Discovery Sites
How to Get There: Located on the south side of Madison on Highway 75
What You Will Find: A museum and a group of four historic outbuildings.
Services at This Site: Yes. Outbuildings not wheelchair accessible.
The Lac Qui Parle County History Center exhibits feature the pioneer lifestyle, agriculture, Civil War artifacts and more.
Built in 1972, the one-story log building holds thousands of exhibits relating to pioneer lifestyles, the Ethel Melum Doll Collection, a military display, Indian artifacts, a large game animal display, a county flora and fauna exhibit, Township Row, a photo gallery, a research library and extensive obituary.
In a separate one level, steel covered building displays many agricultural machines and tools. Here you will find blacksmith shop tools and transportation items like a surrey, sleigh, mail wagon, an old ambulance, stagecoach, covered wagon and street water wagon. Steel farm equipment and road building machines are available on display outdoors.
The four outbuildings not wheelchair accessible are:
- A fully furnished country school from the 1800’s; a log cabin from the 1870’s, furnished with pioneer items;
- The Robert Bly Study, an old country school completely restored, that world-famous poet-author-native son Robert Bly used as his work study when he lived on his farm southwest of Madison in the 1950’s and 1960’s;
- And a small gas station that is currently being restored.
Things to Do: Discovery Site, Museum
