About the New Wisconsin Historical Society Website Preview

Welcome to the Preview of the Wisconsin Historical Society's new website. This Preview, or "beta" website, is in constant development and it changes daily, so please keep in mind the following items during your visit ...

During development:

• Both this Preview website and our current website are fully accessible. If you can't find something here, go to our current website at wisconsinhistory.org
• Some pages may be partially complete, or appear to be broken. Also, links in some pages may not work yet.
• Some links go back to our current website. That means that content has not been migrated yet.
• "Search" and other page functionalities may be updated from one day to the next, or may not work as expected. Check it again later.
• If you find a problem, send us feedback by clicking the Feedback & Support tab located on the left side of your screen. We like feedback!

Need help searching? Learn how to search the Preview website.

Things You Can Search and Browse Now

Below is a list of content areas that have been migrated to the Preview site.

• Family History –All pre-1907 vital records, newspaper clippings, and civil war records are ready to be discovered.
• Collections – More than 15 of our major collections are accessible as well as six major online indexes and databases.
• Teach and Learn – Historical figures, history essays, lesson plans, field trips and more are searchable.
• Historic Sites and Museums – All historic sites and museums are accessible. Plus there are links to a list of all upcoming events for historic sites and a list of all upcoming events for the Wisconsin Historical Museum.
• Homes and Properties – All National Register of Historic Places listings are searchable as well as the entire Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory. Also, special training for historic preservation commissions, historic preservation glossary and feature stories about rehabilitated structures are available.

Design Goals for the New wisconsinhistory.org Website

User-Friendly Design
We've designed this website with you, our user, in mind. The layout is organized based on where users, like you, go most. Now you can quickly and easily find what you are looking for — no matter what your level of computer experience is.

See at-a-glance the breadth and depth of resources available in a clear and concise manner. A consistent look and feel across the entire website will make using it easier than ever before.

Streamlined Search
Our state-of-the-art search engine allows you access to more than 40 databases all at once. Simply type a keyword into a single box and the search engine will automatically scan all collections and resources across the entire website.

Your search will return relevant results from all the Society's resources. Plus you are likely to see related images, maps, essays, books, newspaper clippings, biographies, and more.

Simplified Browsing
The new website will be organized into easily-browsed categories based on the most common reasons that people visit it.

• Collections - provides access to all of our collections whether you are doing serious research or enjoying browsing.
• Family History - a great place to find all genealogy-related materials.
• Historic Sites and Museums - get the lowdown for visiting any of our 12 venues.
• Community History - find information about your hometown.
• Preserving Historic Homes and Properties - detailed information for historic property owners, preservationists, and local governments.
• Wisconsin History - learn about Wisconsin places and stories of our past.

Spot a Problem? We'd like to know! Fill out the Feedback and Support form by clicking on the tab located on the left side of your screen.