This is a museum exploring local history. It's free, but it's only open Thursday through Saturday from 11am to 3pm. Hopefully, you're in town long enough to visit! The building doesn't seem too large, but there is a fair amount of artifacts and exhibits to view while you're in there! I would say, it took us about 3 hours to see everything at a leisurely pace. They let us explore many different eras of history from women's suffrage, Native Americans and early settlers, coal mining, farming, etc... It's definitely worth a stop if you're into history! read more

See all

Free with donation - wonderful museum with 4 floors of exhibits and views of State Street and the Capital read more

Wisconsin Historical Museum - View from 4th floor inside the museum - Museums Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

I was interested in comparing the presentations in the Capitol's WHM with those in Milwaukee's MPM and was surprised that Madison's museum was no match for Milwaukee's. Admittedly the Native American floor (2nd) covers that history in more detail than the MPM does, but their positioning of a lot of glass cases in a context that lacks design, color and artistry is disappointing. The signage is very complete and one could spend days reading all the interesting information. The other floors contain some interesting artifacts and information and it's great that these have have collected and preserved. I've heard that the legislature has given substantial funding to showcase more of the WHM's holdings and that may be a reason for increasing this museum's rating here. It's possible that it has much more to share than we've been allowed to see. read more

My disclaimer is that we didn't visit the museum but hear me out folks - the gift shop is AWESOME. We popped in for a quick look and we're delighted to find "bubbler" (because a fountain is what you throw coins in, dont'cha know) and "Brandy old fashioned" t shirts. They even have a Fish Fry Friday one. There are books of course, and a nice kids area with educational things. Myself? I couldn't pass up a pair of socks covered in badgers holding lilacs. read more

A small but well done museum with a great museum store. Over the years I have stopped in their store many times when in town visiting family but rarely have I toured the museum. The display of the aluminum Christmas trees got me out of the store and into the museum. I have one of these vintage trees so the display was a hit. Even better were the 60s toy commercials they were showing in the adjacent theater - a true blast from the past. I then took a quick spin through the rest of the museum - I enjoyed the floor that included the industries and commerce of the state more so than the floor on the early settlers. Both were well done. Overall, a real community asset. read more

Pretty awesome museum. They have everything you need to know about Wisconsin: even a 12 minute black and white movie on how cranberries are harvested. Between you and I, I do not envy those who have to manually harvest cranberries. There are 5 floors of free and interesting historical exhibits: 5th Floor looks at the political history of Wisconsin with a big section missing: the misery created by McCarthyism and how it destroyed America. Also offers a postcard view of the Capitol Bldg. 4th Floor looks at the immigrants and their influences and impact on Wisconsin culture. 3rd Floor looks at the industrial aspects of Wisconsin, with a major emphasis on cows (hint: cheese is big here). You can even take a cow selfie. 2nd Floor shows you a Wigwam and talks about the native Americans of Wisconsin. Pretty interesting. First floor focuses on foods that are popular in Wisconsin. Also, somewhere in the museum, there is this gargantuan CHEESEHEAD block. Pretty Trippy. Definitely worth a visit. read more

A fantastic museum with a little bit of everything - just like Wisconsin. It's spread across 4 floors with the ground floor housing classrooms and a gift shop. The second floor is entirely devoted to Native American history and culture. The other 2 floors contain exhibits on politics, bowling, Harleys, agriculture and all things Wisconsin. Don't miss the great view of the capitol. The gift shop has tons of souvenir items from silly to serious to keep everyone back home happy. read more

See all

A great museum, in a town that seems full of them. I went to the Wisconsin Historical Society as well, but it's more a research library than a museum. Strangely, there doesn't seem to be any connection between the two places. This one is comparable to the museum section of the Ohio Historical Center; the WHS seems like the archives and library portion of that institution. When I went there was a special exhibit about toys, which was amusing but definitely more for kids. There was also a small display of contemporary quilts. The main floors hold the usual history and prehistory exhibits, well done with informative text and interesting artifacts. There's a gift shop with a very good selection of books, local and general, as well as T-shirts and knickknacks. read more

Odd Wisconsin is one of the most unique local history exhibits I have seen, celebrating eccentric collections that originated in this state. There's a little bit of everything here, including plenty of nostalgia. - a Festivus pole - Multi-purpose food from the Cold War - a Hitler piggy bank - a 7-foot tall bowie knife - 125 year old toast - a women's rights flag made out of bras and birth control pills - a collection of old Presidential campaign buttons ...and my all-time favorite: Displays of a 1990s family room and 1990s kitchen. Apparently that is a historic decade now. (And yes, it looks pretty accurate!) There is an additional floor that discusses the natural history of Wisconsin on a more serious tone. (This exhibit includes a life-sized cow and tractor.) At only $4 per person, the Odd Wisconsin exhibit can keep you busy and educated for several hours about the finest artifacts in the state. read more

Wisconsin Historical Museum - Museums Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I hate to give less than three stars but I really wasn't impressed here. The WHM offers three floors of historical displays and information. The displays are well done and there's great coverage of its Native American roots. The museum felt a little flat to me because of the lack of 20th century coverage. I understand that it's about the history of the state, but a more comprehensive look at the last 100yrs would surely add some pep to this otherwise lack-luster museum. read more

Wisconsin Historical Museum - ghost sign seen from the 3rd floor window. If you go here, be sure to look at the 1952 photo that offers the same vantage point. - Museums Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Visited the Historical Museum in December 2018, and learned much about the State of Wisconsin. The museum is located across the street from the Capital and the Veteran's museum. It's closed on Sun-Mon, and open from 9-4pm on Tue-Sat. The cost to tour the museum is $5 adults/$3 children. There is also a well stocked gift shop. The museum is 3 stories of the history of Wisconsin. The exhibits are well organized and displayed. It will take you 1-3 hours to tour the museum. Worth a visit if your in the area. read more

See all

The PRICE IS RIGHT! Donate whatever you think it's worth just like the MET in NYC. I paid the suggested donation for adults. Who knew that so many gadgets were invented by locals or promoted by them? Did you know the Hamburger was introduced to American society via the Wisconsin State Fair? The Wisconsin Innovations exhibit was fun. They have really neat exhibits from the Native Americans and how the generous Indian ambassadors and the "great father" President of the USA bilked the Indians from all their land in a cool two decades. I also liked the immigrant one that told you how the state grew. Don't forget to buy a cheese head hat on the way out of the gift shop. read more

Had a great experience here! Their website had the wrong tour time posted, but a volunteer gave me and my daughters a personal tour of the museum. Very cool information about our state right in the middle of Capital Square. We will definitely be back. read more

Great museum and totally free ($5 suggest donation). Great displays on different eras in Wisconsin history and a special exhibit about actors with WI connections. Learned a lot here! read more

Wisconsin Historical Museum - Great view of the capital from upper floors of museum - Museums Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

I visited this museum in 8/04. It's small, but interesting and informative.

One of the best museums I've had the pleasure of seeing in Wisconsin. The amount of detail that went into creating this environment is astonishing. I came here for a school trip and it was a very immersive look in to local and national history. I specifically took notice to the top floor's selection of political campaign memorabilia, and many eye-catching posters that riddled the exhibits. But there was many more exhibits than just that. In fact, there were 5 floors of fun and intriguing time periods. I highly recommend taking the tour for the full experience. The gift shop was delightful, and offered many Wisconsin related merchandise that I've never seen before. In conclusion, I highly recommend this museum if you want to learn more about Wisconsin, or even more about America in an immersive experience. read more

Went on the Hidden History of the Capitol Square walking tour. We are local residents but had never taken any of the walking tours. We found it informative, some things we already knew just from living here. $10.00 per person seemed a little high but it's for a good cause, so it was OK. A short stop at Starbucks or Collectivo for a cool drink or even just a small bottle of cold water for the walk would be a nice addition. Easy walking, short stops with benches to sit while the guide talks. I'm sure the guide gets many, many different questions but it seems like she should make a list and know some of the answers to customers questions, but otherwise she was pretty good. Like my husband said "she learned the script." They have a "weird Madison" tour and I think we'll try that one next. read more

Fantastic museum, very in-depth and broad coverage of all that makes Wisconsin great!

The best part is that the workers are great, and it was sort of interesting.

There are great exhibits at this museum. It is not as 'flashy' or interactive as some museums, but if you are in the mood to do some caption-reading, you may find yourself very entertained and educated. read more

Great variety in exhibits. We saw the bike one as well as pieces on WI politics, immigration, industry, and Native American history. For a $4 suggested donation, what more could you expect? Well worth a couple hours of your time. read more