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| Location | 30 N. Carroll Street Madison, Wisconsin  United States |
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| Type | Historical museum |
| Director | Jennifer Kolb |
| Owner | Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Public transit access |  Metro Transit |
| Website | www |
The Wisconsin Historical Museum is a museum located on the Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin. It is currently open only for retail shopping featuring books, gifts, and other items focusing on Wisconsin and history.
The museum featured information about the history of Wisconsin and is operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. In addition to Wisconsin history, it provided information about other American history topics through artifacts, photographs, full-scale dioramas, audio-visual presentations, and interactive multimedia programs. In late 2004, the museum's existence was threatened due to budget cuts, [1] but citing its role in the state's history, Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle restored its funding. [2]
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, [3] and includes in its permanent collection a Big Boy, the mascot of a hamburger chain, [4] rescued in 1985 when its restaurant closed. [5] The museum also opened in 2012 an exhibit about Butch Vig's (of Madison's Garbage (band)) Smart Studios, a Madison recording facility that closed in 2010. [6] In late 2022, the museum closed down its exhibits in order to prepare for construction of a planned new Wisconsin History Center, to open in 2026. [7] [8]
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-largest in the U.S. Madison is named for American Founding Father and President James Madison.
McFarland is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, situated on the shores of Lake Waubesa to the southeast of Madison. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the village has a population of 8,991. Spanning just under 5 square miles in land area and encompassing roughly 43.50 miles of roads, McFarland is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest of the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Initially named the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of its growing collections. The building, designed by architects Adolf Cluss and Paul Schulze, opened in 1881, hosting an inaugural ball for President James A. Garfield. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. After being closed since 2004 for repair and renovation, the building reopened in 2021 with a special exhibition, Futures.
Henry Vilas Zoo is a 28-acre (11 ha) public zoo in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, that is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Owned by Dane County, the zoo charges no admission or parking fees. It receives over 750,000 visitors annually.
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum, located on Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, is dedicated to telling the stories of the veterans of the state of Wisconsin.
The Circus World Museum is a museum complex in Baraboo, Wisconsin, devoted to circus-related history. The museum features circus artifacts and exhibits and hosts daily live circus performances throughout the summer. It is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society and operated by the non-profit Circus World Museum Foundation. The museum was the major participant in the Great Circus Parade held from 1963 to 2009.
East Towne Mall is a shopping mall located on the northeast side of Madison, Wisconsin. The anchor stores are JCPenney, Shoe Carnival, Barnes & Noble, Planet Fitness, Flix Brewhouse, and Dick's Sporting Goods. There are 3 vacant anchor stores that were once Gordmans, Sears and Boston Store.
Brat Fest, which bills itself as "World's Largest Brat Fest", is an annual fundraiser held in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Illinois State Museum features the life, land, people and art of the State of Illinois. In addition to natural history exhibits, the main museum in Springfield focuses on the state's cultural and artistic heritage. Exhibits include local fossils and mining, household displays from different historic periods, dioramas of Native American life, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, and a collection of glass paperweights.
Hilldale Shopping Center, or simply Hilldale, is a partially enclosed shopping mall/lifestyle center development on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Originally opened in October 1962, Hilldale has four anchor stores - Macy's, Target, Metcalfe's Market, and L.L. Bean - as well as over 40 specialty stores as of May 2018.
Helen Farnsworth Mears was an American sculptor.
Art Fair on the Square is an annual event held on the Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. The juried event brings together around 500 artists from across America on the second weekend of July. Most art forms are represented, including ceramics, glass, fibre arts, photography, graphic arts, sculpture, woodwork, metals and jewellery, as well as the traditional paint and print media. It has been one of the most popular events in Madison for 50 years, drawing an estimated 200,000 people each year, including artists, students, families and casual browsers. The event is organised by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) and serves as its primary fund-raising event. A virtual event was planned in 2020 as officials cited COVID-19 pandemic as cause.
The Center for Railroad Photography & Art is a non-profit arts and education organization in Madison, Wisconsin, founded in 1997 to inform “the public about railroad photography and art through education, research and public service programs".
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's Concerts on the Square is an outdoor concert series held in each summer Madison on the lawn of the Wisconsin State Capitol. The series consists of six concerts on Wednesday evenings. It has been called "The Biggest Picnic of Summer". 2023 will be its 40th season.
University Square Madison is a 1,100,000-square-foot (100,000 m2) urban infill development in the City of Madison, Wisconsin.
The National Dairy Shrine is an American dairying group founded in 1949 and based in Wisconsin. The shrine promotes the dairy industry and records its history. As of 2007, the organization had over 18,000 members from most facets of dairying. It holds an annual ceremony where it inducts members of the dairy industry into its hall of fame.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin. UW–Madison serves as the official state university of Wisconsin and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System, while also earning recognition as a "Public Ivy." Founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved statehood, UW–Madison was the first public university established in Wisconsin and remains the oldest and largest public university in the state. UW–Madison became a land-grant institution in 1866. The 933-acre (378 ha) main campus, located on the shores of Lake Mendota, includes four National Historic Landmarks. The university also owns and operates the 1,200-acre (486 ha) University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum, located 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the main campus, which is also a National Historic Landmark.
The Madison Children's Museum is a museum for children in Madison, Wisconsin, that contains exhibits on the arts, sciences, history, culture, health, and civic engagement.
LaBahn Arena is the home ice of the Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey team. It was the second arena to be purpose-built for a women's collegiate hockey team; the first was Minnesota's Ridder Arena. The arena is connected via a tunnel to the Kohl Center, which the women's team shared with the men's team from its inception in 1999 until 2012. The men's team also practices there. The facility also houses locker rooms for the swimming and diving teams.