WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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Closed for the Season

Pendarvis is closed for the season. Thank you to our members and guests for your support during the 2021 season. We look forward to welcoming you back for the 2022 season. In the meantime, you can check out our Holiday events at Old World Wisconsin, Villa Louis, Wade House, the Wisconsin Historical Museum and more events with the society. Continue exploring Wisconsin history year-round at the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

Explore the Site

In this sepia tinted historic photo Bob & Edgar stand outside of Pendarvis looking casual

The picturesque cluster of stone buildings that make up Pendarvis Historic Site today were originally constructed by Cornish immigrants who settled in the area during the early 1800s. They were preserved through the efforts of life and business partners Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum.

Pendarvis will give visitors a new understanding of what it means to be a Wisconsin badger, and how one amazing couple helped save this piece of Wisconsin’s history.

Learn more about its history!

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Cancelled

Cancelled – Pub Night

Sept. 24 | 6 – 10 PM

Grab some friends and head on over to Pendarvis’ cozy recreated Cornish pub for a night of good food, cold drinks, games, and live music. The Tooles will perform their own fiery brand of Irish pub music from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Food will be provided by the Pointer Café.

As part of Cornishfest this event is also cancelled, thank you so much for you interest.

Three members of The Tooles perform on a stage at night with dramatic lighting and smoke swirling around them.

For Your Health & Safety

reserve a spot. Tickets.

Advance
Registration

Advance registration is required for some events

Face Masks required. Mask.

Face Mask
Policy

Required for guests indoors if you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Recommended for guests indoors if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

We're cleaning. Cleaning spray.

Daily Cleaning and Sanitizing

Daily cleaning & sanitizing enhanced at all facilities

Maintain Social Distance. Two people 6 ft apart.

Social Distancing Guidelines

Please practice social distancing while on-site

2021 Site Protocols

Effective Aug. 5, in accordance with current state guidelines

To protect your safety and ours:

  • If you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, we recommend you wear a face mask while inside on-site at our historic sites and museums.
  • If you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 you are required to wear a face mask while inside on-site at our historic sites and museums.
  • Please practice social distancing at our historic sites and museums.
  • Disposable masks will be available on-site.
  • All facilities will adhere to increased daily cleaning and sanitation requirements and there will be cleaning stations in each building.
  • Each location will follow strict guest engagement protocols, including parking, food preparation, and the use of shared facilities such as a public restroom.
  • Staff and guests, per CDC guidance, are asked to stay home if they have tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, or if they have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for or who has symptoms of COVID-19.
  • As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 our hours and guidelines for access may change. Please continue to check our website for the most up-to-date information.

Site Accessibility

Explore Other 2021 Experiences

This season, we are excited to welcome visitors to some of our historic sites & museums for general admission and special experiences. Click the button below for more information on how you can safely explore history in a new way through our 2021 programs and events.

Pendarvis

Step Back In Time

Tucked away in historic Mineral Point, Pendarvis celebrates the 20th century preservation efforts of business and life partners Robert Neal and Edgar Hellum, and the movement they started. Explore their famous restaurant and discover how they saved a significant part of Wisconsin history.
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"The place is not unlike an old document, possessing a philosophy and a feeling of the past."

ROBERT NEAL (WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, 1946)

CALENDAR

Use our online calendar to see all the exciting events, activities, and programs happening at Pendarvis.
SEE CALENDAR

Wicker baskets in the Pendarvis store

Tommy Knocker: The Underground Knacker
Coloring Page

Cornish miners firmly believed in the existence of small, ugly, wizened, underground knackers or tommyknockers. They were thought to work alongside the miners in their own much smaller drifts, chipping away at the richest ore. To hear them in your mine was taken as a good sign, because they worked only the choicest ground. Knackers were forces to be reckoned with, however, and they often had to be appeased with a bit of pasty crust at lunchtime. Otherwise they might play pranks on you, such as causing a rock fall to cover your tools or they might pinch out a promising vein of ore.

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Explore Pendarvis

People outside of Pendarvis House


PENDARVIS HOUSE

Explore the restored Pendarvis House Restaurant that was once named as a top seven restaurant in the country by the Saturday Evening Post and featured in Gourmet, Life, and National Geographic magazines
LEARN MORE!

Dirt path leading to a wooden staircase with flowers


MINE HILL TRAILS & PRAIRIE

Hike the 43 acre Merry Christmas Mine Hill Trails & Prairie to see remnants of lead and zinc mining and one of the largest restored prairies in southwestern Wisconsin.

LEARN MORE!

Image of the Pendarvis House from the sidewalk


ABOUT US

Learn how Robert Neal and Edgar Hellum saved a significant part of Wisconsin history.
LEARN MORE!


PLAN YOUR VISIT

Begin planning your trip today! Tickets, Hours, Directions and more.
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