Visit the Middleton Historical Museum

In the heart of Middleton, an impressive brick home has graced Hubbard Avenue for more than 150 years. The Rowley House holds the Middleton Historical Museum, where visitors can step through time to view 19th-century architecture and take a look back at Middleton’s rich history.

Visit the Rowley House Museum’s website for the most current hours of operation or to book a tour.

2023 Hours: mid-April to mid-October
Tuesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The history

In 1868, Middleton Doctor Newman C. Rowley built the home for $800 using 30,000 yellow bricks from a Milwaukee brickyard. The house was built in a style common then in rural Wisconsin, a 19th-century form known as a Gabled Ell. Four generations of Rowleys lived in the home before the Middleton Area Historical Society took ownership in 1989.

Visit the Rowley House Museum’s website for the most current hours of operation or to book a tour.  The Rowley House is a Middleton Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The collection

Each room of the home houses a different mix of historical treasures. On the main floor, visitors will find one of the Midwest’s largest displays of Depression-era glass. Other items to discover include:

• Native American artifacts
• A vintage kitchen
• Medical equipment from the 1800s
• Turn-of-the century cooking implements and appliances
• Old-fashioned toys and school materials
• Uniforms and other military items from war veterans from the city
• Photographs and manuscripts of early Middleton
• Histories of area churches, schools and businesses
• Farm implements and an antique buggy