La Crosse Area Heritage Center

02/20/2026

Orby Moss Sr., the son of Zachariah Henry and Emma (Waldon) Moss, was born in La Crosse in 1902. Like his father and grandfather, Orby was a barber on the North Side of La Crosse on Copeland Avenue. He is remembered for continuing his family's barbering and boxing legacy in La Crosse. Though Orby was one of the last barbers of his family in La Crosse, other descendants still reside in the area.

La Crosse's Black Barbers from the La Crosse Area Heritage Center
Photo: Orby Moss, courtesy of the Moss Family

02/20/2026

Closed today due to snow. ❄️ We’ll reopen tomorrow from 12–4. See you then!

01/22/2026

Due to the cold weather, we will be closed on Friday and Saturday this week. Stay warm!

12/22/2025

We're closed for the holidays and will reopen on January 2, 2026. Wishing you a warm holiday season!

📷Downtown La Crosse, 1962. Image courtesy of UW-La Crosse Murphy Library Special Collections.

12/03/2025

✨ Step back into 1947 at Historic Hixon House this holiday season! ✨

We’re excited to offer 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 for our special holiday tours this weekend, thanks to a special arrangement: Friday, 4–6 pm, Saturday, 11–3 pm, & Sunday, 12–4 pm.

Did you know that just after WWII, Hixon House became a dormitory for about 20 young women attending the Vocational School (now WTC) and the Teachers College (now UWL)?
During the postwar housing shortage, Alice Green Hixon opened her family home to these students, and the house filled with laughter, late-night chats, shared meals, and plenty of holiday cheer.

🎉 This year’s holiday tours bring that moment to life with an end-of-term 1947 party—complete with foil wreaths, bubble lights, big band music, and festive punch!

🎄 Hixon House Holidays
🗓️ Dec. 5–7
🕓 Fri 4–6 pm | Sat 11 am–3 pm | Sun 12–4 pm
🎁 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, no tickets or reservations necessary
🍪 Enjoy complimentary punch & cookies in the Visitor Center
Come celebrate the season and a charming slice of La Crosse history with us!

11/10/2025

✨We’re getting ready to celebrate the holidays—like it's 1947 Historic Hixon House!✨

Did you know that right after WWII, Hixon House served as a dormitory for about 20 young women attending the Vocational School (now WTC) and the Teachers College (now UWL)? Alice Green Hixon opened the family’s home to them during the postwar housing shortage, and these “dorm girls” filled the rooms with laughter, late-night chats, and holiday cheer.

This year’s holiday tours recreate that moment in time with an end-of-term party—complete with foil wreaths, bubble lights, big band sounds, and plenty of punch!

🎄 Hixon House Holidays
🗓️ Nov. 21–23 & Dec. 5–7
🕓 Fri 4–6 pm | Sat 11 am–3 pm | Sun 12–4 pm
🍪 Complimentary punch and cookies in the Visitor Center!
More information and tickets: https://www.lchshistory.org/

09/25/2025

Gemütlichkeit! 🍻 Are you ready for this year's Oktoberfest? Just a friendly reminder that La Crosse Area Heritage Center and Historic Hixon House are closed during festing.

Photo: Neon Heileman's sign from our artifact collection.

07/17/2025

Come check out our new exhibit!

❗New Exhibit❗

Step into the city’s past through the eyes of Marion Cape Biehn (1911–1992), a beloved local artist who spent decades capturing the homes, storefronts, nature scenes, and civic landmarks of La Crosse in luminous watercolors and oils.

This special exhibition displays 27 original oil and watercolor paintings from the La Crosse County Historical Society's permanent collection and private collections. Sponsored by State Bank Financial, the exhibit runs until October 5, 2025, at the La Crosse Area Heritage Center.

📷: Marion Cape Biehn painting circa 1975. Image courtesy of the Biehn family.

07/04/2025

04/18/2025

We will be closed on Sunday, April 20th.

📷: Honeycomb decoration from the collection of the La Crosse County Historical Society. Despite being 50 to 70 years old, the bright colors on this centerpiece have hardly faded, and the little bunny could still hold his own on anyone’s Easter table.

04/03/2025

Today's the first day!

Today is the first day of our new exhibit, "Embroidered Narratives: The Hmong Journey through Story Cloths," at the La Crosse Area Heritage Center!

Check out this Story Cloth featured in the exhibit. The Thai text reads: “ประชาชนที่เฝ้าประเทศลาว,” which translates to “The people who watch over Laos.” Stitched and embroidered by an unknown Hmong artist. Collection of the LCHS, 2023.042.02.

LCHS is proud to partner with Dr. Vincent Her and student Yia Vue from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Archaeology and Anthropology Department to share and elevate the important historical stories of our Hmong friends and neighbors.

The exhibit is free and open to the public from April 3 - June 29, thanks to a grant from the City of La Crosse - Arts Board.

The Heritage Center is open Thursday-Sunday, 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm, last admission at 4:00 pm.

04/01/2025

Opening this Thursday!

We are thrilled to share our next special exhibit at the La Crosse Area Heritage Center, "Embroidered Narratives: The Hmong Journey through Story Cloths."

This exhibit will feature 18 Story Cloths from our artifact collection and loaned from the HCCC. This exhibit commemorates the 50th anniversary of Hmong resettlement in the United States and illustrates the history of the Hmong and Hmong Americans through various narratives, including folktales, traditional events, daily life in the mountain villages of Laos, the Secret War, and resettlement.

LCHS is proud to partner with Dr. Vincent Her and student Yia Vue from UW-La Crosse Archaeology and Anthropology Department to share and elevate the important historical stories of our Hmong friends and neighbors.

The exhibit is free and open to the public from April 3 - June 29, thanks to a grant from the City of La Crosse - Arts Board.
Starting in April, the Heritage Center will be open Thursday-Sunday, 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm, last admission at 4:00 pm.