Museum Exhibits
first (Basement) floor Exhibits
The lower level of the museum contains our Jail, Toy Room, Early Farming, Tin & Blacksmith Shop, Early Tools, Kitchen, Laundry, & Newspaper Exhibits.
second (Main) Floor Exhibits
The main floor of the museum houses our Prehistoric Bison Bone Display, Native American Room, Military Room, Pioneer Town, and Logging Room.
third Floor Exhibits
The upper floor of the museum contains the old county courtroom and law library. Other exhibits found on this floor include the Victorian Parlor and Bedroom, Polk County Communities, Immigration, Crafting, Balsam Lake History, and Technology & Music exhibits.
item Donations
If you are interested in donating an item to the museum, please fill out the form below and one of our staff will reach out if we are interested. Please note, items should be relevant to Polk County’s history, clean, and free of musty odor, mold, or water damage. If you aren’t sure if the item will fit within the collections, let us know and we’d be happy to help!
Donations we cannot accept: newspapers, magazines, or Bibles.
Archives
To protect our fragile collections, we currently do not allow anyone outside of Museum staff and trained volunteers to handle archival materials.
If you would like a staff member to search for something on your behalf, the following apply:
Members Only: The first hour is free of charge; the fee for additional time will be prorated based on $30/hour. (See Membership page for information on becoming a member.)
Non-Members: Prorated at $60/hour
If you’re interested in having staff search for information for you, please complete the research request form below: