Preserving History

Kenosha is a community rich with history and culture. The Library Park Historic District (7th Avenue and 59th Place) and Third Avenue Historic District (63rd Street and 3rd Avenue) were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The Civic Center Historic District (56th Street and Sheridan Road) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The Pearl Street Historic District (55th Street and 11th Avenue) was listed as a locally designated historic district in 1998.

Among the highlights of the districts:

  • Simmons Library was designed by architect Daniel J. Burnham and opened in 1900.
  • The building that houses the Dinosaur Discovery Museum was moved a few blocks — foot by foot — to its present location in 1933. Its prior occupants were the United States Post Office and the Kenosha Public Museum.
  • A plaque notes the 1915 birthplace of acclaimed actor, writer, director, and producer Orson Welles.
  • The site of an Underground Railroad stop is marked with a plaque.
  • You can see two historic districts from your seat on the Electric Streetcar.
  • For more than 100 years, the present-day Kemper Center was a boarding school for young women.
  • The GFWC Woman’s Club of Kenosha organization occupies a home where Horace Johnson once lived. He invented the “closed crotch” used in modern men’s underwear.
  • During select times, the Kenosha History Center presents guided walking tours of the Library Park Historic District and Third Avenue Historic District.

Enjoy a walking tour of our four historic districts - or bike or drive through them!

Appreciate the beauty of historic homes, buildings, and landmarks that have been preserved and treasured by our community for over a century.

Each district has its own guide, including maps, property histories, photos, and more - so you know what you're looking at! 

Shown below is just a sampling of the buildings that you'll see in the districts.

Unless otherwise noted in the walking tour guide, the homes are privately owned today. Please be respectful of this.

Third Avenue Historic District

Library Park Historic District

Civic Center Historic District

Pearl Street Historic District

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