MILWAUKEE — Ten-year-old Alma Steele, a longtime visitor of the Milwaukee Public Museum, joined a group of supporters Saturday to protest plans for the museum's relocation.
“We used to go every Saturday morning. My favorite is the butterfly exhibit,” Steele smiled.
This Saturday's visit was different; she was there to voice her support for keeping the museum in its current building at 800 W. Wells St.
Alma was among more than a dozen individuals expressing their love for the museum and its exhibits, like the Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village.
The group is called Preserve Milwaukee, and it aims to advocate for the preservation of beloved exhibits and the character of the current building.
"A lot of these exhibits and displays are endearing to us. These are works of art and should not be destroyed,” Scott Bush, a member of the Board of Directors for the group, said.
The group formed in response to news that the museum is planning to move to a new location, slated to open in 2027, at West McKinley Avenue and North Sixth Street.
"They can build a new museum; it's a good thing, but we don't have to destroy this one," Justin Gaver, another board member, said.
Some exhibits, particularly those integral to the museum's structure, cannot be relocated to the new site, according to a post on X by the museum.
Rebecca Ehlers, Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Visitor Experience for the Milwaukee Public Museum stressed that the current building is roughly $100 million behind on maintenance, which poses a risk to the four million artifacts housed within.
"The building we have is not sustainable for the future," she said. “All of the items that are the heart will come with us.”
TMJ4 reported in 2022 that there were cracks in the ceiling and walls, along with interior gutters and hanging buckets to catch leaking water.
As construction is underway at the new site, the fate of the current museum will ultimately be decided by Milwaukee County.
Preserve Milwaukee's members said they will continue working on their campaign to save the building.
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