Highlights Archives
Celebrate Winter at the Museum on the Square
How does a snowflake form? Have you ever seen authentic hand-carved ice fishing decoys or played the historic game of "snow snake?" Want to see the film history of the Birkebeiner? You can discover and participate in all this and more at the Wisconsin Historical Museum during the new Madison Winter Festival (PDF 2.8MB) on Saturday and Sunday, February 2-3. This activity-filled event offers family-oriented activities, special events at downtown museums, public open skiing, and music. Madison's Capitol Square will be transformed into a winter wonderland with ice and snow sculptures, and premier cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing venues.
Madison Winter Festival goers who visit the museum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday will have their choice of several things to see and do.
- See the wigwam, winter shelter of Wisconsin Woodland Native Peoples.
- See a special display of authentic, hand-carved ice fishing decoys.
- Paint and decorate your own fish decoy.
- Play a historic Native American game to see how far a carved wooden "snake" will travel.
- Think about what they would be willing to trade at the museum's new fur trade post.
- Learn about the work and play in the winter lumber camps of northern Wisconsin.
- Watch movies on global warming, the history of American skiing, and the "Birkie."
- And, enjoy a complimentary cup of hot chocolate!
A winter weather station with meteorologists A. Scott Bachmeier, Margaret Mooney, and Jennifer O'Leary will be presented from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday only.
- Find out just how snow crystals form.
- See and talk about satellite weather images.
Some weather- and winter-related films will also be shown in the museum's theater.
- An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning (96 min.) — Showing Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
This award-winning documentary is a passionate and inspiring look at former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to expose the myths and misconceptions of global warming and to create public awareness on the subject.
- Legends of American Skiing (56 min.) — Showing Saturday at noon.
From the gold camps of the high sierra to the Alps of World War I, through the zany 1920s and the racing of the 1930s, this film examines daredevil jumpers and the birth of ski towns Sun Valley, Stowe, and Aspen.
- The Birkebeiner Tale (30 min.) — Showing Sunday at 2 p.m.
Discover the Norwegian legend behind the race — the story of how two Nordic warriors skied a child-prince to safety. The child later became a great Norwegian king. See sweeping views of Norway's mountains in the 1999 Norwegian Birkebeiner, the Birkebeinerrennet. This race, first held in 1932, spawned the Worldloppet races.
:: Posted January 28, 2008
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