Join us at the Hartford Beach picnic shelter for a nostalgic journey back in time. We’ll light up a vintage carousel projector to share a curated collection of archival slides. Experience the park’s history through the click of a projector and a classic voiceover narration that brings the past to life.

The program travels back centuries, starting with the native people and the ancestral groups who first called this area home. You’ll hear stories of the 1800s fur trade, focusing on the rugged lives of traders like Solomon Robar and the bustling commerce that once defined this shoreline.

The journey concludes with the Golden Age of Resorts, featuring rare photos of the grand hotels and steamboats that made Big Stone Lake a premier vacation destination long before it became a state park. It’s a simple evening of storytelling, perfect for all ages to discover the layers of history that are apart of Hartford Beach State Park

No sign up required

Park entrance license is required