Tayco Street Bridge Tower Museum

Perched at the edge of Menasha’s Fox River, the Tayco Street Bridge Tower Museum stands as a quietly dignified sentinel from another age. The building itself, with its Classical Revival lines and brickwork from the late 1920s, evokes a time when bridges were more than infrastructure—they were civic statements. Step inside on a sunny afternoon and you’ll find modest but well-curated exhibits that offer glimpses into the bridge’s mechanical past: rusted levers, archival photographs, and blueprints that once orchestrated the daily ballet of river traffic below. Sunlight filters through tall windows, illuminating artifacts that speak to the sweat and ingenuity of generations who kept Menasha moving. Locals treat this spot as both a nostalgic touchstone and an educational outpost. For some, it’s a reminder of childhood field trips or afternoons spent watching bridge tenders at work. For others—especially those new to Menasha or just passing through—it becomes an unexpected portal into small-town Midwestern history. The museum isn’t crowded or commercialized; there’s no gift shop hawking tchotchkes, just a sense of reverence for local heritage. You might find yourself in conversation with someone from the Historical Society or sharing stories with fellow visitors about how rivers shape communities. The bridge tower itself is more than a museum—it’s a living piece of architecture, still woven into the city’s fabric. As Menasha celebrates milestones or hosts festivals along Center Street, this tower quietly anchors the festivities. In preserving both machinery and memory, it connects today’s residents with the ambitions—and everyday life—of those who came before.