Waupaca County Barn Survey
Do you love Wisconsin barns? Do you own an old barn or historic farmstead in Waupaca County?
The Waupaca Historical Society is excited to announce the launch of the first-ever comprehensive survey of barns and farms across Waupaca County. This important project aims to document and preserve the rich agricultural history and unique character of Waupaca County’s rural landscape—before more of these iconic structures are lost.
Through this project, the Waupaca Historical Society, along with other historical societies and organizations in the county, hopes to create a lasting historical record of barns and farm properties throughout the county. Each property included in the survey will be contacted directly, and participation is entirely voluntary. This historical survey is free and does not have any effect on property or taxes.
The Waupaca Historical Society’s long-term vision includes digitizing the collected information and making it publicly available for research via the organization’s website (www.waupacahistoricalsociety.org) and at the Holly History and Genealogy Center in Waupaca. Future plans for the project also include an interactive map to showcase the surveyed properties and provide historical context for each site. This will be an ongoing project as the Waupaca Historical Society continues to track and monitor the condition and history of Waupaca County’s barns and farms.
If you’re passionate about local history and would like to volunteer, or if you own a historic barn and would like it to be included in the survey, please contact the Waupaca Historical Society at director@waupacahistoricalsociety.org or 715-256-9980.
Thank you for donating to the Waupaca Historical Society and helping us preserve Waupaca and Chain O'Lakes history!
Come visit us year-round at the Holly Center at 321 S. Main Street during our open hours:
Wednesday and Thursday:
10 am to 2 pm
Friday:
10 am to 4 pm
2nd Saturday of the Month (excluding April and December):
11:30 am to 2 pm
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What's Happening at the Waupaca Historical Society
- 2026: Holly Center now open until 4 pm on Fridays and the second Saturday of each month (excluding April and December) from 11:30 am to 2 pm!
- Thursday, May 21, 6 pm: "Waupaca's Lost Indigenous Mounds" with author Zachary Bishop
- Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend: Hutchinson House Museum open every weekend, 1-4pm; Depot open every weekend, 12-5pm.
- Thursday, May 28, 4pm at the Commandant's House, Wisconsin Veterans Home at King: Signing of agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs for the preservation and public access of the Commandant's House at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King (REFRESHMENTS & PROGRAM TO FOLLOW AT MARDEN CENTER)
- Saturday, June 20, 9am-4pm: Crafts and Items for Sale at Strawberry Fest (downtown Waupaca, at the Bandstand)
- Monday, June 22, 6:30pm at the Waupaca High School Auditorium: "The National Native American Veterans Memorial: Honoring the Military Service of Native Americans" with Rachelle B. Pablo of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
- Wednesday, June 24, 5:30-6:30pm: Hutchinson House Museum open before the Summer Nights Concert in South Park
- JULY 4: CLOSED AT ALL BUILDINGS
- Wednesday, July 15, 5:30-6:30pm: Hutchinson House Museum open before the Summer Nights Concert in South Park
- Wednesday, July 22, 5:30-6:30pm:Hutchinson House Museum open before the Summer Nights Concert in South Park
- Thursday, August 6, 3-6 pm: Pie and Ice Cream Fundraiser at the Holly Center--Pie and ice cream for sale, all to support the Waupaca Historical Society!
- Saturday, August 8 (location and time to be announced): Parks and Rec Tour (with history of Waupaca's parks)
- Saturday, August 15, 9am-4pm: Crafts and Items for Sale at Arts on the Square (at the Arts Hub/Waupaca Rec Center)
Appointments outside of open hours at any WHS buildings can be made at least two weeks in advance by calling the Holly History and Genealogy Center at (715) 256-9980 or emailing
Tracy Behrendt at
