History Museum at the Castle

Last updated
History Museum at the Castle
OCHSmuseum.jpg
The front entrance to the History Museum at the Castle
History Museum at the Castle
Established1985
Location333 East College Avenue,
Appleton, Wisconsin
Public transit access Bus-logo.svg Valley Transit
Website www.myhistorymuseum.org
Masonic Temple
Coordinates 44°15′44″N88°24′5″W / 44.26222°N 88.40139°W / 44.26222; -88.40139
Built1923
ArchitectLeenhouts & Gutherie
Architectural style Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No. 85002330 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 12, 1985

The History Museum at the Castle is a local history museum located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin across College Avenue from Lawrence University. Owned and operated by the Outagamie County Historical Society (OCHS), the museum has previously operated under the names The Outagamie Museum and The Houdini Historic Center. The building was earlier known as Masonic Temple. In 2018 the museum was a recipient of the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the highest honor given to a museum or library in the United States. [2]

Contents

History

The building in which the museum is housed was formerly a Masonic temple, built in 1923, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Masonic Temple". Appleton's Waverly Masonic Lodge sold the building to the OCHS in 1985.

The museum's collections focus on the history of the Fox River Valley, containing artifacts from the 1840s onward. The History Museum at the Castle also has a large collection of original Harry Houdini personal documents and performance paraphernalia, including a selection of his picks, locks, keys, and handcuffs. The museum also holds a collection of artifacts from the life of Senator Joe McCarthy, who was from the Appleton area. The museum owns 35,000 photographs dating back as far as 1857, including ones of Houdini, McCarthy, and Edna Ferber.

Other Houdini museums

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Houdini</span> Hungarian-American escapologist and stuntperson

Erik Weisz, known as Harry Houdini, was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Lodge of Massachusetts</span>

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, commonly referred to as the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and abbreviated GLMA, is the main governing body of Freemasonry within Massachusetts, and maintains Lodges in other jurisdictions overseas, namely Panama, Chile, the People's Republic of China, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of the Temple</span> Building in D.C., United States

The House of the Temple is a Masonic temple in Washington, D.C., United States, that serves as the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freemasons' Hall, London</span> Headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England

Freemasons' Hall in London is the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England and the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England, as well as being a meeting place for many Masonic Lodges in the London area. It is located in Great Queen Street between Holborn and Covent Garden and has been a Masonic meeting place since 1775.

The Houdini Museum is located at Scranton, Pennsylvania. Harry Houdini appeared in Scranton and did several special challenges there. His brother, Hardeen, also appeared in Scranton and in its sister city, Wilkes-Barre. The longest engagement of Houdini's career was in this area of northeast Pennsylvania when he spent two full seasons with the Welsh Brothers Circus. Documents and letters attesting to this are on display in the museum's renovated 125-year-old building and on its website. Houdini performed at Sylvester Z. Poli's theater for in Scranton, which was part of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuit at the time. This would later become the RKO Pictures circuit.

Sidney Hollis Radner was a rug salesman from Holyoke, Massachusetts, who owned one of the world's largest and most valuable collections of Harry Houdini artifacts. Radner was a 1937 graduate of Worcester Academy and matriculated to Yale College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scranton Cultural Center</span> United States historic place

The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is a theatre and cultural center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Cultural Center's mission statement is "to rejuvenate a national architectural structure as a regional center for arts, education and community activities appealing to all ages." The Cultural Center hosts national Broadway tours; professional and local musical and dramatic theatre offerings; local, regional and national orchestral and popular music, dance and opera; comedians, lecturers, art exhibits, a children's and performing arts academy and various classes as well as fundraiser galas and special events including proms, luncheons, private parties and is a popular wedding ceremony and reception venue. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Outagamie County, Wisconsin</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. It is intended to provide a comprehensive listing of entries in the National Register of Historic Places that are located in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. The locations of National Register properties for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below may be seen in a map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson County Museum of History</span> United States historic place

The Johnson County Museum of History is a local historical museum located in Franklin, Indiana. The museum is run by the Johnson County Historical Society. The museum officially opened in 1931, under the name "Johnson County Museum." It was organized by the local Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indianapolis Masonic Temple</span> United States historic place

The current Indianapolis Masonic Temple, also known as Indiana Freemasons Hall, is a historic Masonic Temple located at Indianapolis, Indiana. Construction was begun in 1908, and the building was dedicated in May 1909. It is an eight-story, Classical Revival style cubic form building faced in Indiana limestone. The building features rows of engaged Ionic order columns. It was jointly financed by the Indianapolis Masonic Temple Association and the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Indiana, and was designed by the distinguished Indianapolis architectural firm of Rubush and Hunter.

The Kent Museum of Freemasonry, is a museum in St Peters Place, Canterbury, Kent with a rare collection of masonic exhibits of national and international importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa Masonic Library and Museum</span> Historic site in Iowa, United States

The Iowa Masonic Library and Museum, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, is one of the largest Masonic libraries in the world and incorporates at least three museum collections. The library was the first, worldwide, to have its own building, which was constructed in 1884. Its current building, constructed in 1955, also houses the administrative offices for the Grand Lodge of Iowa, one of the governing bodies for Freemasonry in Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Zion and School</span> Former Jewish synagogue in Wisconsin

The Temple Zion and School is a former Jewish synagogue located at 320 North Durkee Street, and a Jewish day school located at 309 East Harris Street, both in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the United States. The synagogue was built in 1883 and was subsequently used as a church from 1932 until 1977; when it was sold to the Outagamie County Historical Society for use as a history museum. In 1999 the former synagogue and school were acquired by interested associated with the Wahl family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Boulder</span> History museum in Boulder, Colorado

The Museum of Boulder, formerly the Boulder History Museum, is a private, nonprofit, local history museum located in Boulder, Colorado and operated by the Boulder Historical Society. From 1985 to 2018, the Museum operated out of the historic Harbeck-Bergheim house on University Hill near the University of Colorado Boulder campus. In April 2013, it purchased the Masonic Lodge building at Broadway and Pine for $2.45 million. Renovations began in 2017 and the new Museum opened on May 19, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The House of Houdini</span> Historic site in Dísz Square, Budapest

The House of Houdini is a private exhibit and performance venue located at 11, Dísz Square, within the walls of the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. The building houses the only collection of original Houdini artifacts in Europe.

The Houdini Museum of New York is a museum exhibiting memorabilia related to the escape artist, Harry Houdini. It is located at Fantasma Magic, a retail magic manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Freemasonry</span> Museum in London, England

Museum of Freemasonry, based at Freemasons’ Hall, London, is a fully accredited museum since 2009, with a designated outstanding collection of national importance since 2007 and registered charitable trust since 1996. The facility encompasses a museum, library, and archive.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Nyman, Shane (2018-05-01). "History Museum at the Castle wins nation's highest honor". Post-Crescent Media. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  3. Compeer (December 13, 2016). "House of Houdini Opens in Hungary". The Magic Compass . Society of American Magicians. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.