Image courtesy of SmithGroup

By KERRY SMITH BUCK

MADISON, Wis. – J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. is leading construction on the $161 million, 100,000-square-foot Wisconsin History Center on the Capitol Square in Madison, Wis.

The architectural design team for the Wisconsin History Center is SmithGroup in partnership with Milwaukee-based Continuum Architects + Planners.

The new Wisconsin History Center is scheduled to open in late 2027.

Its façade features a multi-layered exterior made of glass, zinc and stone meant to symbolize the complex layers of history. Another unique component is the “living room,” a double-height ground floor atrium intended as a welcoming, transparent public space right off the street.

The upper floors and outdoor terraces are specifically angled to give visitors direct sightlines to the Capitol building across the street.

Through exhibitions and programs curated for guests of all ages, the museum will share wide ranging perspectives from the past and present, bringing historical context to an expansive and ever-growing American history collection of national significance. It will house permanent and temporary galleries which will allow WHS to present stories for local, regional and national audiences. Visitors will enter spaces that engage every sense through rotating art, objects and images, soundscapes from state and national musicians and regional food and beverage tastings. It will be a regional learning hub, emerging as a leading history experience in the Midwest.

With plans to welcome more than 200,000 guests annually, the new museum will more than double exhibition space, include state-of-the-art technology that will provide greater access to the Society’s collection and give them unparalleled access to history. The new museum will be the heart of a network to reach and connect people across the state through distance learning technology and exciting, modern exhibitions.