DODGE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

What DODGE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY does

The Dodge County Historical Society is a non-profit local historical organization founded in 1938 and based in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. It operates a free-admission museum housed in the historic Williams Free Library building, curating artifacts and exhibits related to the history of Dodge County. The society serves local residents, school groups, civic organizations, and regional visitors interested in the area's heritage, with a small staff of approximately 6 employees supplemented by a board of directors and volunteers.

The society's core activities include preserving and displaying regional historical collections, hosting educational programming, and curating seasonal events such as haunted cemetery tours. Its operations are supported by a volunteer board that includes President Patrick Lutz, Treasurer Dean Tillema, and Curator Kurt Sampson, who collectively oversee the museum's programming, collection management, and community outreach. The organization is affiliated with the Wisconsin State Historical Society, which provides access to a broader regional archival network and curatorial resources.

The business model is a non-profit donation-and-membership structure. Revenue is generated primarily through membership tiers ranging from $20 (individual) to $500 (higher-tier sponsorship), general donations, gift shop sales, and small-ticket event fees such as the $5 haunted cemetery tour. Admission to the museum is free, removing price as a barrier to visitation and positioning the society as a community-accessible cultural institution rather than a commercial attraction. The economics are inherently local, with donor and member support drawn from the Dodge County population.

Name

DODGE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Legal name

Dodge County Historical Society

Website

https://dodgecountyhistory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Dodge County Historical Society, founded in 1938 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, operates a free-admission museum in the historic Williams Free Library building, preserving regional artifacts and serving local residents, school groups, and visitors through memberships, donations, and seasonal events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Historical society operations
• Museum exhibits
• Genealogy research
• Educational programming
• Community cultural events

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaver Dam

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues at various tiers providing access to members-only events, newsletter subscriptions, store discounts, and donor recognition.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations accepted via cash, check, PayPal, and Venmo. The organization relies solely on donations and generosity of supporters.
3. Gift Shop Sales: Museum gift shop offering items with members receiving 10% discount. Revenue from retail merchandise sales.
4. Haunted Cemetery Tours: $5 admission fee for Haunted Cemetery Tours held each October, with proceeds supporting the museum.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Dodge County Historical Society operates a free-admission museum housed in the historic Williams Free Library building in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, featuring three floors of exhibits on local indigenous peoples, frontier life, and Beaver Dam's growth. It complements exhibits with a research center providing access to archival records, cemetery records from 1872, city directories, and digitized historical books, along with educational programs, Discovery Boxes, annual community events, and a tiered membership program. The organization is sustained by memberships, donations, gift shop sales, and small fees for select events such as Haunted Cemetery Tours.

Product overview

The Dodge County Historical Society and Museum operates as a unified museum and educational institution offering multiple interconnected services. The core offering is the Museum and Exhibits (permanent displays on three floors in the historic Williams Free Library building) complemented by a Research Center providing archival access to genealogies, directories, and digitized historical books. Educational Programs include monthly speakers, school tours, and Discovery Boxes. Annual Events encompass seasonal festivals and Ghost Story Festival. Curator-led Gallery Tours provide tailored group experiences. The Membership Program offers tiered access with benefits. All services are free to visitors, funded by donations and memberships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum and Exhibits Free-admission museum occupying three floors of the historic Williams Free Library building, with exhibits covering indigenous peoples, frontier life, settlement, and the growth of Beaver Dam for general visitors, families, and community members.
• Research Center and Room On-site research room providing access to historical archives including city directories from 1910, telephone books from 1904, cemetery records from 1872, family genealogies, plat books, atlases, indexed history books, and local newspaper name indexes, with volunteer archivist assistance on Thursdays 1-3pm for genealogists and family historians.
• Educational Programs Free educational programs for all ages including a monthly speaker series, group tours, school group programs, and Discovery Boxes with interactive historical items for hands-on learning, designed for students, educators, and the general public.
• Annual Community Events Free annual community events including Spring Garden Party, Holiday Open House, Ghost Story Festival, and Fall Downtown Fest activities, plus Haunted Cemetery Tours at $5 admission held each October at University Avenue and East Burnett Street.
• Curator-led Gallery Tours Tailored informational tours of exhibits led by museum staff or volunteers, customized to specific gallery themes or topics for groups, clubs, and visiting organizations.
• Membership Program Annual membership program with six tiers (Student, Household at $20, Affiliate at $50, Patron at $100, Sustainer at $250, and Heritage at $500) providing members-only event access, quarterly newsletter delivery, 10% gift shop discount, and donor recognition.
• Digitized Historical Books Online digital collection of historical books about Dodge County history, available to read or download from the museum's Research Center page for remote researchers and family historians.
• Topic Box Indexes Indexed research collections covering historical topics such as church records, music schools, Green Giant business history, and American Legion community organizations, available to support research requests from visitors and historians.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wisconsin State Historical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dodge County Historical Society is an official affiliate of the Wisconsin State Historical Society, connecting local preservation efforts with the state-level historical organization.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Fond du Lac County Historical Society: Wisconsin county historical society with similar scale and mission. Operates a museum and archives focused on local history preservation, with comparable membership and donation-driven revenue model.
• Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum: County-level historical society in Wisconsin operating museum exhibits, research archives, and educational programming. Direct comparable in organizational structure, though slightly larger scale.
• Green County Historical Society: Wisconsin county historical society operating a local museum with similar small-staff, donation-supported model. Direct competitor for member/donor attention within the Wisconsin regional historical society community.
• Dane County Historical Society: Wisconsin county historical society operating museum, archives, and educational programs. Direct peer in mission and operating model, though Madison-area location provides larger catchment than DCHS.
• Washington County Historical Society (Wisconsin): Wisconsin county historical society offering museum visitation, archival research, and educational programs. Comparable in mission, small-staff model, and community engagement approach.
• Jefferson County Historical Society: Direct peer as a Wisconsin county-level historical society operating a local museum, archival collection, and educational programs. Comparable in scale, mission, and operating model to DCHS and serves an adjacent county with similar small-town demographics.

Others

• Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation: Local community foundation in Beaver Dam where DCHS President Patrick Lutz is involved. Functions as an adjacent enabling/funding organization in the same local community rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Old World Wisconsin: Outdoor heritage museum operated by Wisconsin Historical Society. Comparable in historical interpretation and educational mission, though significantly larger scale and outdoor-focused rather than building-based.
• Circus World Museum: Wisconsin heritage museum with a more specialized theme and substantially larger scale. Comparable as a Wisconsin cultural/heritage attraction drawing visitors, though at a different scale and specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Historical Society: State-level historical institution that DCHS is formally affiliated with. Operates a statewide museum, archives, and historical sites program, providing the broader institutional framework that DCHS connects into for research, grants, and exhibit resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Dodge-County-Historical-Society-100064660603653
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dodge-county-historical-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DODGE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY