Upcoming History Room Programs and Special Events
While this year marks the 250th Anniversary of the country, it is also our 50th Anniversary here at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum!! To help celebrate this milestone, save the date for these upcoming programs and special events. Read More
Local History Room Program to Explore History of Wisconsin State School/Child Center
Where does a child go when they are orphaned, neglected, or dependent on others for their care? If you were a boy or girl living in Wisconsin between the years of 1886 and 1976, you would likely go to the State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children in Sparta. At its height of operation in the 1930s, the State School, later renamed the “Wisconsin Child Center,” was home to over 500... Read More
Local History Room closed March 3-6
The Local History Room & Research Library will be closed to the public March 3-6 as we take down our "For the Love of LEGO" display and do some seasonal maintenance. We will re-open at 9:00 on Saturday, March 7. Read More
LEGO Exhibit at History Room Extended Through Feb. 28
The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum is excited to announce that the “For the Love of LEGO” exhibit has been extended through February 28th . A record number of visitors have already come to see the 50 highly-detailed LEGO sets made from the popular plastic building bricks which make up the exhibit. The display includes a 27-square-foot build with a medieval castle theme has been... Read More
LEGO Robotics Demonstration at Museum January 24
In conjunction with our "For the Love of LEGO" exhibit, we'll be having a LEGO Robotics demonstration by the local, award-winning FIRST LEGO League team Nerds On a Mission on Saturday, January 24 for TWO programs at 11:00 and 1:00. Come see a demonstration and learn about the team's experiences and accomplishments with LEGO Robotics. The event is free and will be located on the second floor of... Read More
LEGO Masters Jr. Season 1 Finalists at History Room December 29
In conjunction with our "For the Love of LEGO" exhibit, we're excited to announce that Will Tachick and Crosby Ehlenfeldt, LEGO Masters Jr. Season 1 Finalists from Eau Claire, will be here Monday, December 29, for a special program at both 1:00 and 5:30 pm. Come meet Will & Crosby and learn more about their experiences on the show and their love of LEGO. In addition to the Arctic Squid LEGO Build... Read More
History Room Closed Nov. 15-22 to Finish Exhibit Installation
The Local History Room will be closed to the public from Saturday, November 15 to November 22 as we finish installing our "For the Love of LEGO" holiday display. The display officially opens at 6:30 pm on Monday, November 24. Normal hours will resume Tuesday, November 25. Stop in then to check it out. It'll be a bricktacular display!! Read More
"For the Love of LEGO" Exhibit Opens November 24 at History Room
This year's holiday exhibit at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum will be "For the Love of LEGO". The exhibit will feature over 40 fun, impressive, and highly-detailed LEGO sets--some of which even light up. There will also be two larger MOC (my own creation) LEGO layouts--one created by WisLUG (Wisconsin Lego Users Group) members and another by LEGO Masters Jr. Season 1 finalists Will... Read More
MCLHR.org Updated; Over 200,000 Searchable Entries Added
The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum’s award-winning website, MCLHR.org , was recently updated with over 200,000 additional searchable entries of Monroe County people, places, events, businesses, and groups. The website now includes over 1.4 million searchable records and photos. Is it time to search for your ancestors again? The following indexes received updates: Newspaper Index,... Read More
New History Room Exhibit "Novel Novelties"
The latest exhibit, "Novel Novelties", at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum features a colorful collection of comic characters that showcases the artistry of former Monroe County resident Dorothy Bean (1917-1982), the growth of a post-World War II past-time, and a unique but short-lived Sparta business called “Novel, Inc.” which was established to capitalize on that fad. The seeds of... Read More