Join us at the Hiram Smith Octagon House for the opening of the newest exhibit at the Neenah Historical Society on Monday, April 7th! "Growing Up Neenah: An All-American Childhood" takes a unique look at what makes the childhood experience of growing up in Neenah special.

Childhood is not simply a biological stage of life. It is the timeless, original adventure in which we all embark on. While the concept of childhood has changed over time, the experiences of those lucky enough to have grown up in Neenah have largely stayed the same. The Growing Up Neenah: An All-American Childhood exhibit will launch in April 2025 and run through November 2026.

Unique to our city is the Rocket Slide at Riverside Park, Brigade and Camp Onaway, the Santa Float, the Neenah Pool, Parks and Recreation programs, fishing in waterways and so on. Growing Up Neenah means indeed having, an All-American Childhood. The exhibit will feature unique stories from our History Harvest outreach.

The History Harvest was born out of the idea to capture the everyday stories of Neenah residents. This project has allowed us to broaden our archives and knowledge of the history of Neenah. Through a combination of online form responses, handwritten memories, and oral histories we have collected over 30 (and counting) new perspectives from individuals born and raised in Neenah

Join Neenah Historical Society Museum Coordinator, Miranda Ridener as she tells some of the fascinating stories uncovered from our history harvest. Starting in August of 2024, the Neenah Historical Society began harvesting childhood memories and stories from individuals that grew up in Neenah for our upcoming exhibit.

This presentation is free and open to the public.

Join local historian, Kara Rothkegel while she uncovers the people behind some of Neenah’s most well-known landmarks like Pickard Auditorium, Mahler Farm Subdivision, Shattuck Park and Kimberly Point Park.

This event is free and open to the public.

Join local realtor and Neenah Historical Society Board Member, Sara Laabs to learn about Neenah’s neighborhoods. Sara will touch on the unique characteristics of some of Neenah’s most well known and loved areas.

This event is free and open to the public.

There is nothing more magical than the Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Santa Float visiting your neighborhood every December. But how did this tradition begin? And how does it continue? Join Executive Director, Erica Suchyta to learn more about how the Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue brings Santa Claus to town every year.

Join us in raising funds for the Neenah Historical Society with a big band era theme party featuring a live 17-piece band. Tickets include food, beverage, swing dance lessons and a silent auction.

Saturday, November 9, 2024

6PM-9PM
The Alta Bank Building
101 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Neenah

Attendees are encouraged to dress in the style of the 1940's era.

Oak Hill Cemetery is one of the oldest municipally owned cemeteries in the United States. It serves as a final resting place for thousands of Neenah residents. Join Executive Director, Erica Suchyta for an evening exploring the 175-year history of this beautiful cemetery.

In a follow up to the March 2024 program on the Neenah Red Cross Chapter and WWII, join presenter Kara Rothkegel to learn more about Neenah’s support of the war effort in the 1940’s.

Civilians mobilized in dramatic and effective ways, supporting troops worldwide. Local industry shifted its focus to what it could make and produce for the United States Armed Forces. Every household adhered to ration cards and were encouraged to plant Victory Gardens. This presentation will give an overview of the numerous ways Neenah and its residents helped win the war.

Join us at Neenah’s Oak Hill Cemetery for a free gravestone preservation workshop!

Atlas Preservation is a family owned and operated business. They provide the highest quality of products needed for monument and gravestone restoration. Each year they tour America’s lower 48 states, stopping at one cemetery in each state and provide a workshop on monument restoration.

A typical workshop includes:

• Overview and discussion.

• Gravestone cleaning demonstration.

• Hands on opportunity to clean.

• Repair work discussion and demonstration.

No registration is required. Bring a chair, water and snacks. Wear weather appropriate clothing and closed toed shoes. Find more information on the 48 State Tour here.

The 2024 Annual Cemetery Walk at Oak Hill Cemetery will focus on the stories of four individuals directly impacted by the marriage of Isabel Bacon and C.R. Smith. The stories portrayed will be:

Isabel Johnson, Orrin Johnson, Ronald Rogers and Sylvia Shepard.

All of the presentations by costumed actors will take place in the newly renovated chapel at Oak Hill Cemetery in Neenah.

Suggested donation of $5/person or $10/car.

Bring your family to the Octagon House for a free afternoon of fun!

Pack a picnic to enjoy on our grounds, explore the exhibit at the Octagon House, walk through our beautiful gardens and play old time games.

We are in walking distance from Downtown Neenah, Arrowhead Park, Loop the Lake Trail and The Plaza!

The 2024 Annual Meeting and Dinner will be held at the Best Western Bridgewood Resort on May 16. The schedule is:

Welcome and Cocktail Hour 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Business Meeting 7:15 p.m.
Special Presentation by Jim Taylor - The Evolution of the Neenah Historical Society

Your RSVP (including meal choice), may be mailed with full payment to Neenah Historical Society, PO Box 343, Neenah, WI 54957 by Friday, May 3, 2023. Tickets are $35/person and payment can also be made through the Shop page on our website.

For nearly 150 years historians have portrayed Orville Babcock as one of the principal actors in the corrupt Ulysses S. Grant administration. This narrative has left Babcock to be seen as only a classic villain beside a naive and sometimes simple-minded Grant. Local historian, Peter Adams has approached the subject by studying Babcock and Grant not just as historical figures, but as men. 

During WWII the Red Cross mobilized in support of the U.S. miliary, our Allies and civilian victims. In nearly every American family, someone was a Red Cross volunteer, donor, blood donor, or received Red Cross services. Learn about the varied and numerous wartime efforts by the Neenah Red Cross during WWII from presenter Kara Rothkegel.  

Spend the evening exploring the life of Isabel Johnson with Associate Director, Erica Suchyta and Florence Bruno. Isabel Bacon-Rogers was a divorced mother when she married America’s wealthiest widower, Charles R. Smith of Menasha Woodenware. Learn about Isabels passion for men, architecture and the finer things in life.

Enjoy the holiday season with A Very Neenah Christmas. This member only event will feature free horse drawn carriage rides between the Octagon House and Future Neenah’s downtown event. We encourage everyone to warm up in the Octagon House with refreshments!

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with Oneida Storyteller, Debra Morningstar. Debra has been presenting cultural programs for 28 years and will cover aspects of Native culture and traditions. This program is sponsored by Old National Bank.

Join us in raising funds for the Neenah Historical Society with a fashion show featuring our rarely seen collection of vintage clothing!

Styled by board member Christa Vogt of Acre Vintage in downtown Neenah, over 30 pieces of clothing will be modeled with additional items on display.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in the style of their favorite era. Tintype portraits will be available for purchase by Silvergraphic. Tickets include food, beverages and a silent auction.

Join us for the third installment in our "Founders and Settlers" Series.

Led by Tom Van Lieshout, historians from the Neenah and Menasha Historical Societies will delve into the lives and impact of Amos Page and Reverend O.P. Clinton.

This is a pre-recorded presentation and will also be added to our YouTube channel.

A master of the keyboard, a composer of over 400 published pieces including Rattlesnake Rag and the official Wisconsin State Polka, Neenah High School graduate Eddy Hanson spent the better part of seven decades at work in the entertainment world. From his penniless days growing up in central Wisconsin to the top of the penthouse in Chicago his life was filled with successful adventures and personal mishaps. Through it all, Hanson remained true to his local roots and devotion to family.

This presentation will follow Eddy’s storied career in the form of a mini-drama while listening to several of his works.

Linda Harmon plays Eddy Hanson songs as playwright Patrick Phair narrates.

Celebrate Native American history and culture by joining the Neenah Historical Society and Menasha Historical Society for our Neenah-Menasha Intertribal Powwow. The pow wow will feature dancers and drum groups from throughout Wisconsin. Native American food will be available for purchase.

This drug and alcohol free event is free and open to the public.

Thank you to our generous sponsors - City of Neenah, Bay Bank and Future Neenah.

Bring your family to the Octagon House for a free afternoon of fun!

Pack a picnic to enjoy on our grounds, explore the exhibit at the Octagon House, walk through our beautiful gardens and play old time games.

We are in walking distance from Downtown Neenah, Arrowhead Park, Loop the Lake Trail and The Plaza!

The 2023 Annual Cemetery Walk at Oak Hill Cemetery will focus on the stories of four individuals who came to Neenah in the mid 1800s and helped establish our city.

Suggested donation of $5/person or $10/car load.

Bring your family to the Octagon House for a free afternoon of fun!

Pack a picnic to enjoy on our grounds, explore the exhibit at the Octagon House, walk through our beautiful gardens and play old time games.

We are in walking distance from Downtown Neenah, Arrowhead Park, Loop the Lake Trail and The Plaza!

Celebrate Neenah’s history with a night of Pub Trivia at The Dome!

Teams of 4 must register in advance. Call us for more details: 920-729-0244

Celebrate the Fourth of July at Riverside Park in Neenah. Come play historic games, take a walking tour of Wisconsin Avenue (12PM) or the Helen Kimberly Stuart Trail (2PM)

Bring your family to the Octagon House for a free afternoon of fun!

Pack a picnic to enjoy on our grounds, explore the exhibit at the Octagon House, walk through our beautiful gardens and play old time games.

We are in walking distance from Downtown Neenah, Arrowhead Park, Loop the Lake Trail and The Plaza!

The 2023 Annual Meeting and Dinner will be held at the Best Western Bridgewood Resort on May 25. The schedule is:

Welcome and Cocktail Hour 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Business Meeting 7:15 p.m.
Special Presentation by Chris Haese - City of Neenah Director of Community Development and Assessments

Your RSVP (including meal choice), may be mailed with full payment to Neenah Historical Society, PO Box 343, Neenah, WI 54957 by Friday, May 12, 2023. Tickets are $35/person and payment can also be made through the Shop page on our website.

Author and Oneida Nation member Dr. Carol Cornelius shares the history of the 1800’s removal era from the indigenous perspective. Many treaties and agreements were made in the formation of cities like Neenah and Menasha. Carol will lay out how these treaties took Indigenous lands in Wisconsin piece by piece from the Menominee, Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Lakota and Potawatomi.
Carol completed her Ph.D. at Cornell University in 1992. Her major was curriculum and instruction, and minor American Indian culture and history. She taught at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay for three years and helped build the First Nations Studies undergraduate program.

Learn about the Fox River Valley and Native American heritage from Oneida Nation member Lois Stevens.
Lois is an Assistant Professor of First Nations Studies and the First Nations Education Doctoral Program at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She received her PhD from the University of Kansas in the Department of Geography. Growing up on the Oneida Reservation, she developed a deep appreciation for ancestral knowledge, community relationship, and an understanding of her impact on Mother Earth.