The Les Paul Experience
The Les Paul Experience is presented by Anthony & Andrea Bryant, and receives support from the Les Paul Foundation and individual donors like you.
Celebrate Waukesha’s native son Les Paul in this immersive exhibit on the man whose sound changed the world.
From his beginnings in his “Living Room Laboratory” experimenting with his mother’s player piano to his work in perfecting what would become the Gibson solid body electric guitar, the exhibit explores the innovative and tenacious spirit of Les.
The Les Paul Experience features artifacts from WCHSM’s own collection and pieces from the Les Paul Foundation. Together they tell the story of the man behind the music.
2024 Interview with Sue Baker about Les Paul’s life and legacy
A Taste of the Springs
Between 1868 and 1914 Waukesha County was redefined by the discovery and promotion of healing springs and summer resort culture. The period saw the founding of 200 spring companies, construction of dozens of health spas and resorts, and a boom of private estate development in the Lake Country.
It began in 1868 with Col. Richard Dunbar’s discovery of a “healing spring” on Elizabeth Clarke’s property. The Springs Era was influenced by developments in medical practice and alternative medicines, the rising wealth of the Gilded age, advancements in transportation, and the emergence of leisure time for middle class Americans.
Our Taste of the Springs exhibit shares the stories of two of the Springs Water Wars, and showcases a Victorian Hotel Lobby, and clothing worn during that time period (1860’s – 1914). This project was researched, created, and installed by our amazing volunteers – make sure you stop by and explore this wonderful exhibit.
Our exhibit was featured in an article in the Waukesha Freeman. Click on this link to read.
Coming Soon – World War I Nurse – Artha Clasen
Our intern is working on presenting his research on World War I nursing and is highlighting the service of Artha Clasen. The exhibit will be completed by the end of April 2024.
Settlement Exhibit Reimagined
The history of the land is long and holds many stories. As we work on the redesign of this important exhibit, our desire is to tell the stories of all the people who have made this area their home throughout the centuries.
The Native American population in what is now Wisconsin dates back centuries, well before American independence. Prehistoric Woodlands Indigenous tribes lived in this region as far back as 2,000 BC.
Later, the Potawatomi, the keepers of the fire, migrated to the land around Lake Michigan and settled in the area, growing crops such as corn, beans and squash and fishing and hunting in the warmer summer months. By the time European settlers arrived in what is now Waukesha County many Native Americans were driven out under the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
A wave of European immigration came to the area in the early to mid-nineteenth century and brought new migrants to the region and ushered in a new era of development. Like settlers before them, they were welcomed by fresh waters and fertile land.
As we work on telling the full story of this region, we will explore how different people think about and utilize the land.
The Courthouse
Learn more about the building where the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum is located. The building complex used to be the Waukesha County Courthouse, Jail, and an additional annex to join the two buildings and to add more space for county offices. The new courthouse was built in 1958 and most of the county offices left the old courthouse.
The courthouse exhibit shares one or more of the many stories on a rotating basis.
Coming Soon – Agriculture Legacies of Waukesha County
The WCHSM is currently working on an exciting new exhibit – The Agricultural Legacies of Waukesha County. Come to the museum to see our progress as we share the stories of farms and farmers from the early 1800s to the present.
