The classic Thousand Islands cottage often included a rustic stone fireplace, a large kitchen intended for family gatherings, a living room lined with bookshelves of favorite reading, a porch to watch the River flow by, and the iconic dock and boathouse. Cottages were (and still are) used as magical places to spend time swimming, boating, sailing, fishing, and waterskiing. The Cottage Life exhibit located on the second floor of the Blue Building is furnished and set-up as an authentic river cottage from the late 1800s, with a collection of antique island furniture, books and household items donated to the Museum in Fall 2014. This special collection was original to the 1890s cottage on Huckleberry Island and remained intact until the sale of the island in Fall 2014. Visitors to this unique space enter the cottage through the porch, and explore the kitchen, living room and bedrooms as they would have been on the island, complete with a hand-pump for water at the kitchen sink and a chamber pot under the bed.

Local customs and culture come alive in the green cottage, a warm and encouraging learning environment for visitors of all ages.