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Wisconsin Historical Museum

30 North Carroll Street, Madison, WI 53703
608-264-6555
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Ranked #36 of 44 attractions in Madison
Type: History Museums
Owner description: Bringing Wisconsin's history to life through exhibits on the material culture of the state and the Upper Midwest, from prehistoric times to present... more » Owner description: Bringing Wisconsin's history to life through exhibits on the material culture of the state and the Upper Midwest, from prehistoric times to present day. « less
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10 reviews from our community

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Jabbeke, Belgium
Top Contributor
141 reviews 141 reviews
95 attraction reviews
Reviews in 95 cities Reviews in 95 cities
76 helpful votes 76 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 June 2013 NEW

We visited this museum on June 18th. All the parking lots around the Capitol are restricted to 2 hours. If you only visit the museum it will be enough. On the 4th floor there is a temporarily exhibit about inventions made by Wisconsins: typewriter, hamburger, headphones, ... The 3th floor show how the European immigrants had to adept to The... More

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See 3 more reviews by AmarilisVos for Madison
Port Townsend, Washington
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 August 2012

The exhibits are well thought-out and many more than one would think. It's well worth a side trip here, allow at least 1 to 2 hours. There are exhibits to interest children, teens and adults.

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See 5 more reviews by ceebee3 for Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Senior Contributor
38 reviews 38 reviews
15 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 June 2012

rich with all that makes wisconsin.. wisconsin. nice place to go very interesting and informative.

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See 21 more reviews by russ1314 for Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Top Contributor
188 reviews 188 reviews
98 attraction reviews
Reviews in 58 cities Reviews in 58 cities
80 helpful votes 80 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 May 2012

I don't remember paying a fee to get in, I think they accept donations. Very cool/fun exhibits that really highlights the historic and rich past of the mid-West. I actually learned a lot going through the exhibits. Lots of fun items and photos on display.

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See 28 more reviews by Vanessa Y for Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
22 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 May 2012

Lots of stuff to see but you have to dig to get to some. Have an idea of what you want to explore, talk to the staff about it, and see what you get. I looked into old license plates and architectural files. Great time but be ready to spend time looking. Good rainy day activity for the curious.

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 15 more reviews by hilloboy for Madison
wisconsin
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 March 2012

We visited in conjunction with a trip to the Farmers Market on the Square. The museum is three floors of Wisconsin history, with the first floor being a rotating exhibit. We particularly enjoyed the floors with the different ethnicities of settlers, "famous" Wisconsinites and the old political and advertising/industry exhibits. We probably spent 2 hours here. In the gift shop... More

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
44 attraction reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 February 2012

My 9 year old son, Tommy, was impressed with the model of "Old Abe". Old Abe was an eagle who served as a mascot for Wisconsin troops during the Civil War.Tommy had first heard of Old Abe during a tour of the state Capital building[which is right across the street].If you feel that it's important to teach your family about... More

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See 7 more reviews by Bill S for Madison
1 review
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 July 2011 via mobile

The above review, which claims one of the highlights of the Wisconsin Historical Museum to be an adobe-like house, is the only proof you need that this museum needs serious restructuring and improvement if it is to fulfill its educational fuction and duties. The Native woodlands tribes of what is now Wisconsin--the tribes represented (poorly) in this museum--did not live... More

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A TripAdvisor Member
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 July 2003

We thorougly enjoyed the museum. The displays are very well done and cover a wide variety of subjects. I would recommend a visit to anyone having even a small interest in history, especially the history of Wisconsin.

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A TripAdvisor Member
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 March 2003

What a wonderful museum! The second floor has a marvelous history of the woodland indians, complete with pottery, crafts, beadwork, and a reproduction of an adobe-like house. There are great activities for kids in teh summer as well. There is also an excellent view of the Capitol area from their 4th floor window. Fantastic giftshop as well...I could spend all... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 2

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