Sheboygan County Historical Museum facts for kids
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Established | 1923 |
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Location | 3110 Erie Avenue Sheboygan, Wisconsin ![]() |
Type | Historical museum |
Collection size | 30,000+ artifacts |
Visitors | 12,000 annually |
Owner | Sheboygan County |
Public transit access | ![]() |
The Sheboygan County Historical Museum is a cool place to learn about the past in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It's located on the west side of the city, inside Taylor Park. This museum is all about the history of Sheboygan County.
The museum has several interesting buildings to explore. You can visit the old David Taylor House, which was built a long time ago. There's also the Weinhold Family Homestead from 1864, showing how families lived back then. You can see the Schuchardt Barn from the 1890s, which has displays about farming. Plus, there's the Bodenstab Cheese Factory from 1867, where you can learn how cheese was made long ago.
The museum also has special displays that change throughout the year. These exhibits cover many topics. You can learn about Native American history, how people used to harvest ice, and stories about ships and the lake. They also show exhibits about circuses, local sports, and early farming methods.
History of the Museum
The David Taylor House
The main building at the museum is the David Taylor House. It was built in the early 1850s. A very important person named David Taylor built this house. He was a judge in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin and a well-known citizen.
Around 1900, the house became property of Sheboygan County. For a while, from 1915 to 1936, it was used by the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office. It even served as the county jail! This was before the new Sheboygan County Courthouse was finished.
After that, a caretaker for Taylor Park lived in the house for many years. In 1949, the Sheboygan County Historical Society started using it. The road leading to the park, called Taylor Drive, later became a local road for the city's west side.
Museum's Growth
The Sheboygan County Historical Museum first opened on the ground floor of the David Taylor House. In the early 1970s, the museum grew bigger. It then took over the entire house. The Taylor House was the main museum building until a new museum opened in 1997. This new building was built across the park grounds.