SUN PRAIRIE HISTORICAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM ENDS COLLECTING MORATORIUM

300 East Main Street
Sun Prairie, WI 53590-2227
Website: https://cityofsunprairie.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 19, 2026
Ashley Manthei
Communications Manager
amanthei@cityofsunprairie.com
(608) 608-0322
 

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. – The Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum (SPHLM) Board of Directors voted at its October 14 meeting to end the Museum’s collecting moratorium, allowing the Museum to resume considering potential donations.

The moratorium was implemented in December 2025 amid uncertainty surrounding future funding and concerns about the Museum’s ability to properly care for its growing collection. Since then, the Museum has continued working to strengthen its operations, including welcoming Museum Operations Coordinator Craig Jacobsen and reengaging volunteers.

With the moratorium lifted, potential donations will once again be reviewed and considered through the established collections process.

The Museum’s collection contains more than 35,000 items documenting Sun Prairie’s history, with nearly 25,000 searchable through the online SPHLM Collections Database at https://sunprairie.catalogaccess.com/home.

The Museum welcomes inquiries from individuals interested in donating historically significant items. All potential donations remain subject to review and approval to ensure the Museum can responsibly care for its collection.
 
About City of Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie is a vibrant and thriving community located in northeastern Dane county, just east of the City of Madison. The City of Sun Prairie has experienced strong population growth since its incorporation from a village to a city in 1958, undergoing a transformation from a relatively small community of less than 4,000 to an estimated 36,394 today.