Tickets & Pricing
Purchase tickets in advance | good for any day
Self-Guided Tours:
Adults: $7.50
Youth (Ages 3-17): $4.00
Children 2 and under admitted free
Guided Tours:
Adults: $9.00
Youth (Ages 3-17): $6.00
Children 2 and under admitted free
Receive a free parking voucher for Eagle Point Park with admission to the Mathias Ham Historic Site! Admission is free to members of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, a property of the Dubuque County Historical Society. Group rates are available.
Hours - Public Tours Available During the Summer
The Mathias Ham Historic Site will reopen Saturday, May 28, 2022, for the 2022 season. The site is open Thursdays-Sundays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Memorial Day 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Labor Day 11 a.m. - 4 p.m..
Year-Round Private Tours & Events
The Mathias Ham House is available for field trips, group visits, private tours, and private functions at any time by appointment.
For field trips and group tours, contact Melissa Wersinger at 563-557-9545 or mwersinger@rivermuseum.com.
For all other inquiries and information on pricing, contact Victoria Cote, Historic Site Coordinator, at 563-557-9545 x218 or vcote@rivermuseum.com for more information.
historic site faq
Location
The Mathias Ham Historic Site
2241 Lincoln Avenue
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Historic Site Coordinator: 563-557-9545 x218
Fans of the Paranormal - A Disclaimer
Please note that the Dubuque County Historical Society and its staff do not provide ghost tours or access for paranormal investigators. We'd love to interpret the history of the Ham Site, but we leave the rest to speculation.
Educational Resources
Pioneer Days
Experience life as a pioneer. Step back in time while exploring an authentic one-room schoolhouse, an 1833 settler’s log cabin, a lead miner’s Badger Hut and the historic Mathias Ham House. Along the way, participate in traditional activities from a hard-working pioneer’s daily routine. Roll up your sleeves and grab your washboard to do the laundry, grind corn to make biscuits, or grab your schoolbooks and head to school in this hands-on journey!
Our costumed interpreters provide a two or three hour customized program filled with sessions at multiple stations throughout the site.
Learn More About Pioneer Days
The Ham Chronicles
The history found at the Mathias Ham Historic Site is vast and the tales are plentiful. Here is where we hope some of those stories can live on. Shared from the perspective of our historians, enjoy journeying through the life once lived on Lincoln Avenue.
Ham Chronicles
Learn How to Make a Tasty Treat from Yesterday
Upcoming Ham Site Activities & Events
Sunday Afternoon Tea | Sunday, May 8 | 1 PM - 3 PM
Please join us in celebrating your Mother, Grandmama, Mother-in-law, You-the-Mother, or your favourite person who is like a mother to you! Our Mother's day Tea will be held May 8 from 1-3 p.m. An assortment of finger sandwiches, treats, and a variety of teas will be available.
If dietary restrictions are noted ahead of time, staff will be able to accommodate those needs. Adult admission is $20 and children’s admission is $10.
To register, contact Victoria Cote, Historic Site Manager, at 563-557-9545 x218.
Lawn Games | May 29 & June 12 | 11 AM - 4 PM
Coming in May and June, the Mathias Ham Historic Site will be hosting its first Lawn Games!
On May 29 and June 12, a variety of traditional games will be held on the lawn. Hoop rolling, sack races, bean bag games, and horseshoes.
Small prizes will be available, and more games may be added! In case of rain, we will offer "parlour games" in the basement.
A volunteer will teach croquet at the May event and badminton at the June event.
For more information, contact Victoria Cote, Historic Site Manager, at 563-557-9545 x218.
Victorian Cooking Classes | June 18, July 16, August 20 | 1 PM - 3 PM
This series of cooking during the Victorian era will focus on what would have been available in Iowa. These courses may have been served to the Ham family themselves!
June is Seed Cake - This recipe was served as a snack during tea time in the late 19th century.
July is Sally Lunn - This is a yeast bread recipe from the 1700s but with an Iowa twist. Mrs. Welch's Recipes was a cookbok that published it as a "quick bread" in 1884. Mrs. Welch was a teacher from Ames.
August is Apple Cornmeal Pancakes - This Civil War era recipe utilizes all of the popular tastes from the southern states.
These classes cost $15 per person/per class and take 60-90 minutes.
To register, contact Victoria Cote, Historic Site Manager, at 563-557-9545 x218.
Sunday Afternoon Tea | Sunday, June 26 | 1 PM - 3 PM
A tea break from the bustle of the day will be held June 26 from 1-3 p.m. An assortment of finger sandwiches, treats, and a variety of teas will be available.
If dietary restrictions are noted ahead of time, staff will be able to accommodate those needs. Adult admission is $20 and children’s admission is $10.
To register, contact Victoria Cote, Historic Site Manager, at 563-557-9545 x218.
Mathias Ham House
This stately country villa stands today as a living reflection of its wealthy builder, Mathias Ham. One of Dubuque’s earliest entrepreneurs, Ham built his estate over the course of many years from 1839 to 1857 with money earned from his successful lead mining endeavors.
Inside the home, elegant American and European furnishings exemplify the opulent Victorian lifestyle of a booming river town. John F. Rague designed this distinctive example of the Italian Villa style of architecture. As architect for the Old State Capitols of Illinois and Iowa, Rague’s buildings were known for their monumental scale and elegance.
Settler’s Cabin – Iowa’s Oldest Standing Building
The settler’s log cabin is Iowa’s oldest standing building, believed to have been built in the late 1820s by a French fur trader and later occupied by lead miners. It was originally located on the corner of 2nd and Locusts Streets in downtown Dubuque. It was moved to Eagle Point Park before being moved to the grounds of the Mathias Ham Historic Site in the 1960s. The double room style is known as a “dog trot” cabin.
One Room Schoolhouse
The last one-room school used in Dubuque County, the Humke School was built in 1883 and was used through 1966. It was located on Humke Road, west of Dubuque.
At the Lead Mines
Dubuque was once the center of a nationally significant lead mining phenomenon. People came from all over the country to mine lead, and the At the Lead Mines area of the Mathias Ham Historic Site recreates the interior of a lead mine and a badger hole (a lead miner’s shelter).
Granary
Saved from the path of progress, the 1840s granary building was moved from its original location on Southern Avenue to the Mathias Ham Historic Site when the construction of Highway 61 threatened its destruction in 1989. Nineteenth-century farmers used granaries after threshing to store and protect grain from rats, mice, weevils and grain moths. Granaries were well ventilated to prevent spoilage and waste.
A grant from the Dubuque Racing Association supported the restoration of the granary in 2012, with help from Four Mounds’ HEART Program.