south wood county historical museum

For a small-town museum, this place has a lot to offer. The changing exhibits and knowledgeable staff, make it a great place to visit. Be sure to check hours before stopping in.

Brings back memories from years back when this was the T.B. Scott Library. The location and building are picturesque. Flowers are well tended in the summer time. Lori is such a tremendous asset and help when you go there with questions. Plan to spend more time there this summer. There is much more to do and see there.

This is a fun local museum to visit whether you live in the Wisconsin Rapids area or are touring from elsewhere. My last visit with my 11 year-old lasted nearly two hours, during which time we learned a lot about our local community's history, starting with the Native American Indian arrowheads from 9,000 BC and going right through the European settlement, the logging industry, the American Civil War, paper-making, Cranberry farming and animation. Many of these things are specific to our area and that is what makes a local museum different from any other. There are also some general exhibits about bygone ways of life, such as the old school room, doctor's room, kitchen appliances section, and old-time general store.Of special interest when we visited was the Battle Of Gettysburg special exhibition, with hundreds of artifacts from the American Civil War on display. This would be of interest to any age, with young children interested in things like the tent set-up, uniforms and bullets, and the older people interested in the soldiers' diaries, and other more detailed exhibits.There is a large, well-interpreted exhibition about the lumber and logging industry in the basement, and this is illustrated with Gus Giese's magnificent model of a lumber raft. The cellar also houses a mock-up of a railway station area.The exhibition about Grim Natwick, the Wisconsin Rapids native who was the first artist to draw Betty Boop and her lead animator for several years is well worth attending if you are interested in art, cartoons, or animation. Many of Natwick's original works are on display there, as are commercial art he did for sheet music publishers and the local paper mill's newsletter. In view of the Betty Boop connection, there is also a collection of Betty Boop Memorabilia on the first floor up the stairs.The house itself should also be appreciated. Built in 1907 for the Witter family, Shadowlawn is a masterpiece of understated elegance. Despite the grand staircase, the house really can be seen as a family home, especially when one sees the display about the Witter family who built and lived in the house. The neo-classical exterior is offset by the beautifully-maintained gardens, which are worth a few minutes of your visit in their own right. Take time to view and read the Historic Marker to Grim Natwick, which is on the west side of the garden, nearest the river. This is a great way to spend time with the family or just soak up a bit of local history.