You won’t find a lot of dramatic lighting and fancy display cases at the Iron County Historical Museum (M-189, Caspian, 906/265-2617, www.ironcountymuseum.com, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Sun. mid-May–Oct., $8), two miles south of U.S. 2. What you will find is an interesting, appealing, and eclectic blend of local history and culture at this rambling, funky, and homegrown museum.

Located on the site of the productive Caspian iron mine—whose rusting headframe still looms over the complex—the Iron County Historical Museum runs largely on donated money and donated time. In the main museum building, displays cover everything from Native American history to logging, mining, and sporting equipment and kitchenware from the early 1900s.

The perennial favorite display is the mechanized iron mine and railroad model. For five cents, a miniature ore skip hauls rocks to the surface and loads them on the railroad. Outside, several relocated buildings occupy the grounds, including a streetcar barn and the streetcar that once traveled between the mines in Caspian and Iron River.