History Museum at the Castle facts for kids
The front entrance to the History Museum at the Castle
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| Established | 1985 |
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| Location | 333 East College Avenue, Appleton, Wisconsin |
| Public transit access |  Valley Transit |
The History Museum at the Castle is a cool place in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. It's right across from Lawrence University. This museum tells the story of the local area. The Outagamie County Historical Society (OCHS) runs it.
Before it became the History Museum, it had other names. It was once called The Outagamie Museum and also The Houdini Historic Center. The building itself used to be known as the Masonic Temple. In 2018, the museum received a very special award. It got the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This is the highest honor a museum or library in the United States can receive!
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Museum Building History
The building where the museum is located has a long past. It was built in 1923. Back then, it was a Masonic temple. Freemasons are members of a fraternal organization. Their temples are places where they hold meetings and events.
This historic building is special. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important places across the country. It helps protect buildings that have historical value. Appleton's Waverly Masonic Lodge sold the building to the OCHS in 1985. That's when it became a museum.
What You Can See at the Museum
The museum's collections focus on the history of the Fox River Valley. This area is in Wisconsin. The museum has many interesting items. These items, called artifacts, show what life was like from the 1840s until today.
Harry Houdini's Amazing Collection
One of the most exciting parts of the museum is its Harry Houdini collection. Houdini was a world-famous escape artist and magician. He was born in Appleton! The museum has many of his personal items. You can see his original documents. There are also things he used in his shows. This includes some of his picks, locks, keys, and handcuffs. It's like stepping into his secret world of magic!
Other Notable Collections
The museum also has items from other famous people. You can find artifacts from the life of Senator Joe McCarthy. He was a politician from the Appleton area. The museum also owns a huge collection of photographs. There are 35,000 pictures! They go all the way back to 1857. These photos include pictures of Houdini, McCarthy, and even Edna Ferber. She was a famous writer.
Other Houdini Museums Around the World
If you love Harry Houdini, there are other places to learn about him:
- American Museum of Magic
- David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts (this one is not open to the public)
- Houdini Museum (in Scranton, Pennsylvania)
- The House of Houdini
- Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin (they have many Houdini letters and papers)
- Houdini Museum of New York
See also
- List of magic museums
