Before becoming an arts center the building served as a main water pumping station for the City of La Crosse. The Pump House has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979 and is a City of La Crosse Historic Landmark.

The Pump House Regional Arts Center is a non-profit, membership supported organization. Founded in 1977, the mission of the Pump House is to maintain the building as a cultural center, present visual and performing arts with a Midwest emphasis and outreach programming in arts education.