Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee

Insider tip: If you ride a Harley regularly, H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) membership comes with free general admission to the museum — bring your member card. Annual Museum memberships also pay for themselves in two visits.

The oldest known Harley-Davidson in existence — the world's first H-D, built in a 10-by-15-foot wooden shed in the Davidson family backyard. Encased in glass within an illuminated footprint of that original shed.

Procession of bikes down the center of the main hall, walking visitors from 1903 through every decade of H-D production. Side galleries dig into the Great Depression, WWII military bikes, post-war boom, and the AMF era.

Roughly 100 reproduced Harley-Davidson fuel tank designs spanning 70+ years, mounted on a single wall in chronological order on Fat Bob–style tanks.

Disassembled Knucklehead engine displayed in exploded view, with interactive touchscreens that demonstrate how Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead and modern V-twin engines actually work.

Racing and club history, anchored by a section of suspended wooden board track angled at 45 degrees — a reconstruction of the brutal 1920s board-track racing circuits where riders hit triple digits with no brakes.

Harley-Davidson's impact on American culture, anchored by King Kong — a 13-foot, two-engine custom motorcycle built over four years by Felix Predko — plus exact replicas of the "Captain America" and "Billy Bike" choppers ridden by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider (1969).

Sit-on stations with current-production Harley-Davidson Freedom Machines (Sportster S, Pan America, Street Glide and others). Refreshed in 2022 to bridge historical galleries with contemporary riding stories.

Personalized aluminum rivets engraved with the names of riders, families, and clubs from around the world — installed in the walkways and architectural features around the museum campus.

The first motorcycle Elvis Presley ever bought — a 1956 Harley-Davidson KH, purchased in Memphis the same year he recorded "Heartbreak Hotel."

The WLA was the bike Harley built to military spec for the Allies in WWII — roughly 90,000 were produced. Nicknamed the "Liberator" because GIs rode them into liberated towns across Europe.

Curated temporary exhibits drawn from the H-D Archives (which feed roughly 85% of the museum's displays). Past exhibits have spotlighted women riders, racing, tattoo culture, and the company's 120-year milestone.

Guided tour into the H-D Archives — climate-controlled storage holding bikes, ephemera, and historical materials not on the general floor. Limited availability, additional fee, and often pre-purchase only.

Thursday Bike Night Concert Series

Every Thursday · 5–9 p.m. · May 7 – Sept 24, 2026

Free live music outside the museum, drink specials and BBQ from MOTOR Bar & Restaurant, raffles, and retail deals in the H-D Shop. Bikers and non-bikers welcome. The 2026 lineup features local and regional acts including The Grovelers, Valley Fox, Wire & Nail, Third Coast Blues Collective, and a Tom Petty tribute set by Trapper Schoepp. Check harley-davidson.com/museum/events for the week-by-week schedule.

Sun–Wed 11 a.m.–8 p.m. · Thu–Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

Scratch-made BBQ (their smokehouse is the calling card), juicy burgers, salads, and a long bar program — floor-to-ceiling windows over the Menomonee River and what MOTOR claims is the city's largest riverfront patio. Casual, ride-in-friendly, and open to the public whether or not you're going to the museum.

📍 401 W Canal St, Milwaukee, WI 53203 · (414) 287-2778

Café Racer has historically operated as the campus's quick-serve café — espresso drinks, breakfast pastries, custom sandwiches, salads, and frozen custard, in a smaller, racing-themed space with board-track-style wood paneling. As of June 2026, the H-D Museum's official campus pages list only MOTOR Bar & Restaurant as the on-site dining option. Call (414) 287-2778 before you rely on Café Racer for breakfast or coffee — hours, days, and operating status may have shifted.

Backup plan if Café Racer isn't open: MOTOR opens at 11 a.m. daily, and Walker's Point has multiple coffee shops within a 5–10 minute walk.

The H-D Shop and adjacent H-D Factory Outlet are open daily 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — apparel, MotorClothes, collectibles, and museum-exclusive items. No admission ticket required to shop. The Outlet runs deeper discounts on prior-season gear.

The Harley-Davidson Archives — the climate-controlled vault that supplies roughly 85% of what's on the museum floor — is open to the public only via the limited guided Archives Tour. It's an upcharge, days and times vary seasonally, and slots sell out. Book through harley-davidson.com/museum or call 877-436-8738. For serious enthusiasts, this is the single best part of the visit.