Community Theatre is alive and well in Adams County! The Sand County Players will present their 21st season in dinner theatre at the Dellwood Pavilion, a Castle Rock Lake landmark.
The Sand County Players is an all-volunteer group operating without outside grants or support. Proceeds are used to provide both college and teen theater scholarships for promising students. Special grants are given to local youth organizations as well.
The McGowan House
Having lost his house to fire in 1889, Dr. Emmet McGowan rebuilt his home and furnished it in the Gothic Revival style popular during the period, incorporating several unique diecoative elements rescued from the blaze. The nine-room, two-and a-half story house reflects Dr. McGowan's social standing in the Village of Friendship in the days befoe the railroad arrived in Adams County.
The Adams County Historal Society, through Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Consolidated Papers Foundation grants and numerous private donations, presented the newly-restored, partly-furnished McGowan House to visitors for the first time in October, 1996.
The McGowan House is the site fo the Historical Society's offices, library, and archives, and is open to the public on Sundays 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., from May through October.
Winnebago Indian Museum
Adams County's culture and history began many centuries before the arrival of the first white settlers and traders. The Winnebago Indian Museum, located four miles north of Wisconsin Dells at the junction of scenic River Road and highway 13, houses one fo the lartest private collections of Native American artifacts in the Midwest.
Owned and operated by the Little Eagle family for over 30 years, the Winnebago Indian Museum also offers authentic Indian art and craft items for sale, many made on premises such as: distinctive baskets, beautiful beadwork, children's toys, books, clothing, blankets, moccasins, and other deerskin items.
Through trading with other Native American tribes, the museum is also able to offer unique hand-crafted goods from many other native cultures.
Adams County Library
The Adams County Library is located in the Community Center in Adams. The shelves hold over 18,000 books, reference works, CDs, videos, and cassettes. The library also participates in the Inter-Library Loan Program which can place virtually every library book in Wisconsin in patrons' hands.
An average of 1,500 library patrons check out 4,000 items each month. Over 1,100 children and adults attend one or more of eight summer programs offered at the library, with 285 kids served during the summer reading program alone.