Peshtigo Fire Museum

The Peshtigo Fire Museum in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, is a local museum dedicated to the Peshtigo Fire of October 8, 1871, and to the wider history of the area. It interprets the event that is widely regarded as the deadliest wildfire in United States history.

Exhibits include artifacts recovered from the fire, period photographs, contemporary accounts, maps, and displays about 19th-century firefighting and community life. The museum presents material that helps convey the scale of the disaster and its impact on the local population.

The fire itself erupted on October 8, 1871, and destroyed large areas of forest and settlement in northeastern Wisconsin; contemporaneous reports and later research estimate very high loss of life and extensive destruction. The museum documents both the event and its aftermath for survivors and the local community.

The museum sits in Peshtigo, Marinette County, in northeastern Wisconsin near the Peshtigo River and the shore of Green Bay. It is positioned to serve visitors interested in the regional history of the Great Lakes shorelands.

• Peshtigo Fire (scale): Occurred on October 8, 1871; estimates of fatalities range from about 1,500 to 2,500 and the fire consumed roughly 1.2 million acres, making it the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history.
• Cemetery and memorial: Located next to the Peshtigo Fire Cemetery and memorial, which marks the mass graves of many victims and is a short walk from the museum building.