2026 Lecture Series

2026 North Point Lighthouse Museum Lecture Series Topics

JAN 14

Megan O’Brien

Environmental Scientist & Educator

From Algae to Zooplankton: Unraveling the Ecology of the Great Lakes

The talk will focus on freshwater ecology, shipboard science, ongoing monitoring, and status of the Great Lakes, as well as education and public action.

FEB 11

Dr. Ashley Lemke
Archaeologist and Associate Professor of Anthropology I UW-Milwaukee
Ancient Archaeology Below the Great Lakes

Join Dr. Lemke on a trip back through time and explore the Great Lakes at the end of the last ice age! Learn about 9,000-year-old archaeological sites preserved on the bottom of the lakes.

MAR 11

Tony Zignego
Author
Milwaukee’s Italian Heritage: Mediterranean Roots in Midwestern Soil

Tony Zignego explores the ways in which Italians shaped the Brew City and were, in turn, shaped by it.

APRIL 8

Marie A. Blunt
Avid Lighthouse Enthusiast
Does it Count as a Lighthouse?

Learn how experts define lights, harbor lights, lighthouses, light stations, beacons, active aids to navigation and private aids to navigation. And, let’s not forget about historic ruins!

MAY 13

Kurt Sampson
Principal I Effigy Mounds Initiative
Native American Effigy Mounds in Wisconsin

The Effigy Mounds Burial Complex of Wisconsin is a unique prehistoric mound-building episode that left thousands of burial and ceremonial mounds on the landscape. Join Kurt Sampson as he discusses the who, what, where and why of these fantastic mounds that were constructed over a 600-year period.

JUNE 10

Kevin P. Keefe
Former Editor I Trains magazine
Milwaukee’s Streetcar Legacy: East Side, Downtown and Beyond

Until mid-century, Milwaukee boasted one of America’s most extensive electric street railway systems, the predecessor of today’s WE Energies. In this illustrated presentation, we’ll tour the city’s streets – including many on the East Side – to witness the flavorful legacy of The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company.

JULY 8

Jessica Minchna
Historical Women Reenactor I First Impressions
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Road to Little House

Generations of children and adults worldwide have been fascinated by the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder. But, how did her life really evolve? What motivated her to put her experiences to paper? Meet Mrs. Wilder, older, wiser and reflecting back on her life and how she came to produce her literary works.

AUG 12

Milwaukee County Historical Society Staff

Milwaukee at Mid-Century: The Photographs of Lyle Oberwise

See photos from the collection of American photographer Lyle Oberwise, who shot 43,000 images of Milwaukee throughout his lifetime.

SEPT 9

Cyndi Kramer
History Hobbyist
Lights, Camera, Action: Milwaukee’s Silver Screen History

Let’s get nostalgic! Milwaukee’s historic movie houses tell the story of the arrival and growth of entertainment mean for everyone, from dime nickelodeons to plush movie picture palaces. We had them all!

OCT 14

Virginia Small
Hon. ASA, Landscape Historian, Journalist & Author
Charles B. Whitnall: Father of Milwaukee County Parks

Learn about Whitnall’s role as a visionary of Milwaukee County’s interconnected system of naturalistic parks. His four-decade career as a Socialist public servant included serving as the City of Milwaukee’s Treasurer and on the County’s Park Commission.

NOV 11

Bobby Tanzilo
Senior Editor & Writer – On Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s Brewery-Owned-Tied-House Taverns  

Join Bobby Tanzilo as he presents some of the many Milwaukee bars and taverns that were once owned by the Breweries prior to prohibition. Some are long gone, but many are still with us today.

Series Sponsors:
Pamela Frautschi, Lissa VanderHeyden & Anonymous

Beer Sponsor:
Lakefront Brewery