The $160.5 million Wisconsin History Center coming to the top of State Street on Capitol Square is receiving another $10 million donation from philanthropist W. Jerome Frautschi, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. His total support now totals $25.1 million.
The Wisconsin Historical Society plans to open the five-story, 100,000-square-foot history center in early 2027. The Wisconsin Historical Foundation, the Historical Society’s fundraising arm, announced Frautschi’s new gift Wednesday afternoon.
Frautschi and his wife, Pleasant Rowland, have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to several major city projects, including Overture Center, the History Center, the Madison Youth Arts Center, the Central Library, the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra facility, UW–Hospital, the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub, One City Schools, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County.
The History Center, which aims to break ground this fall, received $112.3 million in state funds for design and construction, contingent on $48.2 million in private donations contributed by the Historical Foundation. The foundation has now surpassed the requirement and, with Frautschi’s latest donation, has raised $52.6 million in total. The total private fundraising goal for the project is $66.5 million, accounting for transition and operating costs needed to sustain the entire project.
