Bayfield Heritage Association

06/05/2026

🙌🏼🎆📜 Wow oh wow what an amazing line-up from our museum and heritage neighbors! Don't miss out! Bravo to all involved! 📜🎆🙌🏼

15th Annual Tony Woiak Summer History Festival Events coming up!
We hope to see you there!

06/02/2026

The Old Bayfield City Jail is OPEN for the summer!

Step inside for a self-guided tour and discover where Bayfield’s scallywags and ruffians once spent their time behind bars. 👮🏼‍♂️📜

Located at 201 Washington Ave., Bayfield WI. (If the door is open, head on it! Just make sure you don't get locked up!) 😝

You can also learn about Chief of Police Herman Sense's service there in the late 30s, before he became one of the first Wisconsin State Patrolmen: https://youtu.be/6ZKO09dXLRk?si=slpd5UtN5nH_OVAD

06/01/2026

Would you enjoy guiding visitors through Bayfield’s unique history right here at the museum? Join our team of Docents! Duties include interpreting exhibits, answering questions, and ensuring that visitors gain a deeper understanding of Bayfield’s heritage. We'll work with any timeframe that suits your schedule. At our Docent Orientation on Thursday at 10am at BHA (30 N Broad, Bayfield), we'll brief volunteers on general areas of Bayfield’s history and BHA exhibits.

Other ways to help include archiving/research in our Pike Research Center and weeding at Bayfield's Fountain Park. Stop on by Thursday to find out more! 📜🌻

Coffee and refreshments provided. Can't wait to see ya! 🎉🎆🎉

05/25/2026

Today we honor the courage, sacrifice, and extraordinary bravery for our country. Here's a list of our local heroes from 1941 (WWII) presented by the Bayfield Civic League. 🇺🇸

05/21/2026

👏💐👑We are proud to announce Fran Swanson as the recipient of the 2025–2026 Jerry & Mary Phillips Bayfield Award for Volunteerism in recognition of her decades of service and dedication to the Bayfield community. 🌹💪🌾

Since moving to Bayfield in 2002, Fran has contributed extensively through the Master Gardeners, Fountain Garden Park, the Civic League, the Bayfield Carnegie Library, Bayfield Schools, Big Top Chautauqua, Encore, the Bayfield Golf Course Board and here at the Bayfield Heritage Association where she continues her service today as one of the museum’s weekly docents.

Through years of quiet leadership and volunteerism, Fran has made a lasting impact across the Bayfield community. The Bayfield Heritage Association extends its sincere congratulations and gratitude for her remarkable service.

Join us in celebrating Fran Swanson!
🎊Jerry & Mary Phillips Bayfield Award for Volunteerism Celebration 🎊
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Bayfield Heritage Association
30 N Broad St. Bayfield, WI 54814

05/18/2026

Huge thanks to Bob Mackreth for his engaging presentation on the resilient women of the Apostle Islands. His stories uncovered the experiences of these remarkable women, including their strength, perseverance, and often-overlooked contributions within the Islands. 📜📖♀️

Find the online version below--a great listen for a rainy Monday:
https://www.bayfieldheritage.org/jmb-program-women-of-the-apostle-islands/

05/16/2026

Tomorrow (May 17 at 2pm)!! 💃🏼🩷

💐 Join us for our next program: Women of the Apostle Islands 💐

Sunday, May 17 @ 2PM at BHA

The history of the Apostle Islands is full of unforgettable women. Some were Ojibwe storytellers, some watched over lighthouse beacons alongside their husbands, others raised families at the islands’ fishing camps and stone quarries. Their strength, skill, and determination were an essential part of the islands’ past. This program will share stories of these women’s lives: stories of resilience and courage that were overlooked for too long and need to be told.

The Bayfield Heritage Association’s John Matthew Black Program Series is sponsored by the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy.

05/08/2026

🚂✨All aboard!!!✨🚂
Come see us tomorrow 1-4pm at BHA! 30 North Broad Street in Bayfield!

05/05/2026

🚂🛤️✨ Join us on Saturday, May 9 @ 1-4PM at BHA for a National Train Day Open House! ✨🛤️🚂

Celebrate National Train Day at the Bayfield Heritage Association, marking the 1869 anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Learn about Bayfield's rail history with our running model train display, enjoy a family-friendly scavenger hunt, and explore the exhibit at your own pace. Light refreshments will be available, making this a fun and welcoming event for train enthusiasts of all ages.