Information
Landmark: Riverside MuseumCity: La Crosse
Country: USA Wisconsin
Continent: North America
Riverside Museum, La Crosse, USA Wisconsin, North America
Overview
The Riverside Museum in La Crosse, Wisconsin, sat at 410 E, devoted to telling the city’s story with maps, historic photographs, and riverboat artifacts, in turn veterans Memorial Drive runs past Riverside Park, right beside the wide, unhurried sweep of the Mississippi River.It aimed to keep the La Crosse area’s river heritage alive and share its vibrant cultural history, from the smell of fresh-caught fish to stories passed down along the banks, likewise the museum gave visitors a vivid glimpse into the city’s bond with the Mississippi River, tracing its natural beauty, industrial growth, and indigenous heritage, from the smell of river mud to the clang of vintage steel bridges.Founded to celebrate La Crosse’s river heritage, the Riverside Museum shares the city’s story through artifacts and memories shaped by the water’s edge, to boot the La Crosse County Historical Society took over management in 1990, running the area under its guidance ever since-right down to choosing the brass plaque on the front door.The museum set out to teach visitors about the riverfront-its fragile wetlands, its role in shaping transportation routes, and the deep roots of Native American heritage, as well as working with the museum, the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse curated exhibits on Native American cultures-especially the Ho-Chunk Nation, whose ties to the land run deep, like the river cutting through the valley.Interestingly, The Riverside Museum showcased a wide range of thoughtfully curated exhibits, including a standout display on steamboat and river transportation history, then visitors could notice worn brass compasses, faded tickets, and other artifacts from the days when steamboats ruled the Mississippi.Somehow, The museum displayed artifacts pulled from the wreck of the War Eagle, a storied steamboat that went down near La Crosse, its iron fittings still flecked with river silt, therefore the artifacts gave a solid connection to the past, showing how river navigation shaped the city’s growth-like the worn wood of an ancient boat still smelling faintly of the water.Native American artifacts filled the exhibits, bringing to life the region’s indigenous heritage, with a special spotlight on the Ho-Chunk Nation’s intricate beadwork and enduring traditions, after that weathered tools, handmade artifacts, and vivid interpretive displays offered a glimpse into their traditions-and the fact they still call this setting home.Curiously, The museum captured La Crosse’s pivotal site in logging and lumber, industries that thrived thanks to the river-where rafts of freshly cut pine once drifted past the docks, therefore the exhibits featured worn timber rafting tools, sepia-toned photographs, and stories about sawmills and how logging shaped the region’s economy, a little One standout chapter in La Crosse’s industrial past was its pearl button trade, built on freshwater mussels pulled from the river, their shells clicking under the craftsman’s blade, not only that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this industry fueled the local economy, keeping workshops busy and storefronts lit well into the evening.Though it was filled with treasures-from antique riverboats to worn leather maps-the Riverside Museum shut its doors for good on December 31, 2019, consequently the museum closed for several reasons, from its lease running out at the classical Fish Hatchery-where the floors still smelled faintly of cedar-to the city’s shifting plans for the property.Community leaders and the La Crosse County Historical Society joined forces to bring all the area’s historical resources under one roof, aiming to keep the public engaged and learning in a larger, more dynamic space that smells faintly of heritage books, also in November 2020, the La Crosse County Historical Society opened the La Crosse Area Heritage Center at 506 Main Street, right in the heart of downtown La Crosse, where its brick façade catches the afternoon sun.The current center takes over where the Riverside Museum left off, displaying much of its collection and carrying forward its mission to protect and share the region’s history-right down to the weathered maps and faded photographs, therefore at the Heritage Center, you’ll find expanded exhibits that explore the Ho-Chunk Nation’s enduring presence and rich culture, from centuries-antique beadwork to stories passed down through generations.Early European settlement left its mark on the La Crosse area, shaping its farms, streets, and even the scent of fresh-cut timber along the river, likewise the story of logging along the Black River and how it fueled the local economy, from the echo of axes in the pines to barges heavy with timber.Honestly, La Crosse County’s brewing scene, where the scent of hops drifts from brick warehouses, thrives with rich tradition, as a result life bustles along the Mississippi, with steamboats churning past, mussel shells clinking in buckets, and fishermen casting lines into the measured, brown water.The center hosts educational programs, lively events, and ever-changing exhibits, turning it into a bustling hub where regional history comes alive, moreover the La Crosse Area Heritage Center welcomes visitors Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. To 4 p.m, with the final entry at 3:30-just enough time to catch the sunlight spilling across the ancient display cases, alternatively adults pay $5, students $4, and members of the La Crosse County Historical Society meander in free.It appears, The center draws visitors in with hands-on exhibits, well-crafted displays, and artifacts you can almost smell the age on, weaving together the rich, layered story of La Crosse’s history and its deep connection to the river and the land around it, as well as for almost thirty years, the Riverside Museum kept La Crosse’s river stories and cultural heritage alive, from steamboat photographs to weathered fishing nets.It closed in 2019, but its spirit lives on at the La Crosse Area Heritage Center, where the mission has grown to share the region’s story-its indigenous roots, rise of industry, and life along the wide, rolling Mississippi, furthermore if you want to explore La Crosse’s history and its deep ties to the river that carved its banks, the Heritage Center is still the destination to go.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-10-07
