Stonefield Historic Site

08/28/2026

Make sure to join us tomorrow for our Toast to Governor Nelson Dewey event, 10am until 4pm.

08/27/2026

Ten things to do in the Village at Stonefield during our Toast to Governor Nelson Dewey Day this Saturday, August 29:

1. Hear the clang of the hammer at the Blacksmith Shop.
2. Listen to famous musician Larry Busch playing in the Gazebo.
3. Eat a tasty pulled pork sandwich in the Confectionary!
4. Watch the print press in action at the Gazette Newspaper.
5. Challenge your family with the Village Venture scavenger hunt.
6. View fiber spinning as you stroll the boardwalk.
7. Cool down with an ice cream treat from D’Lish Ice Cream.
8. Stop into all 30 shops and factories.
9. Take a selfie at the School House.
10. Make a toast to Gov. Dewey in the Saloon.

Tours of the Dewey Home Site will take place at Noon, 2pm and 4pm. Special guest lectures at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Self-guided tours of the State Agricultural Museum and Progressive Farmhouse available from 10am until 4pm.

08/25/2026

Join us Saturday for a full line up of excellent guest speakers at our Toast to Governor Nelson Dewey Day! At 11am, we welcome former UW Platteville Archivist, James Hibbard speaking on the Dewey’s formation of his estate he named Stonefield! At 1pm join us for Tracey Lee Roberts, Historian and Museum Specialist and Senior Lecturer Emerita- Dept of History University of Wisconsin- Platteville for her talk on territory to statehood. Lastly, at 3pm, Eric Carson, Quaternary Geologist & Professor / Department Chair Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey Department Division of Extension University of Wisconsin-Madison presenting on the geological history of the Upper Mississippi River and Lower Wisconsin River. We look forward to a day of history in historic Cassville. The presentations will take place in the historic Dewey Barn. Talks and guided tours of the Dewey Homesite are included with general admission. For questions, please call Stonefield at 608-725-5210.

08/18/2026

Join us on August 29th as we toast to Wisconsin's first governor! For the price of a General Admission ticket, hear several talks about the Badger State's beginnings, tour the Governor's homestead, and enjoy the wonders of Stonefield Village! Tickets are available now!

https://buy.acmeticketing.com/orders/514/tickets?cdEventIds=69a08819b20431a913855c39&date=2026-08-29T10:00:00-05:00&eventId=69a08819b20431a913855c39

07/14/2026

Join us this, Friday, July 17, for our Behind the Scenes tour! This 2 hour tour takes visitors through rooms and buildings usually off limits to visitors. This tour will focus on Bob and Edgar’s private life at Pendarvis from 1935-1970 and how they were able to make a small Cornish cottage into a nationally renowned restaurant.

Click here to book your tickets: https://wihist.org/4ebPmRA

06/23/2026

We are happy to introduce to you our new Facilities Manager, Justin Johnson! Justin officially started May 18 and has quickly stepped in to oversee a boardwalk replacement project and the final stages of a site wide electrical upgrade. Justin is originally from Cassville so it’s great to welcome him back home!

06/12/2026

Don't miss author Mary Elise Antoine's talk this Saturday at 1pm! Mary will be talking about "Residents of 'Wisconsin' in the American Revolution."

In the mid-18th century, the residents of the land now called Wisconsin lived far from the British colonies ranged along the Atlantic Ocean. But whether Native American or Euro-American, these residents were well-informed. When the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, the residents of the western Great Lakes and upper Mississippi were involved in the resulting conflict. From the invasion of Canada in 1775 to the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 to the attack on St. Louis in 1780, residents of “Wisconsin” were active participants.

Learn who, how, and why these residents were part of the American Revolution and the effects of the Revolution on “Wisconsin.”

06/08/2026

Bat Conservation Night, Thursday, June 11. Join Conservation Biologist Heather Kaarakka with the Bureau of Natual Heritage Conservation to learn more about bat biology, the bats of Wisconsin, white-nose syndrome and how bats are being studied and protected here at Stonefield.

Heather will be giving a talk in the Ag Museum at 7:45 pm. Then we will meet in the parking lot at 8:45 pm to divvy up bat houses and clickers to count the emerging bats. Bring your camp chairs and bug spray.

We had 2,500 bats in June 2025 and 2,700 in June 2024: let's see if we can beat that number this year!

05/30/2026

As America celebrates its 250th birthday in 2026, the Wisconsin Historical Society is marking the occasion with a lineup of special programs at five historic attractions, along with its History Maker Space in downtown Madison. This is what is happening at Stonefield this summer!

A Toast to Governor Nelson Dewey: Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn about Wisconsin’s first governor and the development of Stonefield, where his grand estate once stood. Special presentations will take place throughout the day, at various spots on the site, highlighting Dewey’s time in office and along with a special presentation on the geological history of the area.

📷WHi 117519: Quarter-length oval-framed portrait of Governor Nelson Dewey wearing a suit and necktie, c1850-1859.

05/29/2026