The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum (MCLHR) is a thriving institution that has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Monroe County, Wisconsin, and its inhabitants since its founding in 1976. Created by a special county resolution, MCLHR is unique in that it is a department of Monroe County managed by a Board of Trustees, and its operating budget comes from donations received by the public.
The Local History Room includes both the county history museum and a research library. It is housed within the old Masonic Temple in downtown Sparta, and the main floor is handicap accessible. The Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bicycle Museum, a separate museum, occupies the second floor. The Monroe County Historical Society and the Monroe-Juneau-Jackson Genealogical Workshop are separate, nonprofit organizations which help support the activities of the Local History Room.
The Former Masonic Temple Building, 200 W. Main St., Sparta, WI, is now the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum.
The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum’s mission is to connect people to the past in a meaningful way. Through its ever-increasing collection of artifacts, documents, photographs, and genealogical resources, as well as the school and public programming it regularly offers, the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum helps bring history to life for all generations. Come and explore, encounter, and engage history at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum!
Some of the services provided by the Local History Room include:
- Preserve the physical record of Monroe County history for future generations, including collecting artifacts, paper documents, and historic photographs
- Serve as a repository for county, municipal, and school district records
- Share the history of Monroe County with the public through lectures, programs, and exhibits
- Stimulate interest in Monroe County history and generate a sense of local pride through providing educational programming to students
- Connect researchers to their Monroe County roots through the resources found in our research library, archives, and website
- Draw tourists to Monroe County, including Bike Trail users, campers, bus tours, I-90 pull-offs, and holiday visitors
- Manage the Wegner Grotto County Park, overseeing public use, maintenance, marketing, and preservation efforts
Joan Cook, MCLHR Board Member, teaches area students on Flag Day at the History Room, 1995.
The Local History Room has won numerous state and national awards for exhibits and archival efforts. These awards include:
- Governor’s Archives Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Stewardship of Wisconsin’s Historical Records (2001; first institution to receive this award)
- Governor’s Archives Award for Archival Achievement (2012; first institution to receive the award twice)
- Wisconsin Federation of Museums Institutional Excellence Award (2018)
- American Association for State & Local History Leadership in History Excellence Award (2019)
MCLHR Director, Jarrod Roll, (right) and Museum Services Associate, Hannah Scholze, (left) by their award-winning exhibit "Monroe County A to Z" in 2018.