Vietnam Veterans Presentation Series
2024-09-11 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
The Lyon County Museum is hosting a Vietnam Veterans Presentation Series on four days in early September. The Lyon County veterans, Ray Fox, Royal Hettling, Karl Porisch, and Rich Maurer will share about their military training, Vietnam service, and return from overseas.
The series schedule:
Tuesday, September 3: Ray Fox
Wednesday, September 4: Royal Hettling
Monday, September 9: Karl Porisch
Wednesday, September 11: Rich Maurer
All programs begin at 6:00 PM. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Arts and Living History Festival
2024-09-28 10:00 - 14:00 | Memorial Park, Marshall, MN
The Arts and Living History Festival is Saturday, September 28 at Memorial Park in Marshall.
EVENT SCHEUDLE
From 10AM – 2PM at memorial park, check out vendors, Food Trucks, Old Time Photos, Kids Make & Take, Historical Reenactors
11AM-2PM: Fabulous Fitty Band (*Break from 12 to 12:30)
12PM: Tour of the History Memorial Park & Veterans Memorial park
OLD TIME PHOTOS
📸 We are so excited to have Old Time Photos with us at the event! Get your photo taken & a digital copy of that picture for $5 !
FABULOUS FITTY BAND
🎷The Fabulous Fitty plays the Golden era of rock ‘n’ roll music from the 50’s and 60’s. You will love the toe-tapping and harmony filled sounds of classic dancing music. The band will perform live many of the greatest and biggest hits from these eras with unparalleled passion and energy for the dancing audience
SJ MILLER ARTS
🖌️We are so Excited for Sammy Jo Miller Arts will be on site doing a community art project with the families in attendance! no fee all FREE ! 🙂
Tour of Veterans Memorial Park
Join us for a 30 minute tour at 12:00 Noon to learn of the history of memorial park; how we acquired a beam of the attacks on the twin towers on 9/11, and how it evolved into the beautiful park it is today.

Monthly Veterans Coffee
2024-10-01 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-11-05 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-12-03 13:30 - 15:30, 2025-01-07 13:30 - 16:00, 2025-02-04 13:30 - 16:00, 2025-04-01 13:30 - 15:30, 2025-05-06 13:30 - 15:30, 2025-08-05 13:30 - 15:30 and 1 more date | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Monthly veterans coffees are the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Lyon County Museum, 301 W Lyon St, Marshall. The monthly coffee is open to all veterans. Enjoy coffee, water, juice, and treats while visiting with fellow veterans in the ice cream shop at the museum. For more information, contact the museum at 507-537-6580.

Escape Room at the Schoolhouse
2024-10-05 10:30 - 18:00, 2024-10-19 10:30 - 18:00 | Lyon County Fairgrounds, Fairgrounds Rd, Marshall, Minnesota, 56258
The theme for this year’s Escape Room at the Schoolhouse is Lost Classroom Pet. Your team will look for clues and solve puzzles to find the lost classroom pet. Maximum of 5 people per team are allowed to compete for each time slot. Cost is $25 per team. Registration is required by clicking on the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSct4YP9GEoUxD1EUk64bGo0orwJVOa84jC8VD9HESQ3kTX7hA/viewform?usp=sf_link
This escape room is held at the red schoolhouse located at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. 2 days only, Saturdays, October 5 & 19.

The Wright Brothers First Flight at Kitty Hawk, NC Program
2024-10-21 17:30 - 18:30 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
The Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, is hosting David Johnston, the American History Story Teller on Monday, October 21 at 5:30 pm. David Johnston will present on “The Wright Brothers First Flight at Kitty Hawk, NC”. This program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580.
The photograph is courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Halloween Family Fun Day at the Museum
2024-10-26 12:00 - 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Halloween Family Fun Day at the Museum is Saturday, October 26 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Lyon County Museum, 301 W Lyon St, Marshall. Free event. All kids dressed in costume will receive a treat bag. Activities include: Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt, Crafts, Coloring Activities, and $2.00 Orange or Root Beer Floats in the museum’s ice cream shop. For more information: 507-537-6580

Christmas, Cocktails & Charcuterie
2024-11-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Join us for a festive evening of delicious food, delightful drinks, and good company surrounded by the beautifully decorated Lyon County Museum. Celebrate the holiday season with a delectable spread of gourmet cheeses, cured meats, and seasonal treats from our friends at the Atlantic Place. Sip on handcrafted cocktails inspired by the spirit of Christmas while mingling with friends and family while live music will be performing. Indulge in the flavors of the season and create lasting memories at our Christmas, Cocktails & Charcuterie event. This event is a fundraiser for the Lyon County Museum.
Date: Friday, November 22
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Tickets: $25 each. Available at the Lyon County Museum
Dress Code: Festive Attire encouraged.

The 12th Annual Indoor Christmas Tree Walk
2024-11-23 11:00 - 2024-12-31 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
The 12th Annual Indoor Christmas Tree Walk opens at the Lyon County Museum, 301 W Lyon St, Marshall on Saturday, November 23. The trees and museum will stay decorated through December 31. View decorated trees by area families, businesses, non-profit organizations, and service organizations.
To vote for your favorite(s), place money in a box located by each tree. The top 3 organizations/businesses with the most money in their boxes will win the 2024 tree walk. There will be an online option to vote on the museum’s website. All proceeds from the boxes will go to benefit the Lyon County Historical Society’s mission of preserving and presenting Lyon County history. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes will be awarded to the top 3 trees. 1st prize is $150 in Marshall Chamber Dollars 2nd prize is $100 in Marshall Chamber Dollars 3rd prize is $50 in Marshall Chamber Dollars.
The museum will have extended hours during this time. The museum hours for November 23-December 31 are Monday-Thursday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Friday: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Saturday: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Closed on Sundays. Check the museum’s website for closed holidays.
Free Admission. For more information, call the museum at 507-537-6580.

Holiday Fun Day at the Museum
2024-12-14 12:00 - 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Join us for holiday treats, beverages, music, and craft activities. Special guests: Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the museum from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. There will be specials on Gift Shop merchandise for your holiday shopping needs. For more information, contact the museum at 507-537-6580.

Tea and Sweets at the Lyon County Museum
2025-02-14 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Tea and Sweets at the Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall is on Friday, February 14 and Saturday, February 15 from 2:00-4:00 PM. Enjoy tea, lemonade, and sweets in the museum’s ice cream shop. While enjoying tea and sweets, you can make vintage Valentines. Design ideas and supplies will be set out to create old-fashioned Valentines. Tea and Sweets is free will donation. For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580.

Artifact Mix-up at the Museum
2025-04-01 10:00 - 2025-04-05 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Artifact Mix-up at the Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall is happening April 1 – April 5 during museum hours. During this time, artifacts will be placed in unusual exhibits. For example, would a laptop be in the covered wagon? After finding all the artifacts, you can enter your name in a drawing for a prize. For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580.
Museum Hours: Monday-Friday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Saturday: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Reflections Series: "We Suffered Much: Charles Wood Irish and the Dakota Territory Survey of 1879-1881" Program
2025-04-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Cindy Wilson will present, “We Suffered Much: Charles Wood Irish and the Dakota Territory Survey of 1879-1881” at the Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall on Tuesday, April 8 at 6:30 PM.
Using photography, historic documents, and a drone video, this 35-40 minute talk covers why Cindy undertook this book, provides background on Irish and his family, then shares some highlights from the book that took place in the early stages of the project. It ends with a particular research odyssey.
Cindy Wilson is author of the award-winning books “The Beautiful Snow: The Ingalls Family, the Railroads, and the Hard Winter of 1880-81” and “We Suffered Much: Charles Wood Irish and the Dakota Territory Railroad Survey of 1879-1881.”
Free will donation. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580

Reflections Series: "The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall" Program
2025-04-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Frank Sachs will present, “Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall” at the Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall on Tuesday, April 15 at 6:30 PM.
The Berlin Wall marked the official opening of the Cold War and was a physical barrier dividing Berlin into East and West sections to prevent citizens from escaping to the West, effectively symbolizing the Cold War division between communist and democratic powers; however, the fall of the wall in November of 1989 is widely considered a major turning point in the Cold War, signifying the decline of communist power in Eastern Europe and the eventual reunification of Germany.
Frank Sachs is a retired twin cities educator with a BS in American History and a MS in Guidance and Counseling. He has taught in college, and public and private schools for 45 years. The last 37 were at the Blake School in Minneapolis where he was Director of College Counseling while teaching in the Social Studies department. Frank retired from Blake in 2019 and is now serves as Faculty Emeritus.
Free will donation. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580

Easter Egg and Bunny Scavenger Hunt at the Museum
2025-04-17 10:00 - 2025-04-19 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Visit the Lyon County Museum, 301 W Lyon Street in Marshall, on April 17-19 to complete an Easter Egg and Bunny Scavenger Hunt! After counting eggs and bunnies in the exhibit galleries, the completed scavenger hunt form can be turned in at the front desk for a treats!
Museum hours are Monday-Friday: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM, Saturday: 12:00 PM-4:00 PM, and Sunday: Closed.
For more information, contact the museum at 507-537-6580

"Pioneer Women in Southwest Minnesota, 1880-1915" Program and LCHS Annual Meeting
2025-04-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
“Pioneer Women in Southwest Minnesota, 1880-1915” program and the Lyon County Historical Society Annual Meeting is on Thursday, April 17 starting at 5:30 PM at the Lyon County Museum, 301 W Lyon Street in Marshall. This event is free will donation and open to the public.
5:30 PM: Light Refreshments
6:00 PM: Business Meeting (2024 Annual Report)
6:30 PM: Program: “Pioneer Women in Southwest Minnesota, 1880-1915” by Dr. Anita Talsma Gaul.
About the Program: In contrast to the stereotypes of pioneer women as either the “sunbonneted helpmate” or the overworked drudge, women living in southwest Minnesota in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were essential to the success of family farms, as well as integral parts of their rural communities who made important economic, cultural, and even political contributions.
For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580

Reflections Series: "Bands and Ballrooms of Southern Minnesota" Program
2025-05-27 18:30 - 19:30 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Tom Tourville will present, “Bands and Ballrooms of Southern Minnesota” at the Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall on Tuesday, May 27 at 6:30 PM.
Tom Tourville is a native of Fairmont, Minnesota and now resides at Okoboji, Iowa. Having always had a deep interest in music of the ‘60s and beyond, he has turned this fascination into researching and writing 31 books on record collecting, music collectibles, ballrooms, and Midwest music history.
Tom is the co-founder of the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association. He is also a 2023 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research Award nominee.
Free will donation. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580

Genealogy Club Meeting
2025-06-02 13:30 - 15:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
In April, The Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall hosted a Genealogy Club meeting in the Joseph A. Amato Research Center on the main floor of the museum. It was decided to hold a gathering each month on the first Monday. The next meeting is Monday, June 2 at 1:30 pm. The gathering is open to anyone interested in talking about their family history research and those interested in genealogy. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580.
* No meeting in September as the first Monday of the month is Labor Day. The Lyon County Museum will be closed.

Genealogy Club Workshop
2025-08-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
The monthly Genealogy Club at the Lyon County Museum is open to anyone interested in family history. The meetings are informal gatherings to discuss genealogy and learning tips and tricks from others. There are two workshops scheduled for the months of August and October. The speaker for both months is Sarah Lockwood.

August 4 Workshop
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM: Basics of Genealogical Research
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM: Speaker available to attendees
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM: Drilling Down on Census, Military, and Vital Records

About the Workshop:
Basics of Genealogical Research: Genealogy is a fun and important way to preserve who we are, where we’ve been and how we got here. Documentation and verification are the two keys to providing evidence of our family history. This presentation will explore research techniques and resources that can help you dig into your family tree. Overviews of free and subscription websites, helpful documents to chase, and recommended software will be discussed.
Drilling Down on Census, Military and Vital Records: Census records can offer much more than simply who lived where, when. Many census questionnaires asked varying questions from one decade to another that may surprise you. Developing the skill of reading the details of these documents may just help you break through your brick wall. Learn how to search them with a variety of techniques may improve your results. Military records can sometimes be frustrating to uncover, but are worth the effort. Following the military paperwork may help gain valuable details lost in other sources. A number of different websites will be explored to aide your search. Vital records include birth, death and marriage documentation. Many states had different begin by dates for officially collecting births, death and marriages. Learn how to improve your search of the vital record databases.
About the Speaker:
Sarah Lockwood is a proud Minnesotan, with ancestry from both an adopted family and a birth family. Forensic genealogy has been a personal journey for Sarah. As an adoptee, she used what she learned about forensic DNA matching to find her own birth mother and father! She turned her love of genealogy into a professional business. She began AncestryHelp in 2022, as a small business, to help others discover their family history one ancestor at a time and to help fellow family genealogists strengthen their research skills. Her two favorite projects to work on are writing family narratives and teaching research skills. Sarah has earned certificates in Genealogical Research from Boston University, Investigative Genetic Genealogy from Ramapo College, and has completed a ProGen Study Group.

Reflections Series: "Amelia Earhart & her Cousin..." Program
2025-09-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Amelia Earhart’s 2nd cousin, Nancy Earhart Burt presents a program on the life of Amelia Earhart at the Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street in Marshall on Tuesday, September 2 at 6:30 PM.

Nancy shares all in an entertaining & educational slideshow of Amelia Earhart’s life, with audio & video clips. There are 2 parts to the program. In the first half, “Amelia” arrives in costume and shares highlights of her amazing life story… growing up in Kansas on the banks of the Missouri River, frequent moves as a child, finding her interest in flying, her momentous flying events, her marriage, and her thoughts on women. She discusses how we all need to find the courage to do what we want in life.

In Part 2, Amelia leaves, and her cousin Nancy steps in to share “The Rest of the Story”, about what went wrong on Amelia’s last flight, theories about what happened to her cousin, Amelia’s marriage, the books she wrote, how she made money for future flights, and so on.
Nancy Earhart Burt is a proud second cousin, 3 times removed to Amelia Earhart. Nancy developed this program on her cousin Amelia in 2023, and has presented many times in Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Nancy has had a life-long interest in women’s issues, as had her cousin Amelia. She has a master’s degree in counseling and has held a variety of “helping” positions including college instructor, non-profit director, corporate trainer and career counselor. Sit back & enjoy a fascinating hour!!

The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Programs at the Lyon County Museum are sponsored by members. For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580 or director@lyoncomusem.org

Reflections Series: "Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Little Author on the Prairie" Program
2025-09-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Lyon County Historical Society Museum, 301 West Lyon Street, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
The Lyon County Museum, 301 West Lyon Street in Marshall, is bringing back professional storyteller, Pati Kachel for a program on Laura Ingalls Wilder. The program will be held on Tuesday, September 16 starting at 6:30 PM. Free will donation and light refreshments will be served.
For the past four decades professional storyteller Miss Pati Kachel has performed her original one-woman shows in schools, libraries, churches and senior centers. Based in St. Paul, Pati travels all around the Midwest and beyond to present her heartwarming educational story productions. She specializes in bringing history to life through her costumed characterizations of inspiring women. Pati will be authentically portraying Laura Ingalls Wilder.
The setting of this program is back in 1935, when Wilder had finally become a best-selling children’s book author at the age of 68! Wilder’s “Little House” books were based on her own childhood memories. Her courageous family pioneered their way around Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota in a horse-drawn covered wagon. Listeners will hear the true life story of this American settler who experienced much happiness as well as much heartbreak and hardship during her lifetime. Like her loving Pa & Ma, Laura’s strong faith in God provided her with the fortitude needed to persevere through various trials and tribulations. Her strong will forged a hopeful resilience which helped to shape the positive practical wisdom she passed along to her readers in the pages of her books. A tabletop exhibit of vintage American artifacts and family photographs will enhance this learning experience for all ages.
For more information, contact the Lyon County Museum at 507-537-6580 or director@lyoncomuseum.org.
