Banner image: Whitney Brothers Company boat at dock in Grand Marais harbor
Honor the Past, Enrich the Future
Welcome to the Cook County Historical Society!
Find out what’s happening
Find the latest news and learn more about what we’re up to.
We count on your support
The Cook County Historical Society counts on your support to offer free public tours at all five of our historical sites, conduct tours to local school groups, publish books on local history, collect, share, and preserve the stories of the area, and more.
Historic Cook County Sites & Hours
Looking for free things to do with family and friends this holiday weekend? Come visit the Cook County History Museum and the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery!
Both buildings will be closed on Thursday, November 27, for the Thanksgiving holiday, but will reopen this Friday, November 28 (Black Friday), and Saturday, November 29 (Small Business Saturday). Admission is always free (donations are graciously accepted). However, if you're looking for gifts, we have a fabulous gift shop at both locations (our newly released cookbook, items made by local artists, historical books, Ojibwe language games, and more).
Bring visiting relatives, entertain the kids who are off school, or just stop in if you haven't seen us in a while
Special Note for Friday: JHP will stay open an hour later (until 5:00 p.m.) for those in town for @donorthmn 's Oh Ole Night!
current hours
wednesday - Saturday 10 - 4 pm
OPEN additional hours for certain holidays and special events
Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery
Thursday – Saturday: 10 AM-4 PM
Sunday: 1-4 pm
OPEN additional hours for certain holidays and special events
Closed for the season
Chippewa City Church (St. Francis Xavier)
Closed for the season
Replica 1930s Fish House/Fishing Tug Nee-Gee
Open daily in the Grand Marais Recreation Park
For questions or research requests, please contact our offices at 218.387.2883 or history@boreal.org.
Thank you to our business and organization partners!
Visit these Cook County Heritage Centers & Museums
In 2023, Cook Historic Cook County joined with three other historical societies in Cook County to form the Historical Alliance of Cook County.
Collaboratively telling the history of the land, its people, cultures, and their interactions over time – bringing understanding to how the cultural heritage shapes, inspires, and informs Cook County.
Historic Cook County Land ACKNOWLEDGMENT Statement
Cook County occupies traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of the Indigenous community. These lands were ceded to the U.S. Government by the Chippewas of Lake Superior in the Treaty of 1854, including the tribal lands of the sovereign nation of the Grand Portage Band of Anishinaabe.
The Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) acknowledges the historic and cultural impact of colonial practices. We are committed to creating an accurate and inclusive history of Cook County and all of its inhabitants.
To do this, we plan to take action on an ongoing basis in several ways:
❖ We will work to preserve the Chippewa City Church/St. Francis Xavier building and property.
❖ We will focus on sharing updated and accurate historical interpretations of the Chippewa City Church and surrounding area.
❖ We have begun the process of consultation with the Grand Portage Anishinaabe on our inventory of Native American artifacts per the new federal regulations related to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
CCHS will revise and strengthen our action plan each year - soliciting collaboration and feedback from our community. We will share this action plan with our partner organizations.