Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
4 days ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
4 days ago
Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful
5 days ago
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Wisconsin Peshtigo Peshtigo Fire Museum

Peshtigo Fire Museum

A museum devoted to the victims and the survivors of the most catastrophic fire in American history.

Peshtigo, Wisconsin

Added By
Saara
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Mass Grave of unclaimed victims of the Peshtigo Fire   Wikicommons
Mass Grave of unclaimed victims of the Peshtigo Fire   Wikicommons
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
  Wikicommons
  Wikicommons
  Wikicommons
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Peshtigo is the site of The Great Peshtigo Fire, the most lethal natural fire in U.S. history.

On Oct. 8, 1871, dry conditions and strong winds invited a deadly inferno that swept through the community of Peshtigo as well as neighboring settlements, claiming at least 1,200 lives and over one million acres of land unfortunate enough to be in its path. A bustling lumber town and home to the world’s largest woodenware factory, Peshtigo was devoured by the firestorm. 

Opened in 1963, the museum stands not only as a memorial to lives lost, but also as a testament to the tenacity of a town that rose from the ashes. Displays include bits and pieces of a charred past, letters recounting cleanup and survival, and a mural depicting the town pre and post disaster. A mass grave containing the remains of 350 of the unidentified as well as marked graves of other victims holds the sad distinction of being the very first historical marker in Wisconsin history, reading:

"On the night of October 8, 1871, Peshtigo, a booming town of 1700 people was wiped out of existence in the greatest fire disaster in American history."

Related Tags

Museums Fires Fire Fighters Disaster Areas Disasters Mass Graves Cemeteries

Know Before You Go

Closes through October-May.

Community Contributors

Added By

saaramyrene

Edited By

Rachel, Martin, Strider54, julielogicmom...

  • Rachel
  • Martin
  • Strider54
  • julielogicmom
  • chip520
  • paigeelizabeth3660

Published

December 5, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_Fire_Museum
  • http://peshtigofiremuseum.org/index.html
  • http://peshtigofiremuseum.com/
Peshtigo Fire Museum
400 Oconto Avenue
Peshtigo, Wisconsin, 54157
United States
45.056478, -87.754451
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

45th Parallel Marker

Peshtigo, Wisconsin

miles away

Chateau Hutter

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

miles away

Comic Sans Bathrooms

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Peshtigo

Peshtigo

Wisconsin

Places 2

Nearby Places

45th Parallel Marker

Peshtigo, Wisconsin

miles away

Chateau Hutter

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

miles away

Comic Sans Bathrooms

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Peshtigo

Peshtigo

Wisconsin

Places 2

Related Places

  • Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

    A museum dedicated to firefighting in a city that was crucial to the modern history of the profession.

  • Memorial plaque.

    Kingman, Arizona

    Kingman Explosion Memorial

    A memorial to the firefighters who died in an industrial disaster is housed in a small public park.

  • The restored mill building.

    Alcoy, Spain

    Firefighters Museum of Alcoy

    The first firefighters museum in southern Spain is ironically located in an old textile mill that burned down in 1985.

  • Restored tunnel entrance.

    Wallace, Idaho

    Pulaski Tunnel Trail

    This trail leads to a mine that was used as a sanctuary during the Great Fire of 1910.

  • The Hinkley Fire Museum.

    Hinckley, Minnesota

    Hinckley Fire Museum

    Its collection contains relics from the devastating disaster that set the town ablaze.

  • 19th century pump

    Los Angeles, California

    Los Angeles Fire Department Museum

    Formerly Fire Station No. 27, the museum is a hidden gem in the heart of Hollywood.

  • Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre

    Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

    Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre

    The world's only bushplane museum captures the spirit of the early planes and pilots and their contributions to northern life in Canada.

  • Smokey’s Fan Mail, 1979.

    Beltsville, Maryland

    Smokey Bear Archive

    The Forest Service's surprisingly sophisticated collection of wildfire prevention art features America's most beloved bear.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.