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Explore Hudson's History!
Future home of
The Little Museum
Honoring Little Free Libraries
and
Front Yard Sharing
In Partnership with the Todd Bol Family
Hudson is the home of little free libraries.
To honor the origin story of little libraries in Hudson, Wisconsin, the Hudson Octagon House Museum is announcing an initiative to build The Little Museum: Honoring Little Free Libraries and Front Yard Sharing. The first little library was built in Hudson by the late Todd Bol in 2009. After exploring the idea locally and gaining traction on a grassroots level, Todd Bol went on three years later to co-found the national Little Free Library® nonprofit organization in Hudson.
Todd Bol
Since its early years, the grassroots nature of neighbors sharing with neighbors has evolved to include new, creative forms of little libraries. Today, they’re not only used for books, but for food, art, seeds, puzzles, pet supplies, and personal care items; the ideas sprouting up seem to be endless. Front yard sharing of all kinds is fostered by people who care about community, helping their neighbors, and making an impact to better our world.
Little Free Pantry
At the heart of the vision for the Little Museum is a One-Room Schoolhouse, designed to safeguard and share the history of free little libraries and front yard sharing through engaging and informative displays. Visitors enter an iconic 'One-Room Schoolhouse' where they are immersed in a space dedicated to sharing knowledge and fostering a sense of community.
First Little Library
built by Todd Bol
The Little Museum will be built on the grounds of the Octagon House Museum and focus on three core areas: first, the origin story about the free little libraries in Hudson; second, a summary of the global impact of the little free library movement; and third, a look at the growth of front yard sharing, inspired by the little free library movement.
As a visible pledge to this initiative, the Hudson Octagon House Museum in partnership with the Bol family and their Share With Others: Little Libraries Fund in Todd’s honor at the Minneapolis Foundation is proud to announce the installation of the first ever Little History Library on the grounds of the Octagon House Museum. It echos the Octagon House in design and includes multiple levels for sharing history with the community and an area to display artifacts from the museum's permanent collection.
We invite you to visit us at the Octagon House Museum and learn more about the development of
The Little Museum.
Help Bring History to Life -
Tell Us Your Front Yard Sharing Story
Get in touch so we can start working together.
The Little Museum is not affiliated with the Little Free Library® nonprofit organization.
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