The Wisconsin Historical Museum is a museum in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) and dedicated to the history of Wisconsin. As of April 2026, the museum is closed for a complete replacement of its former building, although a gift shop remains open. The new Wisconsin History Center is expected to open in 2028.[1]
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| Established | April 19, 1986 |
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| Location | 30 N. Carroll Street Madison, Wisconsin  United States |
| Type | Historical museum |
| Owner | Wisconsin Historical Society |
Public transit access |  Metro Transit |
| Website | www |
In addition to Wisconsin history, the museum provides information about other American history topics through artifacts, photographs, full-scale dioramas, audio-visual presentations, and interactive multimedia programs.
History
editSince its founding in 1846, the Wisconsin Historical Society has made parts of its collections available for public viewing. When the South Wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol was completed in 1866, the Society was allowed to occupy the entire second floor with its "Historical Rooms". These rooms housed mostly the Society's vast library of books, but also "mementoes and relics of the recent war, and many curious articles, both natural and artificial, sent it from various sections of the State."[2] When the Society moved into its current headquarters on the Library Mall in 1900, the museum displays went with it.
In 1980, the Society purchased a building on the western corner of Capitol Square, previously belonging to the Wolff, Kubly & Hirsig hardware store, to create for the first time a separate Wisconsin Historical Museum.[3][4]: 87–93 The museum opened to the public on April 19, 1986.[5]
In late 2004, the museum's existence was threatened due to budget cuts,[6] but citing its role in the state's history, Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle restored its funding.[7]
In addition to exhibits about traditional aspect of the state's history, the museum has also offered an exhibition on malted milk, which was first made in Wisconsin,[8] and includes in its permanent collection a Big Boy, the mascot of a hamburger chain,[9] rescued in 1985 when its restaurant closed.[10] The museum also opened in 2012 an exhibit about Butch Vig's Smart Studios, a Madison recording facility that closed in 2010.[11]
In 2022, WHS announced that the museum would close for approximately four years, allowing the existing museum and a neighboring museum to be torn down, so that a new Wisconsin History Center could be built in its place.[12][13] The last exhibits in the old museum closed on November 27, 2022.[14] The first floor of the museum remained open until October 2023, when demolition began. To continue some limited museum operations during the construction, WHS opened a History Maker Space in the nearby US Bank Plaza building, and a History Makers Tour bringing selected artifacts to locations across the state was started.[15]
The construction project for the new museum received $112.3 million in state funding, and WHS sought $66.5 million in private donations to complete the project. The largest donation came from American Girl doll creator Pleasant Rowland and her husband W. Jerome Frautschi. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum was held on April 23, 2025, with leaders of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin lighting tobacco to bless the space.[16] On January 31, 2026, an ironworker at the site was critically injured after a beam was dropped from a crane.[17]
References
edit- ↑ "Visit Us", Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
- ↑ Durrie, Daniel Steele. A history of Madison, the capital of Wisconsin; including the Four Lake country, 1874, page 306–308.
- ↑ "Wisconsin Historical Museum", Visit Downtown Madison. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
- ↑ Zimm, John (2015). The Wisconsin Historical Society - Collecting, Preserving, and Sharing Stories since 1846. Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0-87020-691-7.
- ↑ "Today's opening schedule for new State Historical Museum", Madison Capital Times, April 19, 1986, page 15.
- ↑ Weier, Anita (November 10, 2004). "Historical Museum's Future in Air". The Capital Times. ProQuest 395279460. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2008.
- ↑ "Wisconsin Historical Museum Spared from Becoming History". NBC 15. February 7, 2005. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2008.
- ↑ Meg Jones (March 27, 2004). "Malt Stop: Madison Museum Exhibit Filled with Malted Milk Memories". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. ProQuest 261942504.
- ↑ Worland, Gayle (January 20, 2006). "Good Ol' Boy Retro Relic Finds a Home at the Wisconsin Historical Museum". Wisconsin State Journal. ProQuest 391418565. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Museum Makes Home for Rescued Big Boy". Madison, Wisconsin: UPI NewsTrack. January 20, 2006. ProQuest 467765281.
- ↑ Gordon, Scott (June 21, 2012). "Wisconsin Historical Museum looks at Madison's rock past in "Smart Sounds, Alt Music, Mad Scenes"". Isthmus. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ↑ Neupert, Clara (April 14, 2022). "State Capitol Report: New history museum coming to Madison". Wisconsin Public Radio. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ↑ Fannnon, Emilee (October 9, 2022). "Museum on the move: Treasured state artifacts packed away in preparation of new state historical center". CBS58. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ↑ Taylor, Cody. "Wisconsin Historical Museum to receive upgrades, expansion", Spectrum News 1, November 23, 2022.
- ↑ Davis, Mackenzie. "Wisconsin Historical Society opens new History Maker Space during construction", WMTV, October 25, 2023.
- ↑ Lehr, Sarah. "Construction underway for Wisconsin History Center in downtown Madison", Wisconsin Public Radio, April 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Construction worker critically injured after crane drops nearly 30,000-pound beam", WSAW-TV, February 3, 2026.