The Other Side of History
A guided after-hours paranormal investigation at the Lincoln-Tallman House.
Ride With Gladys
Encourage your little ones—and the young at heart—to take part in Ride With Gladys, a self-directed rolling challenge for people of all ages.
Throughout September, participants are encouraged to explore at their own pace using a bicycle, tricycle, scooter, skates, wheelchair, or any favorite set of wheels.
Afterwards, they can tell Gladys what they discovered and collect a commemorative sticker at RCHS during visitor hours or during Frances Willard’s birthday celebration on September 27.
Ride somewhere. Notice something. Come back and tell Gladys what you discovered!
Challenge details and registration at rchs.us/gladys
Vintage Voices Through Time
Step back in time for a progressive appetizer journey through the 1850s-1900s in support of preserving Rock County’s rich heritage.
Frances Willard's Birthday Party & Mural Dedication
Frances Willard’s Birthday | Mural Dedication
Mark your calendars! Join us as we celebrate Frances Willard’s birthday and unveil a brand-new mural by artist CJ Hungerman on the RCHS campus. The mural celebrates Frances, her bicycle Gladys, and the bicycle’s role as a symbol of women’s freedom and independence. Enjoy photo opportunities, activities, and the opportunity to ask questions of Nancy Schultz, archivist and curator at the Frances Willard House Museum in Evanston, IL. Dedication ceremony begins at 1:00 p.m. Free.
America 250 Freedom Run/Walk
Celebrate 250 years of liberty, history, and community at the America 250 Freedom Run/Walk.
Holiday Tree Show
The Holiday Tree Show returns December 4-27, 2026, featuring more than one hundred community-decorated trees, visits from Santa, festive activities, and cozy seasonal refreshments. Experience the Lincoln-Tallman House glowing with holiday cheer and seasonal wonder.
Fashion Through Time
Fashion Through Time
In early 2027, the Lincoln-Tallman House will be the backdrop for a striking selection of historic dresses from the RCHS collections.
Spanning the Victorian through the Edwardian eras, the exhibition traces a period of dramatic transformation in fashion, from sculpted corsetry and sweeping skirts to increasingly fluid, modern silhouettes. Through exquisite construction, intricate handwork, and changing ideas of elegance, these garments reveal how fashion responded to shifting social roles, new technologies, and a rapidly changing world.
Tallman Arts Festival
A two-day juried fine arts and fine crafts show sponsored by the Rock County Historical Society. Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2, 2026, on the grounds surrounding the historic Lincoln-Tallman House in Janesville, Wisconsin. Takes place rain or shine.
An Evening With Mary Annette Pember
Spend an evening with Mary Annette Pember, author of Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools, in a candid conversation with moderator Frank Shultz, veteran local journalist and current Janesville Gazette columnist.
Comedy of Errors at RCHS
Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy this outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.
HPL Book Fest—Simulating Satchel: A Baseball What If with Author John Graf
John Graf imagines how Satchel Paige and nearly 100 Negro Leagues stars might have changed the 1934 Major League Baseball season. Part of HPL Book Fest.
Free!
Stars and Cars
Annual Father’s Day Car Show fundraiser with food trucks, free ice cream, activities and the opportunity to explore the exhibits.
$15 at the gate (15 and under free).
2026 Frances E. Willard Pioneering Women Series Kickoff Event
Christopher Reynolds, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis, presents Carrie Jacobs-Bond as Entrepreneur: Forging a Path for Women Songwriters.
$10/RCHS members, $12/non-members
Program Development Generously Underwritten by Hadley Hart Group
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