Museum Exhibits

The Historical Museum & the Bird Family

The Charles H. Bird home, shown here in 1922, was donated to the village of Sun Prairie as a memorial to the first settler and his family.  Due to the weak condition of the home, the donor agreed to its removal and replacement by the current building, Sun Prairie's first Public Library. Learn more about this remarkable family and this historical building.

Bird Home BW

Brazee Lake Ho-Chunk

Native Americans were here in the "Four Lakes" region of Wisconsin, long before European settlers arrived. This painting of the Eben Peck cabin in 1837 (on display at the Wisconsin Historical Society) shows the first settler of Dane county sharing this bountiful land. Ho-Chunk families spent their summers hunting and fishing around Brazee Lake as Sun Prairie grew from a town to a village.   
Eben Peck cabin 1837

Georgia O'Keeffe Room

Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (1887-1986) was a world-renowned artist born in Sun Prairie, who leaned on her Wisconsin upbringing and strength to make her way in a predominately male art world. Known as "The Mother of American Modernism" she is remembered as a daughter of Sun Prairie with an historical marker where her house once stood, an avenue with her name and a dedicated room in our museum.
Our current exhibit highlights her relationships with family, art, and the City of Sun Prairie. 
Document

45 Years of Prairie Heritage Quilters  

The Prairie Heritage Quilt Show brought quilt enthusiasts and competitors from across the country to Sun Prairie from 1974 until 2019. Founded by Klaudeen Hansen, a nationally celebrated quilt maker, teacher, and judge, the Prairie Heritage Quilters are a story of a grassroots project that contributed to a national revival of quilting arts. Visitors are able to see two award winning quilts by members of the group and learn more about one of the Midwest's most beloved quilt shows. 


Five women holding vests quilted to say Prairie Heritage Quilters in front of wood panel wall.