Milwaukee County Historical Society in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, United States | Historical Society

The Milwaukee County Historical Society was founded in 1935 to collect, preserve and make available materials relating to the history of the Milwaukee community in Wisconsin, United States.  Through a broad range of activities, the Milwaukee County Historical Society seeks to recognize and preserve our local history.  In promoting a greater appreciation of Milwaukee County's heritage, the Milwaukee County Historical Society hopes to develop a better understanding of the issues and challenges facing Milwaukee County today.

The Milwaukee County Historical Society operates three museum houses and one historic site. These properties and the Milwaukee County Historical Society's downtown Historical Center are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Milwaukee County Historical Society’s Collections Department houses over 20,000 artifacts that relate to Milwaukee and Milwaukee County history. These items are kept with a purpose of connecting Milwaukee’s past to the present, with a focus on the future. Our primary purpose is to preserve, catalog, and research these objects for use in the Society’s exhibits and programs. Secondary to this mission is the acquisition of artifacts and the removal of those that no longer serve the Society’s collections policy.