Fond du Lac County Historical Society: Location, Collections, and Visiting

Visit the Fond du Lac County Historical Society

Address: 324 North Peters Avenue, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Phone: (920) 922-1166
Website: fdlhistoricalsociety.org
Email: info@fdlhistoricalsociety.org

Location Context

• Neighborhood: Historic district, near downtown Fond du Lac.
• Parking: Street parking on Peters Ave and adjacent streets; small lot behind building.
• Accessibility: First floor wheelchair accessible; upper floors via stairs only (historic building).

Hours (Seasonal — Verify Online)

• May–October: Wednesday–Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM; Sunday 1–4 PM.
• November–April: By appointment only (call/email ahead).
• Closed: Major holidays.

What You'll Find

Galloway House & Village (Main Campus)

• Galloway House (1868): Italianate mansion of Edwin H. Galloway (lumber baron, banker, legislator). 14 rooms, original furnishings, gasoliers, walnut woodwork.
• Blakely Museum (1970s): Rotating exhibits: Victorian life, local industry (Giddings & Lewis machine tools, Mercury Marine), military, schools, commerce.
• Historic Village (8 buildings): One-room schoolhouse (1850s), log cabin (1840s), blacksmith shop, general store, print shop, chapel, train depot, outhouse.
• Carriage House: Vintage vehicles, sleighs, farm equipment.

Collections Highlights

• 15,000+ artifacts: clothing, textiles, tools, furniture, photographs, documents.
• Archives: City directories, plat maps, family histories, business records, newspapers (microfilm/digital).
• Giddings & Lewis machine tool archive (global leader in large machine tools, founded 1859 in Fond du Lac).
• Mercury Marine historical collection (founded 1939 in Fond du Lac).

Programs & Events

• Galloway House Folk Festival (June) — crafts, music, food, demos.
• Christmas at Galloway (Dec) — Victorian decorations, tours, concerts.
• History Pub Talks (monthly, local breweries).
• School tours (aligned with WI social studies standards).
• Genealogy workshops (with Fond du Lac County Genealogical Society).

Research Access

• Archives open by appointment (Wed–Sat, 10–4 in season).
• Research fee: $15/hr non-members; free for members.
• Digital requests: scanning/photocopy fees apply.

Membership & Support

• Individual $35; Family $50; Senior/Student $25; Business $100.
• Benefits: free admission, newsletter, research discounts, gift shop 10% off.
• Volunteer: docents, archives, events, gardens, maintenance.

Nearby History Sites

• Lakeside Park: Historic lighthouse (1933), carousel (1900), locomotive.
• Forest Mound Cemetery: Civil War monument, prominent local families.
• Fond du Lac Public Library: Local history room, digital collections.