ATTENTION
The alley behind the Museum is scheduled to be re-paved April 14 – May 16. The Museum’s parking lot will be inaccessible during this time.

Exhibits at the Castle

Through artifacts, images, documents and photographs, museum curators can unlock the past; they tell stories and enrich understanding of the people and experiences of the past. Our collections – the basis for our exhibits – include:

• 35,000 photographs dating back to the 1850s
• 25,000 3-dimensional artifacts
• and 800 cubic feet of official records, documents, letters, etc., dating back to the early 1800s.

Each of our exhibits features hands-on experiences as a means for people, particularly children, to become more engaged in the story.

New Exhibits

Constantly changing diverse and engaging exhibits provide a reason for visitors to return again and again.

The Times They Are A-Changin'
An exhibit about the 1960s. Explore Rock ‘n Roll, Civil Rights, Vietnam, the Space Program and other 60s topics through the experiences of local people. Sometimes amusing, sometimes sobering, this exhibit appeals to both those growing up in the era and those interested in the affects of cultural change during this time.

Ongoing Exhibits

AKA Houdini
The History Museum holds an important collection of performance paraphernalia and historic documents relating to Harry Houdini. The AKA Houdini exhibit, recipient of the 2005 American Association for State and Local History Award of Merit, became controversial months before it opened when people learned that the exhibit intended to allow visitors to perform Houdini’s escape illusions, thus exposing the secrets of the magician and violating the magician’s code of secrets. Regardless, the exhibit and its subject continue to draw interest for visitors, filmmakers, authors and news media.
Explore the virtual AKA Houdini exhibit »

In Her Own Words: Edna Ferber
Spend a few moments with Edna Ferber and enjoy her wit and perspectives on growing up in a small Midwestern town. Ferber won the Pulitzer Prize for So Big and was also the author of Cimarron, Showboat and Giant.

“I sometimes wish I was back on the Appleton Daily Crescent. No, I don’t either.”
~ E.F. to her sister, ca. 1923

Tools of Change
Examine the tools, the people, the work and everyday life in the Fox Valley region from 1840 to 1950. See the bank in Nichols that was robbed and the Model T Ford in a vintage gas station.

Virtual Exhibits

A.K.A. Houdini
Learn more about the world-renowned magician who claimed Appleton, WI as his hometown. Take the quiz and see if you are a Houdini expert!

Call to Duty: Outagamie County in World War II
This interactive exhibit focuses on the lives of Outagamie County residents, and their life-changing experiences during World War II on the homefront and the battlefront.

Houdini: A Magician Among the Spirits
Why did Houdini crusade against mediums? What is Spiritualism? Did medium debunking save Houdini's career? Has Houdini's spirit ever come back from the dead? These are some of the questions asked in this exhibit.

Joseph McCarthy: A Modern Tragedy
See the Museum's first exhibit about the life and times of this controversial man.