Copper Culture State Park - Oconto, WI
Copper Culture State Park is a 42-acre Wisconsin State Park, located just west of the city of Oconto. It's an easy access from Hwy 41, and a perfect spot to stop and stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and take in some beautiful scenery and local history. If you're on a road trip through the area, add a visit to this park to your itinerary.
There are four walking trails through prairie, woodlands, and along the Oconto River. It also connects to an accessible paved 3-mile Copper Culture Trail, via a Hwy-41 underpass. The trail offers both walking, wheelchair access, and biking around the Oconto River, and connecting the state park to the city of Oconto. Pets on-leash are also permitted on this trail.
The natural history of the site reaches back about 5,000 years. Indigenous Peoples known as the Old Copper people resided here, and were known for fashioning tools and other items from copper mined in Wisconsin. They buried their dead in the elevated areas of the land, along with tools and other items used in daily life. This native cemetery is the oldest known burial site in Wisconsin, and one of the oldest in eastern North America. The site was excavated in 1952 by archeologists from the Milwaukee Public Museum, and the Wisconsin Historical Society, along with the Oconto Historical Society, and Senator Reuben LaFave. At least 47 burial pits were uncovered, and it is estimated there may have been as many as 200.
The site was officially designated a Wisconsin State Park in 1959. It was added to the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1961.
The park building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Now a mueum, the brick building was originally built in 1924, as a home for Charles and Emma Werrebroeck, an immigrant family from Belgium. The museum is open daily, 10am - 4pm, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Entrance is free, though donations are welcome.
There is ample parking, a modern restroom, and an open air picnic shelter.
Hours: Open Daily 10am - 4pm
Fees: No entrance fee. No state park sticker is required.
Location: 260 Copper Culture Way, Oconto, WI (Oconto County)
For more information, click here.
There are four walking trails through prairie, woodlands, and along the Oconto River. It also connects to an accessible paved 3-mile Copper Culture Trail, via a Hwy-41 underpass. The trail offers both walking, wheelchair access, and biking around the Oconto River, and connecting the state park to the city of Oconto. Pets on-leash are also permitted on this trail.
The natural history of the site reaches back about 5,000 years. Indigenous Peoples known as the Old Copper people resided here, and were known for fashioning tools and other items from copper mined in Wisconsin. They buried their dead in the elevated areas of the land, along with tools and other items used in daily life. This native cemetery is the oldest known burial site in Wisconsin, and one of the oldest in eastern North America. The site was excavated in 1952 by archeologists from the Milwaukee Public Museum, and the Wisconsin Historical Society, along with the Oconto Historical Society, and Senator Reuben LaFave. At least 47 burial pits were uncovered, and it is estimated there may have been as many as 200.
The site was officially designated a Wisconsin State Park in 1959. It was added to the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1961.
The park building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Now a mueum, the brick building was originally built in 1924, as a home for Charles and Emma Werrebroeck, an immigrant family from Belgium. The museum is open daily, 10am - 4pm, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Entrance is free, though donations are welcome.
There is ample parking, a modern restroom, and an open air picnic shelter.
Hours: Open Daily 10am - 4pm
Fees: No entrance fee. No state park sticker is required.
Location: 260 Copper Culture Way, Oconto, WI (Oconto County)
For more information, click here.
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