Of all the fighter planes fielded by the Western Allies over Europe in World War II, which one has the greatest impact? Join Museum Director Chris Kolakowski, Curator of Exhibits Greg Krueger, and Curator of History Kevin Hampton for a panel discussion and consideration of two nominees: the RAF’s Spitfire and the USAAF’s P-51. This event is free and suitable for all ages. Program funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of Generac Power Systems. REGISTER HERE

Please join us for the return of our quarterly ‘Mess Night’ series to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. This event features our popular dinner and lecture, presented by author and Civil War historian David Powell. Mr. Powell will be speaking about Wisconsin soldiers and the impact they had on the battle of Chickamauga. Two brigade commanders were from Wisconsin, John C. Starkweather of Milwaukee, who was wounded; and the Norwegian Immigrant Hans Heg, who was mortally wounded. Several hard-fighting regiments contributed to the desperate fighting that characterized the battle, often facing heavy odds. This talk will highlight those important contributions to the Union cause at Chickamauga. Each MESS NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM features a guest speaker, topic, dinner, drinks, and time to socialize before and after the talk. Registration will be required before the event. Join us as we transform this historic naval tradition into our own. Please register in advance. $38 MEMBERS |  $46 NON-MEMBERS | $30 STUDENTS (W/ID) REGISTER HERE This event is sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. and is suitable for all ages.

Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair, and join us for a Movie Night and Virtual Discussion with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Staff. While we can’t all be together, we can share discussion on major motion pictures that deal with the hardships, humor, and horrors of combat. Paths of Glory will be our feature for May, which follows the story of 3 World War I soldiers who refuse to continue on an impossible mission, and their commanding officer who takes up their defense during their court-martial. Starring Kurt Douglas, George Macready, Ralph Meeker, and Adolphe Menjou, this Stanley Kubrick classic is ranked as one of the best war films of all time. Your mission is to watch the movie, which is available from most libraries or on streaming services (we will not be watching the movie the night of the program), while thinking about the discussion questions we will provide you. On August 27, 2021, at 7:00 pm we’ll all meet via Zoom for a discussion led by museum staff. We will cover themes such as conflict, politics, pop culture, the military, and movie-making. After you register, we will email you the discussion questions and a link to join the virtual discussion via Zoom. This event is free and open to the public.   Age Appropriate: This event is suitable for mature audiences as it depicts war violence.   Program funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of Generac Power Systems.  REGISTER HERE

Join us for our virtual Drink & Draw events as our Artist In-Residence is joined by talented guest artists who lead you through a delightful drawing experience inspired by images from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum collection. So gather your supplies, pour yourself a beverage, and bring your artistic energy as we spend the evening together stretching our creative muscles. REGISTER HERE This event is free of charge and open to anyone who registers. We will send you a link to join the event after you register. Program funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of Generac Power Systems.  

The terrorist attacks on 9/11 ushered in a new era of conflict with a surprise and impact reminiscent of Pearl Harbor in 1941. WVM’s Director Chris Kolakowski and Curator of History Kevin Hampton will discuss the events of that day and their after effects. REGISTER HERE This event is suitable for all ages. Program funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of Generac Power Systems.  

Reading like a historical novel, this dramatic love story, writ large against the backdrop of World War II, moves colorfully from college dance floors to the training grounds at Ft. Benning and then around the world to the Japanese-held jungles of Burma. Bo Traywick, a dashing Army officer, and Flo Neher, a popular coed, face daunting odds in their quest for love. Burning airplanes, runaway horses, errant hand grenades and a sexy spy hold the reader’s attention from the first page to the last. REGISTER HERE This online event is free and suitable for all ages. Funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of Generac Power Systems.    

Join us for our virtual trivia night and test your historical knowledge. Sign up as individuals or as a team and go head to head with other players. This free event will be based on 3 rounds of trivia, with each round focusing on topics such as: history, pop culture, names and places, events, and fun facts. REGISTER HERE For this virtual trivia night, we will be using the Kahoot! app. This app will allow for the multiple choice questions we will use during each round. Simply log onto Kahoot.it the night of the event (either through your mobile device or on a separate browser tab) and we will provide the access code…nothing to download and easy to use. Lots of fun will be had by all and prizes are given to the top 3 players/teams. This event is suitable for all ages. Program funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum through the generous support of Generac Power Systems.  

Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair, and join us for a Movie Night and Virtual Discussion with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Staff. While we can’t all be together, we can share discussion on major motion pictures that deal with the hardships, humor, and horrors of combat. For September, we will look back at the mission to hunt down the mastermind of 9/11 with 2012’s Zero Dark Thirty. Following the story of a determined CIA operative whose pursuit of Osama Bin Laden is both compelling and agonizing, we’ll look at a rarely-seen side of military operations and the intelligence trail that led to one of America’s most wanted terrorists. Your mission is to watch the movie, which is available from most libraries or on streaming services (we will not be watching the movie the night of the program), while thinking about the discussion questions we will provide you. On September 24, 2021, at 7:00 pm we’ll all meet via Zoom for a discussion led by museum staff. We will cover themes such as conflict, politics, pop culture, the military, and movie-making. After you register, we will email you the discussion questions and a link to join the virtual discussion via Zoom. This event is free and open to the public. This event is suitable for mature audiences as there is strong language throughout and graphic scenes of violence. Program funding made possible by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of Generac Power Systems. REGISTER HERE