your own family are a big part of that! Learn the best practices of preservation to ensure that your own family heirlooms are preserved for years to come.
Speaker Series:
History Remembered
July 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2021 | 6:30 pm
Join us every Tuesday night in July for some fascinating lectures. Admission is free! Our speaker series theme this year is "History Remembered." Each speaker will focus on a unique aspect of the ways in which Wisconsin's history has been passed down through the generations. Learn about the contributions of Frederick Jackson Turner, Milo Quaife, Increase Lapham, and the oral history tradition of the Ho-Chunk Nation.
Co-sponsored by:
Sponsored by:
Community Archaeological Dig
July 10-11 and July 17-18, 2021 | 10 am - 4 pm each day
Come and work alongside professional archaeologists as we continue our search for the 1830s blacksmith shop. Pre-registration is strongly recommended for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn firsthand the fascinating process of archaeological investigation. Unearth and hold in your own hands artifacts that may not have been seen or touched for 200+ years! Find details and reserve your dig time(s) through our Archaeology 2021 web page.
Blacksmithing Demonstrations and Hands-On Workshop
July 10-11 and/or July 17-18, 2021 (TBA)
Live blacksmithing demonstrations are planned to coincide with our Community Archaeology Dig weekends. Explore the history and techniques of blacksmithing as we endeavor to locate the 1830s Agency blacksmith shop! We are also working on being able to offer a hands-on blacksmithing workshop in which you may create something with your own hands! Watch here for further developments.
Booth at the Columbia Co. Fair
July 24, 2021
Visit our booth at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Portage!
Stories of Wisconsin: Dugout Canoe Project (Part 3)
July 30, 2021 | 6 - 8 pm
Join us for part 3 of historical Wisconsin storytelling, fire-wrought dugout canoe making, and hot dog eating! (adults & teens accompanied by a responsible adult) Details HERE.
Nature Walk
July 31, 2021 | 10 am
Explore the natural beauty of our acreage on a hike guided by Tony Abate, Conservation Specialist with Groundswell Conservancy. Hikers will traverse three ecosystems during a 1.2-mile educational walk. Meet outside the visitor center at 9:45. Children may participate if accompanied by a responsible adult. The history walk is FREE, but a donation is greatly appreciated.
Enduring Skills Weekend
August 14-15, 2021
Many historical skills and techniques would be lost to time were it not for those who continue to practice them to this day! Try for yourself an exciting sampling of skills that have endured through the centuries or have been experimentally re-created through archaeological research. Pre-registration is strongly recommended through our Enduring Skills web page. There is a plethora of fascinating offerings – different ones each day – for men, women, and children!
Stories of Wisconsin: Dugout Canoe Project (Part 4)
August 27, 2021 | 6 - 8 pm
Join us for part 4 of historical Wisconsin storytelling, fire-wrought dugout canoe making, and hot dog eating! (adults & teens accompanied by a responsible adult) Details HERE.
Girl Scouts Day
August 28, 2021
Did you know that the founder of the Girl Scouts – Juliette Gordon Low – was the granddaughter of John and Juliette Kinzie who lived and worked here at the Indian Agency House in the early 1830s? We are planning an exciting day for Girl Scouts from all over the region! Stay tuned for details.
School Tours Available
Sept 1 - Oct 15, 2021
Schedule a deeply significant Wisconsin history experience for your students. You may opt for a joint tour of our site plus the Fort Winnebago Surgeons Quarters down the road. Students will gain a firsthand understanding of the turbulent world of pre-state Wisconsin. Make arrangements by email or phone (608-742-6362).
Scouts BSA Weekend
September 4-5, 2021
Calling all Scouts BSA troops! Join us for a terrific weekend of history, camping, hiking, and river exploration. The story and location of the Historic Indian Agency House provide a backdrop as your troop works toward camping badge requirements. Troops from across the state will have the opportunity to learn, camp, and socialize at the ancient gathering point of the Fox - Wisconsin portage.
Living History Day: 1830s
September 18, 2021 | 10 am to 4 pm
Have you ever wondered how people entertained themselves on a remote corner of the frontier? Find out at our Living History Day presented by the Galena Living History Society! Discover the amusements of times gone by. Watch a melodrama, and participate by booing at the bad guy and cheering for the hero!
Stories of Wisconsin: Dugout Canoe Project (Part 5)
September 24, 2021 | 6 - 8 pm
Join us for the 5th and final evening of historical Wisconsin storytelling, fire-wrought dugout canoe making, and hot dog eating! (adults & teens accompanied by a responsible adult) Details HERE.
Christmas at the Agency
December 4, 2021 | 2 - 7 pm
Help support the Agency House at our "Christmas at the Agency' fundraiser. Details TBA!
Kiddie Christmas
December 11, 2021 | 1 - 3 pm
Join us for our 15th annual Kiddie Christmas event! Details TBA.