Museums

The Christopher Columbus Museum is dedicated to the Quincentennial of Columbus' daring voyage to the Americas in 1492.

The 300 ft wall space and 80 cases a total of 3,000 square feet of displays present a broad collection of diverse and unique items that bring to life the period from which Columbus burst forth.

Dan and Rose Amato began the collection in 1981 for the purpose of creating a 500 year anniversary ceremonial display in 1992.  The collection has continued to grow and includes pre-Columbian and post-Columbian items.

The Museum includes a library, prints, silks, glassware, paper, cloth, statues, tapestries, pottery, wood, lithographs, and metals.  With over 2,000 items,  the displays instill an understanding of the forces that invigorated Christopher Columbus to take on his voyages of discovery.

Bus tours welcome.

Columbia County and the City of Columbus are named after the explorer Christopher Columbus. See the Christopher Columbus Statue located on the west side of the City of Columbus. The statue is on the south side of Highway 16 at the Highway 60 intersection...just west of the Highway 151 overpass and interchange.

Within the historic walls of master 19th-century landscape photographer Henry Hamilton Bennett's restored studio, nothing much has changed in a century. Yet step outside, and the quaint little town he knew and loved has been transformed into a major tourism haven. Get the full story in the museum dedicated to the man who made Wisconsin Dells famous.

Henry Hamilton Bennett learned the art and science of photography after serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Bennett captured the magnificence of the Dells with his camera and shared these unusual images with the people of our nation. Bennett produced 3-dimemsional stereographic images that began to appear in homes across America. His beautiful and unusual images of the Dells began to lure thousands of tourists here...and established the Dells as a vacation haven for American families.

Revisit the Dells of the Wisconsin River, its people, its visitors as seen through the eye and camera lens of H.H. Bennett over a century ago! Discover the ingenuity of Bennett the inventor who pioneered stop-action photography with his own homemade invention -- a rubber band powered shutter he called the "snapper"!

The Dells of the Wisconsin River has long been the home of the native Ho-Chunk people long before any European settlers arrived. Bennett had an admiration for the Ho-Chunk people and captured many scenes of daily life among the area’s native people. Another highlight is an exhibit of rare and unique native American dolls crafted by tribal artisans from across America.

The Zona Gale Center is truly a gem of Columbia County.  Give your spirit a chance to soar above the every day hum-drum as you surround yourself with with the beauty of local and regional artists on display.

Gallery exhibits change monthly. Each new gallery exhibit includes an Opening Reception held on a Friday and provide an opportunity for you to visit and learn more about the actual art on display from the featured artist.

The Zona Gale center also presents a Performing Arts Series featuring performers of local, regional, national and international acclaim! Contact the Center for specific performance information.

The American Legion Wisconsin State Headquarters and Museum is located right in Columbia County in the city of Portage.

The museum displays an interesting array of statues, uniforms, plaques, medals, photos, and documents portraying the history of Wisconsin’s American Legion and its members.

In 2001, the American Legion built a new state headquarters in Portage. The headquarters employs seven full-time people and houses a museum full of plaques, statues, uniforms, medals, photos, and documents from the history of Wisconsin's American Legion.

The museum is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is located on American Legion Drive on the north side of Portage. Call (608) 745-1090 for more information.