House Tour

Learn and practice basic embroidery stitches with expert needleworker Pauline Bold. All materials provided, or you may bring your own project to stitch.

Use a simple rope-making tool to fabricate a section of rope to take home. Learn all about rope – a very important item on the frontier.

The spelling bee was a favorite community event on the frontier. Test your spelling in a friendly contest at the historic Gideon and Agnes Pond House!

Learn how newly widowed frontier mothers and their children sought refuge at Fort Ridgely after surviving raids at the beginning of the U.S.–Dakota War of 1862.

Take a guided tour of the house and see how their home was furnished in 1878. Hear stories of the courageous Pond family and their mission work with the Dakota.

Examine an entire bison hide and other bison parts. Discover how each was used to create more than 50 usable items. Play Bison Bingo and watch a documentary on bison.