Wisconsin
Worker in stable condition after crane accident at Madison construction site
A worker is in stable condition after a crane dropped a massive beam at the site of the future Wisconsin History Center on Madison’s Capitol Square, where construction is now paused.
The Madison Fire Department responded to the incident around 9:30 a.m. Jan. 31. A construction crane dropped a beam weighing 20,000 to 30,000 pounds, which fell about 50 feet through sublevels of construction.
One employee fell with the beam; he was taken to a hospital with critical injuries. It is unclear where he fell in relation to the beam. Crews rescued another, uninjured employee who was stranded with the crane above the site. No other injuries were reported.
The injured employee has not been identified. Findorff, a Madison-based construction company overseeing the project, said in a Feb. 1 statement that the worker is in stable condition at a nearby hospital.
“The health and safety of our employees and everyone on our job sites is our highest priority. Work on site has been paused, and we are working closely with local authorities and safety officials as we work to determine the cause of the incident,” Findorff said.
The fire department was dispatched to the corner of State Street and Fairchild Street, or the 100 Block of State Street.
That exact location lines up with a building that houses Ian’s Pizza, which is not under construction. But it’s across the street from the construction site for the future Wisconsin History Center.
The Wisconsin State Journal first reported the incident happened at the center’s buildout site.
A $106.5 million center is replacing the former state historical museum, which was demolished in late 2024. The new project broke ground in April 2025 and is expected to open in 2027.
The project is led by the Wisconsin Historical Society, which is simultaneously a state government agency and a private membership organization.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel requested comment from the Wisconsin Historical Society and asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration whether it is investigating the incident.
The five-story, 100,000-square-foot facility will include a lobby, classrooms, rotating exhibits, permanent galleries and a rooftop terrace. The project received bipartisan support; former Govs. Jim Doyle and Tommy Thompson co-chaired the fundraising campaign.
Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.