Programs and
Special Events
Upcoming Events
Make Music Platteville at the Museums
Date: June 21
Cost: FREE
Make Music Day is a world-wide celebration of music held annually on the summer solstice, June 21. This year marks Platteville’s seventh year in the Make Music Celebration. The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums will once again participate, stay tuned for details!
Heritage Day
Date: July 4
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Heritage Day is a July 4th community celebration of Platteville’s rich history and bright future that draws more than 700 visitors annually. Visitors will enjoy a day of games, historical demonstrations, special exhibits, live music, and food.
Pick & Gad Raffle
Dates: July 4 to August 20, 2022
Support the Friends of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums and win valuable cash prizes by purchasing a ticket to the annual Pick & Gad Raffle. This fun and important fundraiser started last year and tickets can be purchased at the Museum. Sales will open on Heritage Day, July 4, and the drawing will take place on Mine Day, August 20.
Mine Day
Date: August 20, 2022
Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Platteville's classic festival of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math will feature STEAM exhibitions and games as well as live music and family-focused special events, including demonstrations of blacksmithing, a pneumatic drill, and an earth science and mineral exhibition.
Past Events
Spring Community Free Day
Date: May 1
Time: All Day, Reservation Recommended
Cost: FREE for Platteville residents
To thank the citizens of Platteville for their continued support, The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums is offering two community free days: season opening day, May 1; and season closing day, October 31. Museum admission, including a Guided Mine Tour and Train Ride (weather Permitting) will be free to Platteville residents. Registration is suggested.
Winter Lyceum (7 of 7): "Oral History Interviewing Theory, Processes, and Techniques"
Zoom Webinar
Date: April 3
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by Luke Sprague
This talk by Luke Sprague, Oral Historian for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison, is a quick beginner’s-level training for people who want to conduct oral history interviews. There are three parts to the talk, and we will cover all three in brief. Part one covers the theory, ethics, and principles of conducting oral history interviews. Part two explains the pre-interview processes and the interview guide development. Part three reveals some good interview techniques.
Winter Lyceum (6 of 7): "GIS in the Mining District"
Zoom Webinar
Date: March 27
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by Dr. Nancy Von Meyer
Dr. Nancy Von Meyer, who began her career in Platteville as a mining engineer and went on to become a pioneer in the field of digital mapping, presents her insights into the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the Tri-state area’s Upper Mississippi Valley Mining District. She will also explore public mapping, and will help identify GIS data and maps that would be useful for museum enthusiasts. Nancy von Meyer is an expert in GIS and land records and is the president of Fairview Industries, where she has solved many problems related to land records.
Winter Lyceum (5 of 7): "13,000 Years of Driftless Ingenuity"
Zoom Webinar
Date: March 20
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by a panel of archeologists
In conjunction with unveiling a new analysis of nearly 1,200 Native American stone tools in the collection of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, a panel of archeologists will reveal how stone tools were made in this nook of the Driftless Region, and how the museum collection demonstrates the ingenuity of native peoples who inhabited this area through time. From the end of the Ice Age though the period of European contact, Native Americans crafted tools in response to changing natural and cultural environments. The materiality and design of implements were adapted to different flora and fauna over time and for each season. A flintknapping demonstration and sneak peek of a new museum exhibit (supported in part by a major grant from Wisconsin Humanities) will be included.
Winter Lyceum (4 of 7): "Changes in Wisconsin Ecosystems and Environments Since the Last Ice Age"
Zoom Webinar
Date: March 13
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by Dr. Jack Williams
UW-Madison geography professor Dr. Jack Williams paints a picture of the ecological upheaval of the North American landscape just after the retreat of the ice sheets 15,000 years ago. Recent research using fossil pollen, charcoal and dung fungus spores help us visualize a post-ice age terrain different from anything in the world today. The disappearance of mammoths, giant beavers, ground sloths and other large animals preceded a massive change in plant communities, providing new insight into the dynamics of extinction and its pervasive influence on a given landscape.
Pasty Sale Fundraiser!
Pick up: March 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Our inaugural Pasty Fundraiser received an amazing response! Over 2,500 pasties were orders, blowing our expectations out of the water. These 7-ounce pasties were offered frozen, to be baked at home for a piping hot meal and accompanied by your favorite condiment. (We recommend chili sauce.) Thank you to everyone who ordered pasties and made our first Pasty Fundraiser a fantastic success. We will do this again in the future, so stay tuned if you missed the first one or are hungry for more!
Winter Lyceum (3 of 7): "An Overview of Wisconsin Mining History"
Zoom Webinar
Date: March 6
Time: 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by Brad Gottschalk
Platteville-raised Archivist for the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Brad Gottschalk, presents an overview of the history of mining in the state of Wisconsin. Not limited only to the Upper Mississippi Valley Lead-Zinc District, mining in the state has included development of Banded Iron Formations, Volcanogenic Massive Sulfides, silica sand deposits and more.
Winter Lyceum (2 of 7): "Ho-Chunk Sovereignty, Black Voices, and the Driftless Lead Boom, 1825-1848"
Zoom Webinar
Date: February 27
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by Dr. Gene Tesdahl and Dr. Joshua Wachuta
Native American history and African American history have deep roots in the Driftless Region. Come appreciate the complexities that Ho-Chunk leaders, African American lead miners, and U.S. officials negotiated during the Driftless lead boom, 1825-1848. The region witnessed illegal slavery even as it transitioned from free Michigan Territory to free Wisconsin Territory ending in Wisconsin statehood as a free state. Ho-Chunk leaders including Caaxšépsgaaga, Wakąjawįxka, and Wanįg-sučka sought to maintain their ancestral rights to the lead region, but faced an overwhelming U.S. military occupation after 1827. Enslaved black lead workers Paul Jones and Toby Dodge navigated their way through this period gaining freedom as Wisconsinites along the way.
Winter Lyceum (1 of 7): Dr. James Wright Presents "From Zinc Miner to Dartmouth College President"
Zoom Webinar
Date: February 20
Time: 5-6:30 p.m.
Cost: $4 or $20 for the entire lecture series
Presented by James Wright
In this engaging conversation with Dr. James Wright, the son of a World War II veteran and grandson of a miner, we will hear a fascinating story with roots in the Upper Mississippi Valley mining district. This dialogue will explore how Wright enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Galena High School and returned home to experience a fascinating career trajectory from working as a powderman in the Birkett and Graham mines to becoming an accomplished historian, educator, and president of Dartmouth College. He graduated from what was then the Wisconsin State College and Institute of Technology in 1964 and remains grateful to his Platteville undergraduate faculty mentors for their support and encouragement.
Frozen Mine Experience
Location: The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums
Date: Saturday, February 19
Time: 1-4 p.m., tours depart every half hour
Cost: $12 ages 13+, $10 ages 65+, $6 ages 5-12, $3 ages 0-4
Visitors to Platteville’s underground frozen mine discovered a miraculous wonderland of natural ice sculptures. They learned about the differences between caves and mines and celebrated the beauty of the natural wonders of winter underground.
In 2021, cold February temperatures brought natural ice stalagmites, nicknamed "ice cobras," to the Bevans Mine. These beautiful formations grew up to four feet tall. This year, the museum will provided a "Frozen Mine Experience" where visitors can experience these unique and wonderful formations first-hand.
Holiday Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
Dates: December 3, 10, and 17
Time: 4-9 p.m.
Cost: $120 per 10-person ride
Riders delighted in the holiday spirit with horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Platteville! Visitors enjoyed the scenery and holiday lights around town while learning about local history and key architectural landmarks with the sights and sounds of a beautiful team of draft horses.
Friends Annual Meeting and Program
Dates: November 13
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Cost: Free for members
This year the Friends of the The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums welcomed Ben Strand to speak at their Annual Meeting on his new book "A Black Hawk War Guide: Landmarks, Battlefields, Museums and Firsthand Accounts." The Annual Meeting and Program is offered as a free benefit for 2021 members of the Friends of the Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums and donors over $35. The event serves as a museum fundraiser encouraging visitors to join, renew, or make their annual gift, as well as to thank volunteers, donors and board members. Attendees enjoyed heavy hors d'oeuvres, time to mingle, and the Annual Meeting reviewing the year’s accomplishments at Museums followed Strand's talk.
Fall Community Free Day
Date: October 31
Time: All Day, Reservation Required
Cost: FREE for Platteville residents
This year the Museums are commemorating three milestone anniversaries - the 50th of the completion of the Mining Museum, the 45th of the opening of the Bevans Mine, and the 40th of the Rollo Jamison Museums! To thank the citizens of Platteville for their continued support, The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums offered two community free days: season opening day, May 1; and season closing day, October 31. Museum admission, including a Guided Mine Tour and Train Ride (weather Permitting) was free to Platteville residents.
Haunted Mine Tours
Date: October 30
Time: 5-9 p.m.
Cost: $14
Experience Platteville’s spookiest Halloween tradition! Visitors descended deep into the 1845 Bevans Mine for a lantern lit tour to discover historical truths that are stranger than fiction.
Sweet Treats
Date: October 30
Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Cost: Free!
As part of the Sweets Treats on Main event held by the Platteville Main Street Program, the museum offered one free train ride per child as a “treat.” While the children and their families wait for their turn on the train, they created a fun Halloween craft for children ages 3 and up. This year’s craft was a paper lantern.
UW-Platteville Family Day
Date: October 2, 2021
Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums and the University of Wisconsin Platteville are partnered for Family Day on October 2nd. UW-Platteville students and family recieved a special rate with additional tour times available.
2021 Miners Ball
Date: September 17th, 2021
Time: 5 p.m.
Cost: $50
The Friends of the Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums are pleased to carry on the tradition of this classic Platteville dance celebration started by engineering students in the 1930s. This formal event for couples of all ages invites everyone passionate about the history of Platteville to dress up, to enjoy a great dinner, and to swing to the music of a Big Band orchestra— just like generations of young engineers in training did starting back in 1926.
Historic Re-enactment
Dates: September 10-12 Postponed
After much soul-searching and discussion, the 24th annual Platteville Historic Re-enactment, scheduled for September 10-12 at Platteville’s Mound View Park, has been postponed because of the steadily rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the area. We hope to see you next year.
See the VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING and CURRICULM MATERIALS available on our website. Video content, resources, and activities provide tools and inspiration for educators to use with their students. Teachers can use this material in place of attending the annual Historic Re-enactment or for assignments and projects related to our regional history. We hope the resources will spark memories of past visits to the Historic Re-enactment, and build anticipation for future visits.
Pick & Gad Picnic — A Volunteer Thank-You Event
Date: August 21, 2021
Time: 4-5:30 p.m.
Cost: Free for Volunteers
The museum celebrated our volunteers in honor of the Museums’ trifecta of anniversaries: the 50th of the completion of the Mining Museum, the 45th of the opening of the Bevans Mine, and the 40th of the Rollo Jamison Museum. Attendees enjoyed a picnic in the Museums’ backyard, special small group tours of the 1863 Rock School (the original Mining Museum), and sneak peek at plans for the future!
Interested in volunteering?
Visit www.mining.jamison.museum/volunteer to complete a volunteer interest form.
Mine Day
Date: August 21, 2021
Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Mine Day commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the Grand Opening of the Mining Museum on August 21, 1971 and the 45th Anniversary of the re-opening of the Bevans Mine in 1976. Visitors enjoyed a day of earth science and industrial crafts fun and festivities. Steve Bussan, author of "Mining the Driftless," gave a book talk and signing. Visitors sew a pneumatic drill in action, a carbide lamp being lit, model rockets streaking through the sky, and a blacksmith at work, as well as half-price admission all day.
Loren Farrey Memorial Open House
Date: August 14, 2021
Time: 1-4 p.m.
The Farrey family held a memorial open house for Loren Farrey, who passed away in December of 2020. Loren was a man of many talents; an educator, mining historian, author, genealogist, and storyteller. Everyone was invited to stop by the Museums, share stories with Loren’s family and friends, and see his contributions to The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, no admission fee required.
Young Pioneers Camp
Date: July 19-22, 2021
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Cost: $35 | Registration Required (Scholarships available)
Young Pioneers was a fun four-day camp for students entering 2nd through 5th grades. Participants traveled into the past and experienced what life was like in the 1800s.
College for Kids
Date: July 12-16, 2021 | Virtual
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Cost: $149 per household per program, +$99 for families with children registered for both programs
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Youth Programs have gone virtual in 2021, and The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums collaborated with the Sauk County Historical Society in the creation of "How To Power-UP STEAM with History: College for Kids and Middle University."
Heritage Day
Date: July 4
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Heritage Day is a July 4th community celebration of Platteville’s rich history and bright future that draws more than 700 visitors annually. This year Heritage Day was held in person at the Museums again. Visitors enjoyed a day of games, historical demonstrations, special exhibits, live music, period costumes, and food.
Make Music Platteville at the Museums
Date: June 21
Time: 12:00-2:00
Make Music Day is a world-wide celebration of music held annually on the summer solstice, June 21. This year marks Platteville’s sixth year in the Make Music Celebration. The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums hosted two back-to-back events on the front lawn.
12:00-1:00 This Moment In Time was a special gathering to honor and remember those that have been affected by COVID 19. Plan to play the gong at this participatory event. We will feel the vibrations over the hour in this solemn moment.
1:00-2:00 TriState Homeschool Choir gave a wonderful performance of music from a variety of styles, from Scottish folk songs to covers of 90s pop music.
2021 Walk Down Main
Date: May 4, 2021 | Virtual /Live Hybrid Event
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Cost: Virtual Presentation/Walk Only, $10 Presentation/Walk/Dinner, $45/Single or $80/Couple
Discover the influences of architect Henry Kleinhammer around downtown Platteville during the hybrid virtual/live 2021 Walk Down Main. View a virtual presentation by James Hibbard via Zoom with live Q&A and take a self-guided walking tour of 14 featured buildings. Co-hosted by the Platteville Main Street Program and The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums. Image courtesy of UW-Platteville's Southwest Wisconsin Room and The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums.
Spring Community Free Day
Date: May 1
Time: All Day, Reservation Required
Cost: FREE for Platteville residents
Celebrate with us! This year the Museums are commemorating three milestone anniversaries - the 50th of the completion of the Mining Museum, the 45th of the opening of the Bevans Mine, and the 40th of the Rollo Jamison Museums! To thank the citizens of Platteville for their continued support, The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums is excited to offer TWO community free days: season opening day, May 1; and season closing day, October 31. Museum admission, including a Guided Mine Tour and Train Ride (weather Permitting) is FREE to Platteville residents. Reservations are required.
Winter Lyceum (7 of 7): “The Mining Museum’s Bevans Mine Adventure 45 Years Later”
The Platteville Mining Museum had only been in existence for a short time when staff and leadership began making plans to re-discover the 1845 Bevans Mine in the museum's backyard and to open it safely to the public using the latest in mine safety technology and Platteville-trained talent. On March 28, 2021, the Museums celebrated the legacy of our region's unique history through the words of actual local folks who not only had the know-how and commitment to make the Bevans Mine opening a reality, but who made this community mining project the City of Platteville's celebratory project in honor of the American Bicentennial and Platteville Sesquicentennial in 1976.
Winter Lyceum (6 of 7): “Kaiten: Japan’s WWII Human Torpedo That Stunned the U.S. Navy”
Mike Mair Presented “Kaiten: Japan’s WWII Human Torpedo That Stunned the U.S. Navy.” WWII ended 50 years earlier when a stunning discovery in 1995 led to a 25-year journey for Mike Mair of Platteville. John Mair, a U.S. Navy veteran, had never revealed to Mike and his siblings the horrific sinking of his ship USS Mississinewa (AO-59) on November 20, 1944. Mike interviewed nearly 300 U.S. and Japanese veterans, reviewed naval records, made scuba dives on Mississinewa while writing the book “Kaiten.”
Winter Lyceum (5 of 7): “The Archeology of the Southern Driftless Area”
Driftless Pathways archaeologists Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt and Danielle Benden presented a virtual tour of the Native American cultural landscape in Wisconsin’s southern Driftless Area. Boszhardt and Benden summarized the 13,000 year human history of this region, from the end of the last Ice Age until Euro-American contact. This program illustrated the story of how Native Americans successfully adapted to an ever-changing landscape for millennia, as demonstrated in the camps, villages, effigy mounds, cave art and artifacts that people left behind.
Winter Lyceum (4 of 7): “Curiosity Paving the Way for Perseverance”
Becky Williams Presented “Curiosity Paving the Way for Perseverance.” Understanding the past habitable conditions on Mars is a primary scientific driver for NASA’s Curiosity rover. During the last eight years, Curiosity has traversed across diverse terrain within Gale crater and drilled the Martian surface over two dozen times. Dr. Williams provided an update on the latest scientific findings and shared spectacular snapshots from the rover’s journey. She presented an overview of Perseverance, NASA’s robotic mission to Mars, which landed at Jezero crater on February 18, 2021.
Winter Lyceum (3 of 7): “From Beetown to Atlanta: The Tale of a Civil War Drum”
Jeff Schave Presented “From Beetown to Atlanta: The Tale of a Civil War Drum.” In August of 1862, Burt Sumner and James Hayden traveled from Beetown to the county seat of Lancaster to enlist and answer President Lincoln’s “Call to Arms.” Serving in Company “C” of the Wisconsin 25th Regiment as musicians, they would march through Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia. As a silent witness to these events, Burt Sumner’s snare drum has not had the opportunity to share its stories and experiences. This presentation gave voice to this rare and unique artifact, and thus shared with pride “A Drums Tale.”
Winter Lyceum (2 of 7): “Black History: The Legacy of Slavery and Freedom in Wisconsin”
Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, Clayborn Benson, and Wilbur Arms, presented “Black History: The Legacy of Slavery and Freedom in Wisconsin.” They explored the rich African American history of southwest Wisconsin. The panel was a collaboration between the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum of Milwaukee and the Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums of Platteville. Panelists explained ways bold Americans like America Jenkins, Paul Jones, and Rachel endured illegal enslavement in Wisconsin and reinvented themselves as free Wisconsinites. Learn how the Shepard, Greene, and Grimes families built Pleasant Ridge in 1850, a free black community west of Lancaster. Consider why their legacy reverberates across Wisconsin and beyond still today.
Winter Lyceum (1 of 7): “Rollo Jamison: 40 years in Platteville”
Patrick Daniels Presented “Rollo Jamison: 40 years in Platteville” on February 7, 2021. Forty years ago, Rollo Jamison, who had spent his lifetime “saving history,” donated his one-man museum to the City of Platteville. In this presentation, Patrick Daniels talked about Rollo’s life in Beetown, Wisconsin; finding a new home for the collection, moving the collection to Platteville, and the early days of the Rollo Jamison Museum, including the first Heritage Day which was a grand opening celebration culminating in a dedication of the museum on June 14, 1981. A recording of this event will be available on our Virtual Programs page soon.
Winter Pioneer Camp
Friends Annual Meeting & Program: Slavery in Platteville, Part 3
The final lecture in a three-part series by Historian James B. Hibbard: "Black Lead Miners in Platteville: The Story of William Maxwell." This presentation highlights William Maxwell's career as a Black lead miner. Maxwell holds the distinction of establishing his own lead diggings in Platteville, where he employed four other miners. He was also the first Black man in Grant County to successfully use the court system to collect a debt. A link to the recorded program will be added soon.
Friends Annual Meeting & Program: Highlights of 2020 & Plans for 2021
The Friends of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums Annual Meeting. Friends Board and Museum staff presented highlights of the Museums’ 2020 accomplishments; revealed exciting plans and milestones for 2021; introduced museum staff members, including the new collections care team; and recognized and thanked the Museums many volunteers. A link to the recorded program will be added soon.
Holiday Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
Date: December 4th, 11th, 18th
The Museums celebrated the holiday spirit with horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Platteville. Participates enjoyed the scenery and holiday lights around town while learning about local history and key architectural landmarks with the sights and sounds of a beautiful team of draft horses. If you missed the opportunity in 2020 or want to enjoy the experience again watch for information next November.
Slavery in Platteville, Part 2: The Rountree Family
Date: Thursday, October 22nd
Time: 7:00 p.m
Cost: FREE, Registration required
The second in a series of three presentations by historian James B. Hibbard. This presentation chronicles Platteville founder John H. Rountree’s ownership of slaves. It will look in depth at the circumstances surrounding Rountree’s slave ownership, his treatment of them, especially “Sister Rachel,” and how he eventually became an antislavery Republican. A Q&A with the speaker will follow each talk. For the health of our visitors, the presentation will be held via Zoom.
Slavery in Platteville, Part 1: The Mitchell Family
Date: Thursday, September 17th
Time: 7:00 p.m
Cost: FREE, Registration required
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HOURS
In Season: May - October | Open Daily | 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Off Season: November - April | Closed Except for Seasonal Programs
Store Hours: December 3, 10, & 17
4-9 p.m. for Holiday Carriage Rides
405 East Main Street, P.O. Box 780 Platteville, WI 53818
(608) 348-3301