From the Ice Age to the railroad golden age, two of Packer Country's most popular museums are taking visitors on adventures for the mind.

Originally started as a small display in the Green Bay Public Library, the Neville Public Museum has grown to be the largest museum in northern Wisconsin (920/448-4460). Two floors of permanent and changing exhibits treat visitors to a wide collection of art, history and science.

Visitors entering the second floor are greeted by the museum's permanent exhibit, "On the Edge of the Inland Sea." Tracing the history of the region through its 7,500-year history from the end of the last great Ice Age to the mid-20th century, it treats visitors with thousands of artifacts, historic film footage and displays. Wander among wooly mammoths and mastodons during the Ice Age, explore the rich history of the region's Native American tribes or even experience the importance of the railroad and electricity on the area.

Highlighting the 2002 season is a spectacular lineup of special exhibits. Running until April 28, the "Best Beer in Any Case: A History of Brewing in Northeastern Wisconsin" introduces visitors to the process and history of one of Wisconsin's most famous products while the unique "Privy to the Past: Inside America's Most Private Room" (April 27-December 1) exhibit takes an interactive look into the history of the bathroom from Roman era to modern day.

Located a short distance from the Neville Public Museum, the National Railroad Museum greets visitors with the rich sounds of a chugging steam engine and a conductor's cry as it transports visitors back to the golden era of life on the rails (920/437-7623). Built on nearly 22 acres, the museum is home to more than 75 railroad cars and locomotives. From the shear power of "Big Boy," the largest steam locomotive ever built, to the sleek style of Dwight D. Eisenhower's World War II staff train, the collection offers a rare, up close look into one of history's most important engineering marvels.

Of course, no day at the museum is complete without a ride on the rails. Smiles fill the faces of young and old alike as the whistle blows and the genuine steam train pulls out of Hood Junction for a scenic ride along the Fox River.

CONTACTS:

Brenda Krainik
Marketing Director
Phone: 920/405-1176
E-mail