We drove 5 hours from Illinois to come to this museum and aquariam…read more It was worth the time and costs. A ticket gains you admission for the day and the next day also. The museum exhibits were very interesting. The signage explained each exhibit very well. We purchased tickets for the 45 minute 4D film about the story of a mother whale and her baby whale's journey from Austraila to the Antartic. Spoiler Alert: The 4D effect was getting sprayed from above 5 or 6 times during the film. We are going to return tomorrow for day 2 of our admission.

We came on a Wednesday and explored before check in to our hotel. We got lucky and it was not…read morecrowded. Got to see the otter (we only saw one bu better than none!) and only a few exhibits were under construction/rehabilitation. I would recommend seeking out the hidden spots like the cave, mini movies, and the tower through out the expansive site. So many animals to encounter, tactile spaces for kids to touch and the newest ice dinosaur exhibit was epic for my son. All for one price and yes, it did take us two days to get through it all. Facilities are clean, many places to sit inside and outside were plenty of benches and shade in the outdoor areas.

Such a great time! The grandkids loved it almost as much as we did. The owners are such great…read morehosts, and you truly will be amazed by all the fun details! So much to see. Don't forget the train ride!

Such a great place for kids (young and old)! I'd recommend planning to spend about an hour there…read more There's lots of buttons to push for the kids and TONS of details to keep the adults busy.

I was just in town for the weekend wanted to check out historical sites.. the buildings sign out…read morefront said the jail tours are closed to renovations :/ Looked cool tho

It's a great place to go to: Their is however an Erie felling in the air it was a place for the…read moreworst criminals and a museum of a lot of american history from when you walk through the squealing doors to the raftors above it's a great and scary place to be just think of all the murders

If not for the Carrie Pearce exhibition, 'The Merry Makers,' my visit here would have been one of…read moreutter regret. This is a small museum and the draw is the even smaller collection of Grant Wood paintings. While you can take photos of most works here -- there isn't much of the permanent collection displayed -- the Woods are off limits to your photo shutter. That's just silly and the museum should embrace its few strengths. Ms. Pearce's paintings here made my visit. They are magical and were inspired by a woman named Ina who, many decades ago as a little girl, suffered from tuberculosis and was confined to a body cast for ten years. She underwent almost countless spinal surgeries. Her parents were permitted to visit just once a month. It's a heartbreaking story but the paintings here reflect the artist's vision of a girl who was forced to rely on just a few toys and the saving power of her imagination to survive. These scenes are dreamscapes meticulously and lovingly constructed. Due to the pandemic, at this time we are all in a state of our own cautious confinement. Having to withdraw from our family, friends, and neighbors, we now use time to explore our individual and collective imaginations. As we ruminate inside our homes, how will we picture and envision our future? It's scary right now but Ina is an example that we can thrive: in spite of all that she went through as a child, according to Ms. Pearce, Ina is 89 years old and healthy.

A lovely very small art museum that has a wonderful collection of Grant Wood lithographs from…read more1939-1940 which makes it worth the visit. Also a permanent collection of photographs of Native Americans early 20th century by Curtis. A room full of Royal Copenhagen ceramics from Art No era is quite impressive. Staff friendly.

Why is this museum so exceptional?! Seriously, I am a museum junkie for sure, and this is one of…read morethe BEST learning spaces I have ever seen. Especially, considering the small size of the community, and the distinctly rural nature of its history, the stories shared are compelling, beautifully rendered, and artistically curated. I did not expect to spend so much time reading every sign and exploring every detail of the artifacts on display - well done to the team behind this space! Special recognition goes to the portion of the exhibit covering the Native residents of the area. An accurate depiction of removal and resettlement, an honest account of the human impact of settlement and colonization, as well as an up to date account of the current status of the first residents - this is the most complete and accurate account I have seen in a Wisconsin museum, and it is very appreciated. The telegraph exhibit comes alive when you approach - be warned, it scared me! LOL - but I bet kids love it.

Update: I need to be more patient! This new completed exhibit was worth the wait! They brought back…read morethe general Store exhibit and expanded on the old museum 10x it's shiny new and has a very engaging layout. Lots to read and look at very educational. Open Wednesday-Sunday $4.00 for adults $3.00 for seniors Old review: I had been to the original museum a few years before the renovation. The old location was crammed full of photos, artifacts and exhibits that although in a small space, it took quite a bit of time to get through and read and see everything. The old gift shop had a general store vibe and was a bit lackluster. The new renovation is beautiful! The exhibit seems much more spread out and small than the old one. The new gift shop is top notch! Lots of awesome books, gifts and cool trinkets. The guy said they are still working on a few installations that are not yet completed. I will be very interested to go back again when it is completed. The museum is technically free or pay what you will, I paid on my way in and wished I had paid after I walked through, I hope my generous donation goes towards the completion of the other exhibits! This place had a lot of potential.

Free but donations asked so it's a kind place. $5 per adult suggested. Beautiful 3000 square foot…read morehome and a beautiful time nearby also bc there are surrounding homes and the general store. Tours are so interesting about who he was and how they lived. This home was kept very well and we enjoyed the visit. They even have an exhibit of the presidents animals.

I had an absolutely wonderful tour here yesterday. I arrived in the middle of the snowstorm and…read moreyou're supposed to wait on the porch til the next tour but one of the people running the tours saw me waiting out there and let me in early, which was beyond nice of them. The lady giving our tour was incredibly knowledgeable, and had some very funny dry humored quips that I appreciated. I actually learned some things about Grant that I was unaware of, so it was a very fun and educational tour. Would definitely come back and do it again for sure.

My cousin really wanted to come here and I didn't even know what it was. We drove here from St…read more Louis to come see this attraction. I came in blind, not knowing what it was. It was super impressed. It literally kept going on and on and on. so many fun interesting things. We stopped and got a hotdog at the cafeteria, which was nice because we were getting a little hungry and thirsty on this long walk. I would recommend bringing dollar bills so you can buy coins and put them into the different coin operated machines that they have. They have a lot of those around the entire facility and it's one of the only interactive options. Obviously everything looked really cool. I think that the only thing that would make it better would be to have a more interactive aspect to some of the parts, but I'm not sure how they would do that and I don't think they're gonna change anything. It's still well worth a visit.

This place is immense! We walked over 3 miles to see all the collections amazed by former owner…read moreAlex Jordan. It can be overwhelming if you have sensory issues, so keep that in mind. Lots of lights and lots sounds, not to mention the number of things to look at. Plan for walking up and down hills and walkways/stairs. Some areas are too narrow for mobility aids and might be a tight fit if you are plus sized, like I am. That said, it was worth every step to see it all. The automated music machines, infinity room, and the carousels were my favorite parts. I'm sure there's plenty I didn't notice, so I would return to take in more of it. Be prepared for irregular temperatures throughout the experience, as you move between indoors and outdoors and gated locations versus not. There are many restrooms along the way, as well as a cafe halfway through where you can rest and recharge. We didn't stop there, but it smelled great as we walked through. Get your tokens at the front desk to save a little money. You'll need them for the automated music machines. I bought 15, but I could have used 5-10 more. Luckily, you still get to watch and listen when others use their tokens.

Great museum. We'd…read morevisited here last, about 20 years ago. Memory fades and it was time to revisit on this trip. All exhibits are housed inside on 2.5 floors. There is also a gift shop and restrooms. I found no elevator. We paid (senior rate saves $1 each) and went into a seating room where there used to be a video projection (no longer working). The staff member there today, Les, led everyone into this room to be seated. Les spoke about the rich history of Galena and he was quite detailed. We found this worthwhile. After the speech, we looked around this room at mostly US Grant artifacts, then we headed to a very large back room that has many displays, dioramas etc. on Galena. Lead mining had a rich history here for a few decades, so there was a lot of mining history on display. When we were done downstairs, we walked upstairs where there is a smallish room on the 2nd floor and a much larger room on what I'd call floor 2.5. Floor 2.5 had mostly wartime history while floor 2 had a variety of history on display. Note that the stairs are fairly steep. The first set also has a 90 degree turn near the top. There is a low, wooden banister-style handrail on one side. To access floor 2.5, there are another 6 or 8 steps to get up to it and there's a metal handrail for them. All in all - it's a pretty well done history museum for a small community and it was worth the time. I'd recommend this useful to anyone who wonders, "why does this town exist, how was it formed and what does its evolution look like". We enjoy museums like this.

What a great little museum! We didn't know what to expect, but I can honestly say we were blown…read moreaway! The ladies that welcomed us were so friendly and knowledgeable about the museum! There was so much packed in! It wasn't only about Grant but about the whole settling of Galena and all the way back to the ice age! I have to say this is a gem of a place and definitely a must see! It's clean and reasonably priced! We will definitely come back when we come to visit again.

This is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it museum on the way to House on the Rock. It is totally worth…read moreyour time to stop. Fantastic collection of local, regional, and global crystals, fossils, gems, and rocks. The owner will give you some history on the collection and then you can just wander and gape at all the cool stuff. There's an entire room of fluorescing rocks. There are massive geodes. There are even more massive fluorite specimens. There are even fossilized lightening strikes! That's right, lightening strikes. There's also a stable so you can go for a ride and visit the museum in one stop.

While it may look unassuming, this is an amazing little museum. The specimens are truly remarkable…read moreand the owner is a kind old man who's happy to share his passion with you. It does cost $7 to get in, but that's a small price to pay for the intimate experience. There is also a small gift shop that's perfect for mineral or fossil nerds (plus it's very reasonably priced. If you're stopping by House on the Rock, Taliesin, or Cave of the Mounds, you need to stop by here! It's criminally underrated! Definitely going to stop by here again.