Interactive displays, one-of-a-kind events and new pop-up displays offer opportunities to engage with history across the region
MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Historical Society’s statewide History Makers Tour will continue its journey across the state with new events and experiences happening in the southeastern counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha. The History Makers Tour kicked off last fall and is a collaborative program bringing opportunities to engage with history to communities across the state in the lead up to the opening of the new Wisconsin History Center in 2027. The dynamic program features events in the southeastern region of Wisconsin happening now through October 2024. Click here to browse upcoming events.
“The History Makers Tour is all about sharing and celebrating Wisconsin history through memorable experiences like author talks, pop-up exhibits, object displays and more,” said Mallory Hanson, statewide services coordinator for the Wisconsin Historical Society. “We’ve enjoyed collaborating with community partners to plan exciting tour stops for this leg of the tour, and I’m especially eager about three new signature events taking place in collaboration with the Kenosha History Center, Lake Geneva Public Library and the Wisconsin Black Historical Society.”
An interactive new element of the tour includes “Step Into History” outdoor displays featuring iconic, historic images from the Society’s collection scaled up to life-size proportions with built-in photo opportunities ideal for sharing on social media. New “History Walks” pop-up exhibits explore Wisconsin’s cultural identity across five unique topics, and an array of one-of-a-kind historical objects will go on display in public spaces as partnering organizations book these new small-scale installations for their venues in the coming weeks. Displays span a range of topics from Wisconsin history such as the Green Bay Packers, Great Lakes shipwrecks, ice-fishing traditions, Civil Rights activist Vel Philips and more.
The Society invites local history organizations, libraries, cultural venues and other potential partners to get in touch now about opportunities to take part in the History Makers Tour. The tour will head to the southwest region of the state (counties of Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Monroe, Richland, Sauk, and Vernon) beginning November 2024. The History Makers Tour was made possible thanks to our generous sponsor, Culver’s, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant Number MA-253159-OMS-23).
Upcoming History Makers Tour Events:
EXHIBIT – “We Stand on Their Shoulders”: A History of Wisconsin Women and Voting
May 1-30, Matheson Memorial Library, Elkhorn
June 19-July 17, Cedarburg History Museum, Cedarburg
July 10 – Aug. 7, New Berlin Historical Society, New Berlin
July 24 – Aug. 21, Oak Creek Historical Museum, Oak Creek
Aug. 28 – Sep. 25, Menomonee Falls Public Library, Menomonee Falls
Oct. 2-30, W.J. Niederkorn Library, Port Washington
The traveling display “‘We Stand on Their Shoulders’: A History of Wisconsin Women and Voting” explores moments when women in Wisconsin gained political rights and highlights a few key leaders in the local suffrage movement. Covering the ratification of the 19th Amendment, 1921 Wisconsin Equal Rights Act, 1924 Indian Citizenship Act, and 1965 Voting Rights Act, the eight-panel display shares the important story of women’s quest for political rights and recognition through quotes, photographs, and a timeline of events.
EXHIBIT – Step Into History: The Tommy Bartlett Show
June 5-Sept. 3, Kenosha Welcome Center, Kenosha
Ready to test your waterskiing skills? Join the Tommy Bartlett Show and become part of the pyramid act! For 67 years, the Tommy Bartlett Show on Lake Delton entertained visitors with waterski stunts, high-speed boats, and sky acts. In 1952, the show was performed for the first time on Lake Mendota in Madison and made a second stop in Wisconsin Dells. The impressed Wisconsin Dells Chamber of Commerce invited Bartlett to make their town the show’s permanent home. In addition to being performed there, the show traveled across the country and abroad. From 1952 to 2019, about 30 million people attended the Tommy Bartlett Show. Have some fun and strike a pose with this large-scale interactive display featuring historical images from our archive!
EXHIBIT – Step Into History: Gesell Family Photo
June 14-Sept. 28, Historic Greendale Welcome Center, Greendale
What’s the silliest face you can make? Join the Gesell family and pick your favorite prop! Family portraits date to the 19th century. This image from the Gerhard A. Gesell collection shows how families have expressed their sense of humor in photos since the 1800s. In 1876, photographer Gerhard Gesell moved to Alma, Wisconsin. He opened a photography studio and documented daily life along the Mississippi River. Although Gesell took studio portraits, he did much of his work in the field. His photographs of Alma’s residents boating, swimming, and harvesting ice, and of the logging operations at Beef Slough, capture the vital role the Mississippi River played in Alma. Have some fun and strike a pose with this large-scale interactive display featuring historical images from our archive!
SPECIAL EVENT – Kenosha Taco Fest
June 28, 3 – 9 p.m., Kennedy Park, Kenosha
The Wisconsin Historical Society is thrilled to partner with the Kenosha History Center for the Kenosha Taco Fest! Join us on Friday, June 28 at Kennedy Park, along the shores of Lake Michigan. Food trucks will compete for votes to be named “Kenosha Taco Fest Champion”. The event is FREE to attend (tacos and other menu items will be available to purchase from participating vendors). Kenosha Taco Fest will coincide with the Kenosha History Center’s popular Friday Night Classic Car Cruise-in on June 28. All classic cars and spectators are welcome at this event. There will be a special area for classic cars.
AUTHOR APPEARANCE – Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries with Jim Draeger
July 13, 5 p.m., Old Falls Village Historical Museum and Park, Menomonee Falls
Beginning with inns and saloons, “Bottoms Up” explores the rise of taverns and breweries, the effects of temperance and Prohibition, and attitudes about gender, ethnicity and morality. Contemporary photographs of unusual and distinctive bars and breweries of all eras illustrate the story of how Wisconsin came to dominate brewing. Co-author of the book Jim Draeger worked in the field of historic preservation and architecture at the Wisconsin Historical Society for more than 20 years, most recently as the former State Historic Preservation Officer. From roadside architecture to Northwoods resorts, Jim celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing and lectures.
EXHIBIT – Wisconsin’s John Muir: An Exhibit Celebrating the Centennial of the National Park Service
Aug. 1-29, Pleasant Prairie Historical Society, Pleasant Prairie
The traveling display “Wisconsin’s John Muir: An Exhibit Celebrating the Centennial of the National Park Service” explores Muir’s youth in Wisconsin, his advocacy for national parks and his views on environmental issues such as logging, hunting and climate change. Its eight panels share facsimiles of images and manuscripts from the Society’s library and archives alongside Muir quotes and interpretive texts. The Muir display and reading program is funded by bequests from John A. Peters and the Kenyon and Mary Follett family.
AUTHOR APPEARANCE – One Room Schools: Stories from the Days of 1 Room, 1 Teacher, 8 Grades
Aug. 3, Burlington Public Library, Burlington
What was it like to attend a one-room school, to be in the same classroom as your older brother or younger sister, or to have your teacher live with your family for part of the school year? Join Susan Apps-Bodilly, author of “One Room Schools: Stories from the Days of 1 Room, 1 Teacher, 8 Grades,” as she chronicles life in Wisconsin’s early country schools, detailing the experiences of the students, the role of the teacher, and examples of the curriculum, including the importance of Wisconsin School of the Air radio programs. She describes the duties children had at school besides their schoolwork, from cleaning the erasers and sweeping cobwebs out of the outhouse to carrying in wood for the stove. She also tells what led to the closing of the one-room schools, which were more than just centers of learning: they also served as the gathering place for the community.
EXHIBIT – Great Lakes Small Streams: How Water Shapes Wisconsin
Sep. 9 – Oct. 7, Germantown Community Library, Germantown
It is impossible to fully understand Wisconsin without an appreciation of water’s power to create opportunities, influence decisions and shape the events that become our shared story. The exhibit will place many of our current concerns in a historical context and show how Wisconsin was changed over time by the force of water. Visitors will see the consequences—good and bad—of past decisions and will be challenged to incorporate insights they gain into actions that can secure a more hopeful future for all of us regarding water. The Wisconsin Historical Society gratefully acknowledges the Herzfeld Foundation, Wisconsin Humanities Council, and Ralph Evinrude Foundation for their generous support of this exhibit.
AUTHOR APPEARANCE – Wisconsin Lighthouses with Ken & Barb Wardius
Oct. 17, 6 p.m., Franksville Memorial Park, Franksville
No symbol is more synonymous with Wisconsin’s rich maritime traditions than the lighthouse. These historic beacons conjure myriad notions of a bygone era: romance, loneliness and dependability; dedicated keepers manning the lights; eerie tales of haunted structures and ghosts of past keepers; mariners of yesteryear anxiously hoping to make safe haven around rocky shorelines. If these sentinels could talk, imagine the tales they would tell of ferocious Great Lakes storms taking their toll on vessels and people alike. Presented by Ken and Barb Wardius, lighthouse historians and photographers.
NEW EVENTS ARE FREQENTLY ADDED TO THE TOUR LINEUP. For a current event listing, visit https://wihist.org/historymakerstour.
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
About Culver’s
About Culver’s
For over 38 years, Culver’s guests have been treated to cooked-to-order food made with farm-fresh ingredients and served with a smile. The ever-expanding franchise system now numbers 900 family-owned and operated restaurants in 26 states. The restaurants’ nationally recognized customer service is based on small-town, Midwestern values, genuine friendliness and an unwavering commitment to quality. Signature items include the award-winning ButterBurger, made from fresh, never frozen beef, and Fresh Frozen Custard, including the famous Flavor of the Day program. For more information, visit www.culvers.com or connect with Culver’s on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
About The Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
