A local history museum with a big story to tell, the Hoard Museum is like no other. Here you’ll meet the Sauk warrior Black Hawk and hear the story of the 1832 Black Hawk War. Find out what kind of soldier young Abraham Lincoln was and learn how “Fort Atkinson” came to be. Then, let us introduce you to two locals of whom we’re very proud - William Dempster Hoard, the father of the Wisconsin dairy industry, and world famous poet Lorine Niedecker. In between all this, you’ll see a dazzling collection of Native American artifacts, quilts, local artwork and much more. Visitors will also enjoy The National Dairy Shrine’s Visitors Center, which features a multimedia show that captures the sights and sounds of dairy farming – past, present and future. Museum Hours: Summer (Mem. Day to Labor Day) Tues. - Sat.: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Winter (Labor Day to Mem. Day) Tues. - Sat. 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. Be sure to check out our Local History page. There you'll find a database of articles about the history of Fort Atkinson. You can either search the articles by category or by a keyword search.

Remembering Mary Hoard Purchase in our new Gift Shop. Download our 2008 Membership Brochure See pictures from Fort Atkinson's past in the UW Digital Collections. Historic Fort Atkinson