MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Public Museum just announced new details about the exhibits coming to its new facility, and the announcement is just the beginning.
Over the next few months, MPM will be releasing sketches and renderings of the new building and exhibits which are scheduled to open to the public in 2026.
On Wednesday, the museum announced the new permanent galleries coming to the facility at Sixth and Vliet. They are Time Travel, Wisconsin Journey, Milwaukee Revealed, Living in a Dynamic World, and Rainforest. There will also be a rooftop terrace and a greenhouse full of butterflies.
Time Travel
This gallery will be dedicated to exploring the past, including when dinosaurs roamed the earth. MPM said there will be exhibits focused on three of the planet's geological chapters: the Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and Cenozoic Era.
Wisconsin Journey
MPM said this gallery will focus on the cultures and geological wonders of Wisconsin. There will be exhibits surrounding the Driftless Area to the Northwoods, the Apostle Islands, the Great Lakes, and Wisconsin's prairie lands.
Milwaukee Revealed
The Milwaukee Revealed is likely going to be the most talked about gallery, as it is similar to MPM's current "Streets of Old Milwaukee." It will allow visitors to immerse themselves in city streetscapes and learn about the history of Milwaukee. MPM said it will teach the public about the people who came to Milwaukee and settled here.
Living in a Dynamic World
This gallery will take visitors on a journey to five different ecosystems across the globe. The public will be immersed in the landscapes and cultures that occupy those ecosystems during an "unconventional journey."
Mixing Zones
Mixing zones will provide visitors with an inside look at the collections on display and show behind the scene views in the collection storage areas. MPM said there will be two mixing zone spaces and they will showcase rotating selections of collections.
Rainforest
The Rainforest gallery will take visitors to the tropics where they can learn about the biodiversity that thrives in tropical rainforests.
Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium
Visitors will be welcomed into a warm greenhouse at the Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium. Inside, there will be tropical plants and live butterflies, which will fly freely throughout the space.
The Bucyrus Rooftop Terrace
The rooftop terrace will be a gathering space for visitors to reconnect with the outdoors and natural world.
“Each gallery, and the many exhibits that comprise them, will tell a story about the interconnectedness of nature and culture,” said Oronde Wright, Senior Exhibition Designer at Thinc Design and a lead designer on the Future Museum project. “In keeping with the singular, beloved energy of MPM, the Future Museum will also continue to champion immersive, interactive experiences that transport visitors to new places across the world and through time, spark curiosity and make the Museum such a special place to visit again and again.”
Similar to the current museum, visitors will be able to decide how they view all the galleries. Whether they want to start at the top and work their way down or vice versa, guests can create their own experience.
MPM said more information about each gallery will be released throughout the next few months, with the first announcement on March 7.
Previous coverage
The new building will be five stories tall with about 200,000 square feet of space. The museum says the outside texture will be reminiscent of the ancient sea stacks at Mill Bluff State Park in Camp Douglass.
The first floor will feature an open commons atrium inspired by the coming together of the Milwaukee, Kinnickinnic and Menomonee rivers.
In addition to the new building, the museum will have a 50,000-square-foot storage facility for additional collections not on display.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for late 2023. Residents will be able to go inside in 2026, the museum says.
The museum's current building is at 800 W. Wells St.
Key donors noted by the museum are:
- Anonymous donors,
- JoAnn & Richard Beightol,
- Lynn & Douglas Brengel,
- Bucyrus Foundation,
- Melitta S. & Joan M. Pick Charitable Trust
