BHC will be open every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 to 3:00 starting May 24, 2024.
About the Belgian Heritage Center
The Belgian Heritage Center tells the story of the Belgian settlement in Wisconsin and works to preserve unique elements of Belgian culture such as foods, beverages, customs, architecture and the Walloon language.
The center is located at the former St. Mary of the Snows campus, which is a cornerstone of the historic Belgian settlement. The campus is located in the Namur Historic District that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Landmark by the US Department of Interior.
The Belgian Heritage Center campus includes the former St. Mary of the Snows church, school/convent and St. Roch votive chapel. It is adjacent to the historic parish cemetery.
- Objectives of the Belgian Heritage Center
- Document the history of Belgian settlements in Wisconsin
- Preserve and celebrate Belgian culture including food, beverages, architecture, language and customs
- Sponsor events and festivals that celebrate and honor the Belgian tradition
- Provide facilities for hosting special events, weddings, reunions, picnics, etc.
- Facilitate genealogical and historic research
- Provide facilities for educational programs
- Offer narrated tours of the Belgian settlements
- Collaborate with other organizations interested in historic and cultural preservation
- Exhibits and Features:
- Museum exhibits, artifacts and interactive photo and video galleries
- School/convent restored to 1900’s era
- St Roch Votive (roadside) Chapel
- Stories of the Belgian immigration and settlement of the frontier
- Belgian architecture and unique buildings such as roadside chapels
- Local economic development
- Persistence of local Belgian ethnicity over time
- The Great Fire (Peshtigo fire)
- Women’s unique role in family
- Belgian connections to National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion and the founding of the Norbertine Order in America
About the Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation, Inc.
- Board of Directors
- Joe Alexander, President
- Kevin Moore, Vice President
- Ann Jinkins, Secretary
- Sandy Orsted, Treasurer
- Barb Chisholm, Historian
- Kristin Alberts
- Donna Bultman
- Bill Chaudoir
- Brian Delwiche
- Sue Havel
- Barb Maskell
- Tim Moore
- Jerry Reince
- Monica Thiry
In 2010, a small group of interested local residents, many of them descendants of early Belgian settlers, began to explore the feasibility of restoring the former St. Mary of the Snows Catholic Church in Namur and to repurpose it for a new use that would celebrate the Belgian heritage of northeast Wisconsin. The former St. Mary’s church was purchased from the Catholic Diocese in August 2010. In 2018, the former school/convent formerly owned by the Peninsula Belgian American Club was added to the campus.
The Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation was organized and granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation owns and operates the Belgian Heritage Center.