Wisconsin Historical Museum

Each day we are getting closer to opening day! We can't wait to welcome guests to the Wisconsin History Center!

We can't wait! Check out these latest photos of the new Wisconsin History Center!

𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲! 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿! Here's your chance to build your future with us and be part of history.

The Wisconsin Historical Society is entering a transformational moment with the opening of the 115,000 square foot Wisconsin History Center in late 2027.
Located on Capitol Square in downtown Madison, the History Center will serve as a flagship destination where people and communities connect across time through shared American experiences.

As the Society’s premier venue, the History Center will feature more than 30,000 square feet of exhibit space, including three permanent galleries, a 7,500 square foot changing gallery, and a 1,000 square foot community gallery. The facility will include classrooms, dynamic public programming spaces, and a top floor and rooftop event venue. The Center is expected to welcome more than 200,000 visitors annually and will serve as the hub for mission delivery across Wisconsin.
The History Center Attractions Director provides senior level leadership across all facets of operations. This includes guest experience, programming, retail and admissions, business operations, and financial performance. The Director plays a critical role in shaping how visitors experience the History Center from the moment they arrive.

This role leads all visitor-facing functions including Guest Services, Admissions, Retail operations, programming and education, and overall facility readiness. The Director is also responsible for managing key operational partnerships including private events, food and beverage, security, and custodial services, ensuring strong performance, compliance, and a high-quality guest experience.

The Director serves as a key member of the Society’s senior leadership team and works closely with executive leaders across programs, collections, learning, creative, marketing, and business services to deliver a cohesive and compelling visitor experience.

For more details and to apply: https://wihist.org/41ULv5O

Apply by 11:59 p.m. on May 29, 2026.

Lunch plans on Tuesday?! Here's a great idea!

Join us for History Sandwiched In on select Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. this fall inside the U.S. Bank Building on Madison’s Capital Square.

💧 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟬 - 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗜 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱-𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗿, 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗵𝗹

Recounting harrowing experiences with tangled air-hoses, hungry sharks, and painful cases of the bends, Thomsen recounts how Max Nohl’s unquenchable thirst for adventure propelled him to transcend fear and become one of the field’s great innovators. She will describe his early passion for the undersea world and his many groundbreaking contributions to the diving industry, including inventing the first self-contained diving suit, co-founding Milwaukee-based diving equipment company, DESCO, and developing early underwater film and photography techniques for Hollywood. This book is published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

The events are FREE, but advanced registration is recommended.

Learn more and register here: https://wihist.org/4ujryCT

📸: Dean Witter

Are you ready for a historic camp adventure this summer? Roll dice and thwart monsters, tackle new challenges, innovate, create and learn during our exciting History Maker Space Summer Camps in Madison for learners of all ages!

🌳 Wisconsin Adventures Summer Camp
🎨 Innovation Creation Summer Camp
💡Forward Thinkers Summer Camp
🎲 Myths and Legends Summer Camp- SOLD OUT

Reserve your spot today: https://wihist.org/4rcSeTS

🚧 The holidays didn’t slow us down at the future Wisconsin History Center! We’re charging ahead into 2026, and the building is starting to take shape. 🚧

The framing for the mezzanine and Level Two is complete, and steel for Level Three is arriving, with Level Four next.

Thanks to our construction partner JH Findorff for sharing this fun fact! 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄? The earliest steel products can be traced back 4,000 years ago. Since then, steel production has become so vast and economical that we could build 548 Eiffel Towers with the amount of steel that is produced daily.

Want a closer look? Check out our construction cam and watch the progress in action: https://wihist.org/49RmCgi



📸: JH Findorff