Wisconsin Masonic Lodges
The complete directory of 99 Masonic lodges across 73 cities in Wisconsin.
Top Rated Lodges in Wisconsin
Grand Lodge of Wisconsin
Grand Lodge of Wisconsin F&AM
Founded in 1843
About Freemasonry in Wisconsin
A deep look at Masonic history, the oldest lodges, the admission process, and notable Freemasons connected to Wisconsin.
History of Freemasonry in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Masonry traces its roots back to the territorial period before statehood. The first Masonic lodge in what is now Wisconsin was Mineral Point Lodge No. 1 (originally chartered as No. 116 by the Grand Lodge of Missouri in 1843), which served the lead mining communities of southwestern Wisconsin Territory.
Mineral Point itself was one of the most prosperous towns in the territory at the time, with a population of Cornish miners and merchants drawn by the region's lead and zinc deposits. Melody Lodge No. 2 in Platteville (originally chartered by Missouri in 1843) and Milwaukee Lodge No. 3 (originally chartered by Missouri in 1843) followed quickly.
On December 18, 1843, delegates from Mineral Point Lodge, Melody Lodge, and Milwaukee Lodge gathered in Madison and organized the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin Territory. Benjamin T. Kavanaugh was elected the first Grand Master. Wisconsin became a state in 1848, and the Grand Lodge continued under its original framework.
The mid-19th century saw Wisconsin Masonry grow rapidly with the state's German, Scandinavian, and Yankee population. The Civil War period brought disruption but also growth, as veterans returned home and joined lodges in record numbers. The late 19th century brought a particularly notable expansion in northern Wisconsin as the timber industry and the railroads pushed lodges into towns like Eau Claire, Wausau, Rhinelander, and Superior. Wisconsin Masonry developed a distinctive Midwestern character, with strong charitable traditions and tight integration with civic life in small towns.
The Wisconsin Masonic Home was established in Dousman in 1900 to care for elderly Masons, their wives, widows, and orphans, and it remains a flagship Masonic charitable institution today. Membership peaked in the 1950s along with the rest of American Masonry. The state has experienced steady decline since then but remains one of the more active and engaged Midwestern Masonic jurisdictions.
Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Wisconsin
Mineral Point Lodge No. 1 in Mineral Point is the oldest lodge in Wisconsin, originally chartered by the Grand Lodge of Missouri in 1843 and then renumbered as No. 1 when the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin Territory formed later that year. The lodge still meets in Mineral Point and preserves its original charter and minute books.
Melody Lodge No. 2 in Platteville (originally Missouri-chartered 1843) is the second oldest active lodge. Milwaukee Lodge No. 3 in Milwaukee is the third founding lodge, also originally Missouri-chartered in 1843, and it continues today as one of the most active lodges in Wisconsin's largest city.
Madison Lodge No. 5 (chartered 1846) anchors the state capital and has long been associated with Wisconsin political and academic life, with many University of Wisconsin faculty and state legislators among its members over the years. Mosaic Lodge No. 24 in Sheboygan (chartered 1850s) was a major Lake Michigan port lodge in the 19th century.
Algoma Lodge No. 6 in Oshkosh (chartered 1846) has long served the Fox River Valley. Independence Lodge No. 80 in Eau Claire was a major timber-era lodge in northwestern Wisconsin.
Lake Superior Lodge No. 137 in Superior, chartered in the late 19th century, served the Lake Superior shipping community. The Milwaukee Masonic Center on West Wisconsin Avenue has been the primary downtown Milwaukee Masonic building since the early 20th century. Lodges in Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse, Racine, and Kenosha all have 19th century roots and continue active operations today.
Many Wisconsin lodge buildings are notable examples of Midwestern Victorian and Art Deco architecture.
Wisconsin Masonic Lodges by the Numbers
The Grand Lodge of Wisconsin is one of the larger Midwestern US Masonic jurisdictions. Wisconsin currently has approximately 130 to 150 active subordinate lodges and somewhere around 10,000 to 12,000 active Master Masons. Major concentrations are in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, Madison, the Fox River Valley (Appleton, Oshkosh, Green Bay), Eau Claire, and Wausau, with strong small-town lodge presence throughout rural Wisconsin. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, which is a separate but recognized African American grand body, adds approximately 10 to 15 additional lodges and several hundred more Master Masons.
Wisconsin Masonic charity is anchored by the Wisconsin Masonic Home in Dousman, which has been operating continuously since 1900 and provides senior care services for Masons and their families, with roughly 100 to 150 residents at any time. Wisconsin Masons also participate in the Shriners Hospitals for Children network through Tripoli Shrine in Milwaukee, with the Shriners Hospital in Chicago serving as a major regional pediatric specialty hospital. The Wisconsin Masonic Foundation funds scholarships, disaster relief, and community grants throughout the state, distributing several million dollars per year combined across all Masonic charitable bodies in Wisconsin.
How to Become a Freemason in Wisconsin
Joining a Wisconsin lodge follows the standard mainstream American Masonic process. Wisconsin lodges don't recruit, so the first move is yours: ask. Basic requirements are that you be a man, at least 18 years old, of good moral character, with belief in a Supreme Being (any monotheistic faith works), and a resident of Wisconsin or close enough to attend lodge meetings. To start, find a lodge near you using the LodgeFinder Wisconsin page or the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin's online directory.
Most Wisconsin lodges hold one stated meeting per month with a public dinner beforehand that welcomes family and prospects, and many lodges also host community events like pancake breakfasts, fish fries (this is Wisconsin, after all), and Friday fish fry fundraisers throughout the year. Reach out to the lodge Secretary by email or phone and ask for a petition. The petition asks for personal background, employment history, and references; you'll need two current Master Masons to sign as recommenders. If you don't know any Masons yet, the lodge can introduce you.
Submit your completed petition with the initiation fee. Wisconsin lodge fees vary by lodge but typically run $150 to $400 for all three degrees combined, with annual dues of $75 to $200 a year afterward. After submission, a three-person investigation committee will visit you for a relaxed in-person interview. The lodge then votes by secret ballot at a stated meeting; the vote must be unanimous.
If elected, you'll receive the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees in succession, with proficiency exams between each. The whole process from petition to Master Mason typically takes four to ten months in Wisconsin.
Notable Wisconsin Freemasons in History
Wisconsin's Masonic roster includes a number of significant state and national figures. Henry Dodge, the first governor of Wisconsin Territory and a US Senator after statehood, was a Mason. Nelson Dewey, the first state governor of Wisconsin after statehood in 1848, was a Mason. Edward Salomon, a Civil War-era Wisconsin governor, was a Mason.
Robert La Follette Sr., the legendary progressive governor and US Senator who founded the Progressive Party, came from a Masonic family though his own status is debated. Joseph McCarthy, the controversial US Senator from Wisconsin, was reportedly a Mason though his Masonic involvement was minimal. William Proxmire, the long-serving US Senator known for his Golden Fleece Awards, was a Mason. Tommy Thompson, the four-term governor of Wisconsin, was a Mason.
In the cultural arena, Harry Houdini, born in Hungary but raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, was a Mason raised in St. Cecile Lodge No. 568 in New York in 1923, and he often visited Wisconsin lodges during his career. Spencer Tracy, the Hollywood legend, was born in Milwaukee and had Wisconsin family connections.
Frank Lloyd Wright, the legendary architect, was raised near Spring Green, Wisconsin and had a complicated relationship with Masonry; he was not himself a Mason. Many University of Wisconsin chancellors and professors have been Masons throughout the school's history. Wisconsin's industrial titans, particularly in the brewing industry (the Pabst, Schlitz, Miller, and Blatz families had various levels of Masonic involvement) and in paper manufacturing, often had Masonic affiliations.
Prince Hall Freemasonry in Wisconsin
The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Wisconsin is the African American Masonic grand body for the state. It was organized in 1925 in Milwaukee, somewhat later than most southern Prince Hall jurisdictions because Wisconsin's African American population was relatively small until the Great Migration of the early 20th century brought significant numbers of Black workers to Milwaukee, Madison, and other cities. The broader Prince Hall tradition traces back to Prince Hall, a free Black man in Boston who was made a Mason by a British military lodge in 1775 and chartered African Lodge No. 459 under the Grand Lodge of England in 1784.
Wisconsin Prince Hall Masonry grew through the mid-20th century as Milwaukee's Black community expanded, with lodges centered in the Bronzeville district of Milwaukee and in other Wisconsin cities with growing Black populations. Wisconsin Prince Hall Masons were active in civil rights organizing, the NAACP, and the Black church community throughout the 20th century. The mainstream Grand Lodge of Wisconsin formally recognized the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Wisconsin in the 1990s, joining a wave of northern grand lodges extending such recognition. The two grand lodges now have a working relationship that includes mutual visitation rights.
Today the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Wisconsin has approximately 10 to 15 active subordinate lodges, with concentrations in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, and Beloit. The jurisdiction also has its own Order of Eastern Star, Scottish Rite, and youth bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Wisconsin
When was Wisconsin's Grand Lodge founded?
The Grand Lodge of Wisconsin Territory was founded on December 18, 1843, in Madison, when delegates from Mineral Point Lodge, Melody Lodge, and Milwaukee Lodge organized the new grand body. The Grand Lodge predates Wisconsin statehood by five years; Wisconsin became a state in 1848. Benjamin T. Kavanaugh was the first Grand Master.
Was Harry Houdini a Wisconsin Mason?
Houdini was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, but he wasn't actually made a Mason in Wisconsin. He was raised at St. Cecile Lodge No. 568 in New York in 1923.
He visited Wisconsin lodges during his career given his Wisconsin upbringing, but his actual Masonic membership was in New York.
What's the Wisconsin Masonic Home?
The Wisconsin Masonic Home in Dousman has been operating continuously since 1900, providing senior care services for Masons and their family members. It typically houses 100 to 150 residents and is one of the flagship Masonic charitable institutions in the Midwest, funded by the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin and ongoing Masonic philanthropy.
How many Masons are in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has approximately 10,000 to 12,000 active Master Masons across about 130 to 150 lodges under the mainstream Grand Lodge. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Wisconsin adds several hundred more members across roughly 10 to 15 additional lodges. Wisconsin is one of the larger Midwestern Masonic jurisdictions by membership.
How much does it cost to join a Wisconsin lodge?
Wisconsin lodges generally charge $150 to $400 for all three degrees combined, with annual dues of $75 to $200 a year afterward. Milwaukee and Madison lodges tend toward the higher end of that range, while smaller rural lodges in northern Wisconsin are often more affordable.
Sources & Further Reading
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