The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts explores the tools, skills, and ingenuity that shaped everyday life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Through hands-on programs and an array of permanent and special exhibits, the museum brings early American trades to life from woodworking and blacksmithing to farming, textiles, and domestic crafts. The focus is on how people lived, worked, and built their communities using knowledge passed down through generations and their own ingenuity.
Housed in a historic building that was once Madison’s first public library building, the museum is also home to a unique viewable storage facility offering visual access to observe and learn about the ongoing conservation efforts.
