History & Civics Education

Your support helps students connect to the past both in and out of the classroom. History and civics education is about more than historic people and events—you'll equip the next generation with the skills, curiosity and context to be future leaders, problem solvers and engaged community members.

• 57,000 students utilize the Society's elementary Wisconsin history textbook 
• 34,000 students visited historic sites and museums on field trips 
• 6,000+ middle and high school students participated in National History Day 

Collections Care & Access

Your gift helps care for the nearly 290 million items in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s collections—one of the largest and most extensive collections of North American history in the world. You help catalog and preserve each and every item, ensuring they are accessible to people everywhere. 

• Preserve a legacy of collecting history as it happens, such as diaries written by soldiers housed at Camp Randall during the Civil War 
• Steward our collection of significant written records and manuscripts, stretching from before the birth of America to the present 
• Collection strengths include content pertaining to labor history, social movements, mass communications and agriculture 

Historic Sites & Museums

Your support helps bring history alive for us all through immersive, experiences at historic destinations throughout Wisconsin, from Lake Superior’s Madeline Island to Old World Wisconsin in the Southern Kettle Moraine.

• 200,000+ visitors explore the Society’s historic sites and museums each year 
• Fresh exhibitions and interpretations to share our state’s stories and bring many perspectives together for a more complete history 
• Hands-on experiences allow guests to craft in a historic blacksmith workshop at Wade House or learn a lesson in a one-room schoolhouse at Reed School

Historic Preservation & Archaeology

Your gift preserves the stories just beneath the surface. Whether they are found behind the doors of a historic home or in the depths of a great lake, you help experts from the State Historic Preservation Office and State Archaeology and Maritime Preservation Program continue to uncover and protect our state’s stories and places.

• Hundreds of archaeological sites are investigated every year 
• Approximately 2,400 Wisconsin properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
• Nearly $64 million invested in rehabilitated historic properties 

Local History & Community Outreach

History happens everywhere. Our Local History Affiliate Program was the nation’s very first, ensuring communities across the state have the resources and support to share their story. Your gift powers extensive outreach to bring history to people across the state.

• 300,000 Wisconsinites connected with our state’s stories through our traveling History Makers Tour 
• More than 600 official Wisconsin Historical Markers relate stories of historical significance across the state 
• Annual conferences, ongoing workshops and educational webinars offer training and networking opportunities for local affiliates 

Public Programs & Resources

Help see to it that the incredible stories of our state gain the widest possible audience. Your support means that books, magazines, speakers, presentations and traveling galleries can bring history alive for people across the state and throughout the world.

• The quarterly Wisconsin Magazine of History brings to life the unique and fascinating stories of our state 
• Nearly 300 books are currently offered by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, founded in 1855 
• Summer camps provide our state’s youth with opportunities to explore history and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills 

Give by mail or by phone

888-748-7479