Visitor Center

Start your Forestville experience at the visitor center! Here you can get tickets for the guided tour, shop in the museum store, find brochures for self-guided exploration, and connect with MNHS staff.

The museum store contains items representing the 19th century, including custom-ordered salt-glazed Forestville pottery, fiction and non-fiction books about the area and time period, games and toys, kitchen gadgets and supplies, and bonnets and hats of all sizes. The store is open during regular site hours.

This reconstructed barn opened in 2001, and includes updated restrooms, first aid, wheelchairs, and picnic space.

Note: The drinking fountain is temporarily unavailable, so visitors are encouraged to bring their own water. Bottled water will be available in the museum store for $1.

When the visitor center is closed

Guided tours and access to the buildings on the historic site are not available when the visitor center is closed.

However, guests are welcome to explore the Historic Forestville grounds at any time. Brochures with information for self-guided exploration of the site are available at the Historic Forestville parking lot on the south side of the bridge, as well as at the Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park office. Find lots more to do in the surrounding Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, too!