Madison Children’s Museum receives $6.5M bequest to stabilize century-old high use facilities

Wisconsin’s Madison Children’s Museum has received a $6.5 million bequest from the estate of Jerry Frautschi to support critical facility maintenance and upgrades at the museum’s nearly century-old downtown building. The award will serve to advance matching fund solicitations and fund essential repairs, restoration, and improvements, while advancing long-term energy-efficiency and net-zero goals. The multiyear commitment is tied to the museum’s broader preservation planning to help stabilize its infrastructure–the museum is housed in a 1929 former department store–while maintaining access to high-use cultural spaces serving families and children.