Fort Crawford stood guard over Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, from 1816 until 1856. Now, the Fort Crawford Museum displays the history of the fort, its city, and the many lives that crossed here.
Visit us May through October for a self-guided tour, reserve a group tour, or attend an upcoming event. Your group may setup a tour November-April by calling 608-326-6960.
Visit us May through October for a self-guided tour, reserve a group tour, or attend an upcoming event. Your group may setup a tour November-April by calling 608-326-6960.
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS2025 Annual Membership Meeting - January 9, 2025 - Dousman House, Prairie du Chien
The Prairie du Chien Historical Society will hold its annual dinner on Thursday January 9, 2025. The gathering will be held at The Dousman House on St. Feriole Island. The public is invited. 2025 will be the 200th anniversary of the Great Council and Treaty of Prairie du Chien. Because of the importance of this gathering, the dinner will focus on this event and Prairie du Chien in the 1820s. Most of the residents of Prairie du Chien in the 1820s were of French-Canadian heritage. The dinner menu will feature some favorite French-Canadian dishes, including Voyageur Yellow Pea Soup, Tourtiére, and Maple Crepes. Pete Shrake, archivist for Circus World Museum, is the guest speaker. His Grand Councils is a visual exposé of events that began at Prairie du Chien in August 1825. In August 1825, the largest gathering of Indian nations was held outside of Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien. The original intent was to broker a peace between several tribes west of the Mississippi. Though it ultimately failed in that regard, the treaty had a longer and more important impact on all the tribes of the Upper Mississippi River Valley and directly led to two additional councils, one held at Fond du Lac (Duluth) in 1826 and the other at Butte des Morts (Oshkosh) in 1827. Join Pete Shrake as he explores how these three treaties are explicitly linked with one another and together had a profound impact on the Indian nations of Wisconsin and on the development of the region throughout the early 19th century. The dinner is $25.00 a person, which includes a tour of The Dousman House. The evening begins at 5:30 pm with a social half hour; dinner is served at 6:00 pm. Reservations are required and due by January 6, 2025. The program begins at 7:00 pm. To make reservations, phone 608 326-6960 or 608 306-3355. 
Courier Press, May 3, 2023 - Article regarding new exhibit featuring the Peters Dioramas. Reprint with permission of the Courier Press, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. 
Group Tours
The museums of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society are great for groups of visitors - activities can be arranged for children, adults, and combinations of adults and children. See our Group Tour Information page to get more details. 
ONLINE MUSEUM STORE
The Museum Store is now taking orders for books, memberships and merchandise - Free curbside pickup and in-town delivery are options along with standard shipping for many of our products!! Find out more here... ONLINE DONATIONS
Funds are used to sustain, maintain and develop programming at the Fort Crawford Musuem - The Prairie du Chien Historical Society is recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a Charitable Organization (EIN 39-1846430), as such, your donations may be tax-deductible. St. Germain dit Gauthier-Coorough House
Follow the St. Germain dit Gauthier-Coorough House Project.
Learn how you can help the Prairie du Chien Historical Society restore the St. Germain dit Gauthier-Coorough House by clicking on the image for a viewable PDF file. |
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Things to To
See the Tools of Frontier Medicine Learn how army surgeon William Beaumont pioneered the study of human digestion through his experiments at the Fort Crawford Military Hospital. Next, discover Civil War Medicine and the history of the Swift U.S. Army Hospital.
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Explore Wisconsin's Military HistoryView the artifacts uncovered in archaeological excavations of old Fort Crawford as you follow the story of the Black Hawk War and its participants, including Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis.
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Delve into Prairie du Chien's PastSee how Wisconsin's second oldest city grew from a frontier fur trading village into a midwestern rivertown as you encounter exhibits on local schools, historic businesses, and the coming of the railroad.
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