Come on a guided interpretive bike ride through the towns of Manitowish and Mercer! Jim Bokern of the Manitowish Waters Historical Society and Hannah Thorpe, North Lakeland Discovery Center Naturalist, will lead you along the paved bike trail and discuss some interesting history and natural history of the area that includes moonshining, river ecology, logging…

Learn about Manitowish Waters' history and visit some local establishments as we hike at a leisurely pace on area trails. Using tour guide headsets, participants can easily hear and learn from Manitowish Waters Historical Society and North Lakeland Discovery Center guides. Trail discussions will include geology, nature, prehistoric times, Ojibwa culture, logging, early resorts, guides,…

Learn what John Dillinger and his gang were really like and the “behind the scenes” story of their weekend in Manitowish Waters as we travel by pontoon to historic Dillinger sites. Enjoy a box lunch and tour the grounds of the famous Little Bohemia Lodge, the property that was featured in the movie Public Enemies.…

Learn what John Dillinger and his gang were really like and the “behind the scenes” story of their weekend in Manitowish Waters as we travel by pontoon to historic Dillinger sites. Enjoy a box lunch and tour the grounds of the famous Little Bohemia Lodge, the property that was featured in the movie Public Enemies.…

Trout Lake stands out as one of the most unique Northwoods lakes with an amazing history. Join historian Jim Bokern and naturalist Jenna Richardson on a pontoon tour that will explore cultural and natural destinations.  Trout Lake’s size, depth and ecologies support unique fisheries, while large tracts of state land maintain a wild landscape.  Historically,…

Join us to learn about Northwoods artisans.  During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration developed a domestic program of recovery called the New Deal.  A series of agencies was created to help people find employment and bring economic relief to Americans.  Two artists, Frances Badger and Marie Bleck, spent many years immersed in the…

Join Manitowish Waters Historical Society's Jim Bokern as we travel from eastern Iron County to the old growth forest surrounding Star Lake to explore both historic and modern forestry sites surrounding the Northern Highland American Legion Forest. By the late 19th century, Wisconsin’s leaders wished to create a state park or forest reserve in Iron,…

Ever wonder what the Manitowish Chain of Lakes looked like before the dam and decades of river drive logging? If so, you are in luck, because the Manitowish Waters Historical Society will  deliver pre-dam, historic re-creations, using journals, maps, reports, and photos that reveal the early contours of our shores. Each lake on the chain…