Battle Flag Display Schedule
As part of the Civil War sesquicentennial exhibit, the museum will display a wide variety of flags from Wisconsin units.
The flag exhibit will be rotated on the 1st weekday of the month
 

Civil War 150 Exhibits

Wisconsin Joins the Civil WarFrom Paper to Iron: Wisconsin Joins the Civil War, 1861 – 1862

Major funding for this exhibit provided by John E. Wall Family and Demco, Inc.
 

On Display: July 2, 2011 through February 2013

For Wisconsin, the Civil War began in April 1861 with a single piece of PAPER, a declaration of war from Governor Alexander Randall that assured his state would protect and defend the Union until its last breath. By the end of 1862, Governor Randall's promise manifested itself on the battlefield, as Wisconsin soldiers that began in gray militia coats and hand-me-downs now stood tall in radiant blue frock coats and forage caps, while some, outfitted in ominous black felt hats, became the most feared fighting force in the Union Army.

In just over eighteen months, the men of Wisconsin—farmers, laborers, teachers, and merchants—entrusted with destroying Confederate forces and preserving the Union, were no longer just flesh and blood. They were IRON—strong, unflappable, and soon to be unstoppable. This exhibit is their story, how Wisconsin's soldiers trained for, fought in, and eventually won the Civil War, from PAPER TO IRON.


Watch Curator's Diary with Jeff Kollath to get a behind-the-scenes look of the new exhibit.

Special Events

“THOSE WISCONSIN BOYS WALKED OUT IN THE FIELD TOWARDS US AS THOUGH
SHOOTING PARTRIDGES”: THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE 90 DAY 1ST WISCONSIN INFANTRY

Date: September 14, 2012
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Wisconsin Veterans Museum
City: Madison
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Daniel Joyce, Director, Kenosha Museum System

Lecture and discussion

With the firing on Fort Sumter, Wisconsin was wide-eyed, enthusiastic and unprepared. Join us as we follow the 1st Wisconsin Active Militia from the fun and high-jinks of training at Camp Scott, to a small skirmish at Falling Waters, and their triumphant return to Milwaukee.

American Civil War Day

Date: September 15, 2012
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: 30 West Mifflin Street
City: Madison
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On Saturday, September 15, 2012, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and W. Britain Military Miniature Company will host an American Civil War Day that includes the unveiling of the second in a series of Civil War figures based on flags and artifacts from the collections at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.