Privacy Statement
The Wisconsin Historical Society (“WHS,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. Your privacy and trust are very important to us.
This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information in connection with our websites, digital services, and related activities (collectively, the “Services”). Additionally, the Society’s revenue generating and philanthropic activities are specifically addressed in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Privacy Statement for Philanthropic and Revenue Generating Activities.
By using our Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Statement. If you have any questions or comments regarding this privacy policy, please fill out the form on the The Society Contact Page.
Information Collected and Stored Automatically
Non-Personal Information
The Wisconsin Historical Society uses online analytics tools such as Google Analytics, heatmapping, and pixel tags to collect and track information about your visit so that the Wisconsin Historical Society can monitor usage and make improvements. These tools may store your IP address from which you access our Services. The Wisconsin Historical Society also collects anonymous data elements in aggregate form, that are not tied to an individual:
- The type of device, browser, and operating system used to access our Website
- The date and time you access our site
- The length of your visit
- Inferred demographic data (via Google Analytics)
- The location from which you access our site (approximate city or region level via Google Analytics data)
- The pages, files, documents, and links that you visit and time spent
- Referral source (how you found us)
- Anonymized behavioral data (clicks, page scrolls, navigational patterns and site interactions)
Personal Information
We collect information you choose to share with us, such as:
- Name
- Email address
- Mailing address
- Phone Number
- Messages or inquiries you send to us
- Survey responses
- Registrations and electronic form submissions
The Wisconsin Historical Society's Websites will only collect personal information which you knowingly and voluntarily provide by, for example, sending emails, completing membership forms, registering for webinars, newsletters, events, or other programs, responding to surveys or ordering merchandise.
To better understand our visitors and supporters, we may ask that you share additional information about you or your experience through surveys (such as, your city or state, age); your participation would be voluntary and, unless specifically stated otherwise in the request, the information you provide will not be connected with your personally identifiable information or browsing history.
Social Media
When you access or interact with the Wisconsin Historical Society through a social media service such as Facebook or Instagram, we may have visibility to your profile name and other information you have made public in connection with that particular social media service. The social media companies may collect and share anonymous aggregate metrics with us regarding use, such as the total number of clicks, shares, users’ demographics (e.g., age range, gender, location). These social media companies are not operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society; use of their services is governed by the privacy policies of the social media companies.
How Information Is Used
Non-Personal Information
We use non-personal information to track the use of the Services and for other internal purposes, such as:
- Operating, maintaining, evaluating and improving the Wisconsin Historical Society Services
- Maintaining website security and prevent fraud (including Cloudflare and reCAPTCHA tools)
- Monitoring site performance
- Complying with legal obligations
Personal Information
We use personal information primarily for our own internal purposes such as providing, maintaining, evaluating, and improving Historical Society Services; fulfilling requests for information, and providing customer support. For example, if you sign up to receive a Wisconsin Historical Society newsletter, we will use the email address you provide to send you the newsletters.
If you provide us with personal information, we will respond to your inquiry, request or order. We may also contact you to provide information about Wisconsin Historical Society activities, programs, membership and development opportunities, products and special events that may interest you. Except as described below, we will not share your name or information outside the Wisconsin Historical Society unless you affirmatively authorize us to do so by opting-in.
When we send you such information by email, you will always have an immediate opportunity to decline further communication. Please use the contact specified in the email so that we can remove you from the list that contains your name. If you are uncertain about whom to contact, consult our special Web page to help you determine where to send your inquiry at The Society Contact Page.
There may be sites within the Wisconsin Historical Society’s network of Services where you can opt-in to receive information from non-Wisconsin Historical Society entities. If you opt-in, you may receive correspondence from these organizations on programs, products or services that might interest you. If you decide to opt-out of receiving any further correspondence from a non-Wisconsin Historical Society entity, please correspond directly with that business or organization to be removed from its mailing list.
Please note that the Wisconsin Historical Society also may provide your information to: (1) a Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency if the Wisconsin Historical Society becomes aware of a violation or potential violation of law or regulation; (2) a court or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the Wisconsin Historical Society is a party or in order to comply with a subpoena; (3) the Department of Justice or in certain legal proceedings when the Wisconsin Historical Society, an employee of the Wisconsin Historical Society, or the United States is a party to litigation or has an interest in the litigation and the use of such records is deemed relevant and necessary to the litigation; (4) Wisconsin Historical Society and State of Wisconsin officials, as needed, to perform official duties; (5) a Committee of Congress in response to a formal request; (6) protect the security or integrity of the Wisconsin Historical Society Websites and Services; and (7) any other person or entity as required by law.
Children and Privacy
The Wisconsin Historical Society’s Websites are intended to be accessible and enjoyed by general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13, without first providing the parent or legal guardian with notice and obtaining prior verifiable consent. If a visitor known to be a child sends an email to the Wisconsin Historical Society, we will only use it to respond to the writer and not to create profiles or otherwise retain the information.
If a parent or guardian believes their child’s personally identifiable information was inadvertently collected, please contact Privacy.
Opt-Out and User Control
You can obtain a copy of and request that we correct errors in your personal information by filling out the form on The Society Contact Page. For your protection, you will be required to provide proof of your identity to obtain a copy of your personal information.
Email subscribers can change their email communication preferences by using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email or contacting customer service for the relevant service.
If you no longer wish to be included in Membership or Donation databases contact Membership.
Customers may opt out of regular mailings, emails, and rental/exchange of data through contacting us. You may also access, update, review, correct, or remove any of the personal information you have given to us by emailing Privacy.
Cookies, Web Beacons, and Pixels
Cookies
If you found this section and were expecting a delicious cookie recipe, try this.
In addition to information collected automatically by our Services, we use cookies and similar technologies to support the internal functionality of the Websites. Cookies, which are small pieces of information sent to your browser by a website that you visit, are used to track usage patterns, traffic trends and customer behavior, as well as to record other information from the Website. They ensure core website functionality and enable embedded features (videos, maps, social media) as well as support limited marketing and advertising efforts.
Cookies also allow us to save information so that you will not have to re-enter it the next time you visit. Many content adjustments and customer service improvements are made based on the data derived from cookies. Some Wisconsin Historical Society Services use third-party vendors, such as Google Analytics, to place cookies and analyze the information collected by cookies in order to make the Wisconsin Historical Society Services more interesting and useful to you.
No personally identifiable information is collected. Information that we collect from cookies will not be used to create profiles of individual users and only will be used in aggregate form. The data is retained for as long as necessary to support the mission of the Wisconsin Historical Society Services. You may set your browser to refuse cookies from any website that you visit. If you so choose, you may still gain access to most of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Services, but you may not be able to conduct certain types of transactions (such as shopping) or take advantage of some of the interactive elements offered. You may opt-out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Additionally, some Wisconsin Historical Society Services may use the Demographics and Interest reporting feature for Google Analytics for Display Advertising. The data provided by this service (such as age, gender, and interests) is used to better understand visitors to these Services and customize our websites to our users’ interest. You may opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising by visiting Ad Settings.
Web Beacons and Pixels
The Wisconsin Historical Society also collects non-personally identifiable information through the use of tracking pixels that appear on our pages. A tracking pixel is a transparent graphic image (usually 1 pixel x 1 pixel) that is placed on a web page and, in combination with a cookie, allows us to collect information regarding the use of the web page that contains the tracking pixel.
We use tracking pixels to trigger ads on participating websites based on activity tracked from the browser on a device used to visit Wisconsin Historical Society Services. We also use them to tell when an advertisement we run on another website has been clicked on by Wisconsin Historical Society website visitors, and use that information to judge which advertisements are more appealing to users.
To opt out of these tracking pixels and services, please follow this link to opt out of the Google Analytics-based tools, the Facebook Pixel, and the Bing Pixel.
Data Retention
We will retain your information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Statement unless a longer retention period is required or allowed by law.
Remember that even after you cancel your account, or if you ask us to delete your personal information, copies of some information from your account may remain viewable in some circumstances where, for example, you have shared information with social media, web archiving platforms, or other services. Because of the nature of caching technology, your account may not be instantly inaccessible to others. We may also retain backup information related to your account on our servers for some time after cancellation or your request for deletion, for fraud detection or to comply with applicable law or our internal security or recordkeeping policies. It may not always be possible to completely remove or delete all of your information due to technical constraints or, contractual, financial or legal requirements.
Security Standards
The security of your personal information is important to us. When you enter information to our Services, we encrypt the information using Transport Layer Security (TLS) to protect your information when traveling over the Internet. We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it.
The Wisconsin Historical Society has taken several steps to design and manage our Services’ technology to safeguard the integrity of its' information technology systems, applications, and information technology infrastructure. As an Executive Branch agency, the Society follows State of Wisconsin IT Security Policies and Standards. This information should not be construed in any way as giving business, legal, or other advice. This information should not be construed as warranting as fail-proof the security of information provided through Department of Administration supported websites.
Third-Party Services
Linking, Embedded Content, and Third-Party Services
Within the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Services are embedded applications, plug-ins, widgets, and other content links to non-Wisconsin Historical Society websites. Our Services may include content or integrations from third parties, such as:
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Tableau
- Google Maps and ESRI
- Historical Marker Database
- Social Media platforms
- Microsoft Forms and Asana
- Analytics and advertising providers
- Cloudflare and reCAPTCHA for website security and fraud prevention
These sites operate independently of the Wisconsin Historical Society and have their own privacy policies. The Wisconsin Historical Society is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-Wisconsin Historical Society websites, and such link is not intended to be an endorsement of the non-Wisconsin Historical Society website or its content. For your protection, you should review the privacy policy of the site you linked to from our website.
Have Questions?
Questions and comments about this Privacy Statement may be directed to us via the Privacy email or via mail at:
Wisconsin Historical Society Director’s Office
816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
The Wisconsin Historical Society is a large organization with many people sharing responsibility for the content of its Websites. Please help us respond to your comments and inquiries by sending them to the appropriate Wisconsin Historical Society office. In order to help you contact the appropriate Wisconsin Historical Society office, please consult our list of contacts using the button below.
Contact Us
About Us
History Happens Here
The Wisconsin Historical Society is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most active state historical societies. Our work is supported by a combination of state funding, generated revenue and private gifts. Since 1846, the Wisconsin Historical Society has been on a mission to connect people to the past by collecting, preserving, and sharing stories.
Who We AreLast Updated: April 14, 2026
