Milwaukee County Historical Society

Museum Collections

The 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.

Currently, efforts are being made to re-inventory the artifact collection, organizing it into manageable categories to improve access by both future staff and the public. This major undertaking would not be possible without the help of our dedicated interns and volunteers.

The Collections Department is not open to the public. Collections staff are available by appointment for research purposes. Please call Curator Mike Reuter at 414-273-8288 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Due to the renovation of the Historical Center and a re-organization of the Collections themselves, certain artifacts may be off-limits for some time. We apologize for any inconvenience.

All images of the artifact illustrated here are © 2007 by the Milwaukee County Historical Society. These images may be downloaded and printed by individuals for personal use, research or teaching purposes, or other "fair use" as defined by U.S. Copyright Law. All other uses are strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Contact mchs@prodigy.net regarding usage and reproduction requests.