Milwaukee Public Museum

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MPM is open six days a week, Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed every Tuesday. The published closed dates are Tuesdays, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, with a 3 p.m. close on Christmas Eve; no separate New Year's Eve or New Year's Day hours are published. Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village close early, at 4:30 p.m., on Friday, Nov 6 and Friday, Nov 13, 2026, and on Saturday, Nov 21 only the Second Floor stays open until 7 p.m. for the 3 Rivers Powwow (other floors close at 5 p.m.).

When

Regular schedule through the final day, Sunday, Jan 3, 2027

Hours

Wednesday–Monday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Closed Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26, 2026) and Christmas Day; open until 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Members-only early access Saturdays and Sundays 9–10 a.m.

Price

Included with admission

General admission covers all exhibit floors and includes one Planetarium program (first come, first served); Dome Theater giant films are sold separately. Tickets can be bought online, at the walk-up Museum Admissions window or at a self-serve kiosk; visits are not time-limited, but you should come on the date printed on your ticket. As of Nov 4, 2026 MPM's ticket page says tickets can be reserved for visits through Dec 31, 2026 — online availability for the final three days (Jan 1–3, 2027) is not yet published.

When

2026 pricing; online tickets reservable for visits through Dec 31, 2026

Hours

Ticketing call center: Wednesday–Monday 9 a.m.–4 p.m., 414-278-2728

Price

Adult (18–64) $25; Teen (14–17) $24; Senior (65+) $21; Youth (4–13) $19; Military/College $21; members and children 3 and younger free. Service fees may apply.

Members get free admission, $5 MacArthur Square parking, $5 Dome Theater tickets, 10% off shopping and dining, and weekend early entry; MPM says a membership pays for itself in two visits and any months left when Wells Street closes carry over to the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Tribal members receive free admission Nov 1–30, 2026 (tell Visitor Services at check-in), courtesy of Potawatomi Casino | Hotel. One free adult admission per group is offered on Mother's Day and Father's Day; the ticket page's Veterans Day offer still shows last year's dates, so a 2026 Veterans Day offer is not published.

Hours

Museums for All, ASTC and educator admission are sold in person only, with valid ID

Price

Milwaukee County residents: automatic $2 off with a valid county address (not combinable). Museums for All (SNAP/EBT card): $3 per adult/teen/senior/youth, children 0–3 free, up to four per family. Memberships: Dual $85, Family $135, Sustainer $250, Affordable Adventure $65, Student $35 (in person).

On Kohl's Thank You Thursdays, every visitor gets free access to MPM's permanent exhibits, funded by Kohl's Cares. Only two remain: Nov 5, 2026 (with Native American Heritage Month programming) and Dec 3, 2026, which MPM bills as its FINAL Kohl's Thank You Thursday, with holiday decor and Milwaukee-history education stations. Reservations open seven days before each date, walk-up tickets are not guaranteed, children must be accompanied by an adult, and children 0–3 must be counted in your reservation.

When

Remaining 2026 dates: Thursday, Nov 5 and Thursday, Dec 3 (the final one)

Hours

10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Price

Free for all visitors (groups excluded); advance reservation strongly recommended

The MacArthur Square parking structure is adjacent to the museum, is entered from N. James Lovell St. (7th St.), and has a Ground-level entrance into the museum so you never walk outside. MPM also points to metered street spaces and its hotel partner, the Hilton Milwaukee City Center. By bus, MPM says several MCTS routes stop on Wisconsin Avenue, one block south — get off at the stop nearest N. James Lovell St.; MCTS's Wisconsin Avenue services include the CONNECT 1 bus rapid transit line and Route 30. The Milwaukee Intermodal Station (Amtrak, Greyhound and The Hop streetcar's Intermodal stop) is a little more than a half-mile away; The Hop does not have a stop at the museum.

Hours

Street meters are free on Sundays

Price

MPM members: $5 flat rate at MacArthur Square with validation at Member Services. Public MacArthur Square rates: not published by MPM — check the posted rates at the garage. MCTS and The Hop fares: see operators.

Elevators and escalators reach every exhibit floor, benches are on all floors, accessible restrooms are on the First Floor, and complimentary wheelchairs are available. A Sensory Room and a Personal Cares Room (adult-sized changing bed) are on the First Floor, and Explorer Kits, noise-reducing headphones, compression vests and sensory maps can be checked out at the ticket windows. The Dome Theater has assisted-listening devices, captioned films, accessible/companion seating and a portable lighting system for ASL interpreters on request; service animals and emotional-support dogs are welcome. MPM notes the Living Oceans ramp may not be accessible to all, and that The Third Planet has strobe lights, thunder and dinosaur sounds.

Hours

Accessibility line: 414-278-2714

Price

Wheelchairs are complimentary; sensory items are free to check out with ID. Affordable Adventure membership $65.

The Ground Floor Museum Café (run by Noble Catering) and a coffee kiosk are currently open for a short midday window, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and visitors may bring their own food to eat in the cafeteria (MPM cannot store food or coolers). The Museum Marketplace gift shop is open whenever the museum is, and the Haymarket Candy Store inside Streets of Old Milwaukee keeps its own shorter hours. 2026 is the final year for official Milwaukee Public Museum merchandise, including limited-edition Greatest Hits apparel and collectibles, sold on site and online.

Hours

Museum Café and Coffee Kiosk 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dome Theater concessions Sat, Sun and Kohl's Thank You Thursdays 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Museum Marketplace open during museum hours; Haymarket Candy Store Mon/Wed/Thu 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Fri 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Price

Menu prices not published; members save 10% on shopping and dining

MPM does not publish a recommended visit length; its FAQ says only that visits are not limited to a specific duration. What it does publish: more than 150,000 square feet of exhibits on three and a half floors (the Third Floor mezzanine is now closed), a 23-minute Planetarium program included with admission and 45-minute giant films. As an editorial planning estimate (not an MPM figure), allow about half a day to walk all three floors and see one dome show. Expect the heaviest crowds on the two remaining free Thursdays and in the final week, Dec 28–Jan 3.

Hours

No time limit on visits within museum hours

Price

Included with admission

Groups of 10 or more get discounted admission that includes one Planetarium program, but reservations must be made and prepaid at least two weeks ahead and are not available on Kohl's Thank You Thursdays. K–12 field trips run Monday–Friday (no Tuesdays or free Thursdays), and MPM says the last day it will host field trips is Dec 11, 2026; Milwaukee County schools get free student admission September through November. Free half-hour public docent tours are also offered every Saturday at 1 p.m.

When

Last day for school field trips: Friday, Dec 11, 2026

Hours

Docent-led group tours: Wednesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. (book two weeks ahead)

Price

Groups of 10+: Adult $21, Teen $20, Senior $17, Youth $15, Military/College $17; Dome Theater add-on $6 per guest; docent-led tour add-on $6 per person. School chaperones beyond the free 1-per-5 ratio: $12.

Opened in January 1965 as one of the first walk-through dioramas in the world, the Streets drops you into a gaslit fall evening in turn-of-the-20th-century Milwaukee. You enter through a life-sized streetcar, then wander past some thirty shops and businesses built at about three-quarters scale, Granny rocking on her porch and the Watson Family Home; the exhibit was reimagined for its 50th anniversary and reopened Dec 11, 2015. It remains MPM's most-visited spot. In 2026 the contents of the Apothecary (bottles, cabinetry, mannequin) and the Schloemer Motor Wagon were removed for the new museum, though the Apothecary facade is intact.

When

Open through Jan 3, 2027; holiday decor Nov 20, 2026–Jan 3, 2027

Hours

Museum hours; closes at 4:30 p.m. on Fri Nov 6 and Fri Nov 13, 2026

Price

Included with admission

Connected to the Streets, the European Village recreates homes and shops as they may have appeared between about 1875 and 1925, furnished to represent 33 European cultures — from Austrian and Belgian to Ukrainian and Welsh — that shaped immigration to the United States. For the holidays, nine of the 33 units are decorated with culturally specific items. MPM has not published plans for a comparable walk-through village in the new museum, so the final season is the reliable way to see it as built.

When

Open through Jan 3, 2027; holiday decor Nov 20, 2026–Jan 3, 2027

Hours

Museum hours; closes at 4:30 p.m. on Fri Nov 6 and Fri Nov 13, 2026

Price

Included with admission

A two-story, glass-enclosed tropical garden where hundreds of live butterflies fly freely — and may land on you — kept warm year-round (MPM describes a 76-degree indoor garden). Around it are a working butterfly lab and a Wall of Diversity showing more than 1,000 butterfly and moth species from the collections. The adjacent Butterflies Alive! play area has been permanently closed for packing, but MPM states the Vivarium itself remains open.

When

Open (no early closing date published)

Hours

Museum hours (no separate vivarium hours published)

Price

Included with admission

MPM's earth-science hall was the first in North America built around plate tectonics, and its Hell Creek scene — a life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex feeding on a Triceratops amid thunder and lightning effects — was the world's first diorama to show life-sized dinosaurs in their habitat. The route also passes through a limestone cavern and a walk-through glacier, but the Torosaurus skeleton, the Ice Age bestiary fossils (mastodon, Smilodon and others), the Silurian Reef diorama and the amethyst quartz case have all been deinstalled in 2026 for conservation and reinstallation in the new Time Travel gallery.

When

Open, with several fossils already removed

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

This woolly mammoth was excavated in the 1990s on John Hebior's farm in the town of Paris, Kenosha County, less than 30 miles from the museum. About 85 percent of the skeleton was recovered, and butchering marks on bones carbon-dated to 14,500 years ago make it among the oldest evidence of humans in North America. It stands on the Ground Floor with the green-roof exhibit, an area MPM says can be seen without buying a ticket; in the new museum it becomes the centerpiece of a Hebior Mammoth Hunt scene.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Free — viewable without an admission ticket

A two-story recreation of a Costa Rican rainforest with a working scaled waterfall, a tree-canopy walkway and five small video theaters, built from a March 1986 expedition in which 15 MPM biologists and artists made more than 400 molds of leaves, bark and fruit. MPM describes it as the world's first permanent tropical rainforest exhibit. The howler monkey whose screech was triggered by a hidden button has been deinstalled in 2026.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

The centerpiece of MPM's North American Indian galleries, titled Indian Country, is a contemporary powwow grand entry: 37 life-sized figures in dance regalia circling singers at a drum on an enormous turntable, with theatrical lighting and recorded music. The figures are life casts of people from Wisconsin's tribes, and the local American Indian community made the outfits and drum. Surrounding sections cover the history of Indian and non-Indian relations.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

The huge Crow Indian bison hunt, in the Tribute to Survival area, is one of MPM's best-known dioramas — and home to its most famous easter egg. As Urban Milwaukee documented, a small button tucked into a break in the rocks at the far right makes the diorama's rattlesnake rattle; a second snake button is hidden under the label panel of the Montana badlands scene in Exploring Life on Earth on the First Floor. MPM does not publish whether the buttons are working in 2026 (they have been out of order at times), but it has confirmed that the new museum's Deserts hall will 'continue the cherished tradition of finding a rattlesnake button'.

When

Typically Diorama not on MPM's 2026 deinstallation list; working status of the buttons not published (2026–27 dates not yet published)

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

Life-sized habitat dioramas — the Savanna Bush, the Savanna Water Hole, the Salt Lick in the Bamboo Forest and the Maasai Lion Hunt — anchor the Africa hall, with a tactile exhibit in large print, audio and braille at the entrance. Simba the lion and the cheetah have been deinstalled in 2026; MPM says Timba the elephant and Simba will both reappear in the new museum's African Serengeti grasslands scene.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

The Asia galleries include Tian Chao ('heavenly dynasty'), a selection from MPM's China Decorative Arts collection; a Japanese courtyard and home where women play the card game 100 Poets; and a bustling market in Old Delhi, India, complete with snake charmer and elephant. The jeweled elephant figurine and the Central India wildlife diorama have been deinstalled in 2026.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

A descending ramp takes you on an imaginary dive from the shallows under a Caribbean pier down to the sunless zone of luminous fishes, viewed as if from a bathysphere, with rooms of mollusk shells and oceanography along the way. The sea turtle has been deinstalled in 2026. MPM cautions that the ramp may not be accessible to all visitors.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

Live arthropods in terrariums: a black widow spider, African giant black millipedes, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walkingsticks, a vinegaroon, scorpions and a giant desert centipede, with a smell station and captioned video. A volunteer is sometimes on hand with harmless live bugs you can hold.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

At the top of the Grand Staircase, Sense of Wonder evokes a late-Victorian museum with more than 1,000 rarely seen specimens, from a pinecone seed to a 36-foot humpback whale skeleton. Around the staircase, Exploring Life on Earth pairs split-scene dioramas of the Montana badlands, a Costa Rican dry forest and Milwaukee's Menomonee River Valley with a look inside museum labs. Also on the First Floor is the award-winning re-creation of Samson, the Milwaukee County Zoo's famous silverback gorilla. The Haida canoe replica that hung above Sense of Wonder was moved to the new museum on March 27, 2026 — the first exhibit piece to go.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

The dome is open through the last day and is going out with Planetarium Palooza, a nine-week rotation of the 20 greatest Planetarium programs and giant films of the past 20 years; the lineup changes every Monday. Planetarium programs run 23 minutes and giant films 45 minutes on a six-story screen driven by a Digistar 6 system. The Daniel M. Soref Planetarium name moves to the new museum, where the dome will be on the first level with a flat floor and removable reclining seats.

When

Planetarium Palooza: Nov 1, 2026–Jan 3, 2027

Hours

Daily shows 10:30 a.m.–4:10 p.m. start times: Wisconsin Stargazing 10:30 a.m. and 1:50 p.m.; giant films 11:10 a.m., 12:50 p.m., 2:30 p.m.; rotating Planetarium programs 12:10 and 3:30 p.m.; Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon 4:10 p.m.

Price

One Planetarium program included with admission (first come, first served). Giant films: $6 non-members, $5 members; Sustainer+ members free.

MPM announced on Nov 18, 2025 that 'the last day of operation at the current location will be January 3, 2027', and its membership, Greatest Hits and deinstallation pages all repeat that date. The museum has been open all of 2026 for a year-long Greatest Hits farewell. No closing ceremony, special hours or separate final-day ticket has been published; MPM's ticket page currently takes reservations only through Dec 31, 2026.

Hours

Regular hours published: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (no special final-day hours announced)

Price

Regular admission; no special final-day ticket or ceremony published as of Nov 4, 2026

One final holiday season in the Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village. In the Streets, Victorian-era garland, wreaths, bells and ribbons dress the streetlamps, businesses and homes while classic carols play; in the Village, nine of the 33 homes are decorated with culturally specific holiday items. It is the closing chapter of the Streets of Old Milwaukee & European Village Greatest Hit, which began Oct 1.

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Free with admission

An adults-only social hour inside the decorated Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village, with docents in period attire sharing European holiday traditions, Victorian-era parlor games, live music by the Checkmate Barbershop Quartet, a commemorative photo in a vintage-style holiday card and a cash bar. Sustainer+ member presale began Nov 3; public sale begins Nov 7, 2026.

When

Thursday, Dec 10 and Thursday, Dec 17, 2026

Hours

6–8 p.m. (Museum café open from 5 p.m.; food for purchase 5–7 p.m.)

Price

$35 per person; 21+, IDs checked

MPM's last-ever free first Thursday on Wells Street, sponsored by Kohl's Cares, falls during Deck the Streets and Village, with holiday decor and hands-on education stations exploring the Milwaukee of yesteryear. Reservations are strongly recommended and walk-up tickets are not guaranteed.

Hours

10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Price

Free for all visitors; reserve up to 7 days ahead

The closing-week encore: MPM brings back favorite activities from each of 2026's five Greatest Hits celebrations — Ancient Civilizations, Diorama-RAMA, Rainforest & Butterflies, Dino Days of Summer and Streets/European Village. Published examples include building a diorama, 'dashing with dinos' and admiring butterflies, with 'a few new surprises' promised. A day-by-day schedule has not been published.

When

Dec 28 and Dec 30, 2026–Jan 3, 2027 (closed Tue Dec 29)

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Free with admission

A nine-week tribute to 20 years of the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium and Dome Theater: three giant films and two Planetarium programs rotate weekly, while Wisconsin Stargazing and Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon play throughout. Highlights still to come include T. REX (Nov 30–Dec 6 and Dec 28–Jan 3), Great Barrier Reef (Dec 7–13) and Dinosaurs of Antarctica (Dec 14–20).

Hours

Eight shows daily, 10:30 a.m.–4:10 p.m. start times; lineup changes each Monday

Price

One Planetarium program included with admission; giant films $6 ($5 members)

The last European Village Alive! at MPM: docents in period attire are stationed at homes throughout the decorated Village, explaining the European origins of holiday traditions such as greeting cards, Christmas trees, menorahs, gingerbread and stockings.

Hours

11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Price

Free with admission

MPM is marking its final Native American Heritage Month in the building. The second annual 3 Rivers Powwow brings dancers in regalia, Wisconsin drum groups, Native artisans and Indigenous food to the Second Floor, and everyone is welcome. Also on the calendar: a free Kohl's Thank You Thursday with moccasin programming (Nov 5), an Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge talk (Nov 14, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., free with admission) and a free virtual NAGPRA lecture (Nov 18, 6–7:30 p.m.).

When

Nov 1–30, 2026; powwow Saturday, Nov 21, 2026

Hours

Powwow noon–7 p.m. (doors 10:30 a.m.); only the Second Floor stays open until 7 p.m.

Price

Powwow included with general admission; Wisconsin Tribal members free all November

MPM Exposed: Exhibits Revealed is a one-hour guided tour of behind-the-scenes stories, from Streets of Old Milwaukee to Carl Akeley's Muskrat Family Group. Science on Tap features the Oneida Bird Monitoring Program, and Family Mystery at MPM — an all-ages clue hunt through the exhibit halls for groups of 2–10 — is billed as the final one before the museum closes. No sleepovers or other adult nights beyond Streets Alive! at NIGHT are listed.

Hours

MPM Exposed: Thu Nov 12, 5:30 and 6:45 p.m.; Science on Tap: Thu Nov 19, 6 p.m. social, 7 p.m. lecture; Family Mystery: Sat Dec 5, 6–8:30 p.m. (doors 5:45); Member Mornings Sat–Sun 9–10 a.m.

Price

MPM Exposed $10 per person; Family Mystery $15 members / $20 public; Science on Tap price not listed on the events page

MPM says most exhibits are 'just as you remember them', but notable pieces are already off display: the Torosaurus skeleton, Ice Age fossils and Silurian Reef (First Floor); the beaver, black bear, white-tailed deer, elk and mountain goat dioramas (Second Floor); the Egyptian mummified individuals and coffins, Simba the lion, the cheetah and the Living Oceans sea turtle (Third Floor); and the entire Pre-Columbian America mezzanine, which is permanently closed. The Third Floor caribou, walrus-and-polar-bear and bighorn sheep dioramas are scheduled to come out in December 2026. A Día de los Muertos ofrenda display runs Oct 12–Nov 23, 2026 (free with admission); no traveling exhibition is currently listed.

When

Caribou, walrus & polar bear, and bighorn sheep dioramas: December 2026; ofrenda display through Nov 23, 2026

Hours

Museum hours

Price

Included with admission

When it moves, Milwaukee Public Museum will become the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin, a name announced May 6, 2025 to reflect its statewide role. MPM's current membership and campaign pages say the new museum is 'opening in spring 2027' and a March 2026 update says it is 'still set to open in spring of 2027'; older pages say 'early 2027', and the Oct 1, 2026 press release says 'an official opening date … is still being determined'. MPM also warns there will likely be a brief period in 2027 when both museums are closed for the move and staff training.

When

Typically Opening: spring 2027 (exact date not announced) (2026–27 dates not yet published)

Hours

Not published

Price

Admission prices not published

The new building stands on a 2.4-acre site at the northeast corner of N. 6th St. and W. McKinley Ave. in the Haymarket neighborhood, adjacent to the Deer District and about half a mile (straight-line) north of the current museum. The complex is called the Milwaukee Museum Center and includes an attached parking structure that will also serve evening events such as Bucks games, plus a plaza, gardens and café. Ground was ceremonially broken May 7, 2024, the structure topped out at 100 feet on July 15, 2025, and MPM reports the exterior is complete with interior construction and exhibit installation under way.

When

Construction began summer 2024; exterior complete

Hours

Not open to the public

Price

—

New York-based Ennead Architects and Milwaukee's Kahler Slater designed the five-story building, with landscape by Seattle's GGN, exhibits by Thinc Design and construction by Mortenson with ALLCON. Its rounded, bluff-like form and textured, cream-colored concrete panels recall the rock formations of Mill Bluff State Park, and three entrances converge on a central commons to evoke the confluence of Milwaukee's three rivers. The color nods to Cream City brick; inside are four floors of exhibits, a skylit lightwell, a rooftop terrace and an enclosed butterfly garden.

Hours

—

Price

—

The new museum is approximately 200,000 square feet over five stories, plus a 50,000-square-foot offsite collections storage facility — smaller than the roughly 451,000-square-foot Wells Street complex. The $255 million budget covers the building, exhibits, moving the collections and an endowment. As of March 2026 MPM reported $126 million in private gifts and $86 million in public funding ($45 million from Milwaukee County, $40 million from the State of Wisconsin, $1 million from other sources), a total of $212 million; it bills the project as the largest cultural project in Wisconsin history. The museum, not the county, will own the new building.

When

Fundraising figures as of March 2026

Hours

—

Price

$255 million total project budget

Five permanent galleries are planned: Time Travel (Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic halls with dinosaurs); the Winifred & Spencer Kellogg Gallery: Wisconsin Journey (Driftless Area, Northwoods, Apostle Islands, Great Lakes, prairies); Milwaukee Revealed (an immersive city streetscape); Living in a Dynamic World (deserts, the Arctic, islands, grasslands and mountains); and the We Energies Foundation Gallery: Rainforest. The Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium and Bucyrus Rooftop Terrace sit on the roof, the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium on the first level, and two 'Nature and Culture Connector' spaces give behind-the-scenes views into collections.

Hours

—

Price

—

Exhibits are not being moved wholesale; MPM says built-in components belong to the county-owned building and that familiar elements will be reimagined. Milwaukee Revealed is described as the 'spiritual successor' to Streets of Old Milwaukee, with a working Haymarket Candy Shop, the Apothecary's bottles and cabinetry in a new Pharmacy, the penny-farthing bicycle and the Schloemer automobile. Confirmed returns elsewhere include the Hebior Mammoth, Torosaurus, T. rex and Silurian Reef (Time Travel); the bison and beaver diorama (Wisconsin Journey); Timba the elephant, Simba the lion, the reindeer and a rattlesnake button (Living in a Dynamic World); and a new rooftop Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium and Soref Planetarium. MPM has not published a walk-through successor to the European Village.

Hours

—

Price

—

MPM's collections — more than 4 million objects and specimens, owned by Milwaukee County — are being prepped, packed and moved to the new building or to the 50,000-square-foot offsite storage facility. The first exhibit piece, a 20-foot replica Haida canoe, was craned through a fourth-floor window of the new museum on March 27, 2026; more items follow toward the end of 2026 and in early 2027. MPM says the vast majority of object deinstallations will happen after the last day of operation on Jan 3, 2027.

When

Packing under way; most deinstallation after Jan 3, 2027

Hours

—

Price

Included in the $255 million project budget

Milwaukee County owns the Wells Street building, which carries roughly $100 million in deferred maintenance, and MPM will vacate it after the move. In August 2026 the county sought developers for the 3.7-acre site, open to complete demolition, partial demolition or adaptive reuse and encouraging high-density housing; county consultants had recommended demolition and estimated the site could hold up to 555 housing units. Surplus props and fixtures not moving with MPM are being offered first to county departments, other museums and nonprofits, with a public auction to follow on a schedule not yet determined.

When

Typically County RFP issued August 2026; proposals due Oct 12, 2026; no developer selection published as of Nov 4, 2026 (2026–27 dates not yet published)

Hours

—

Price

Demolition estimated at $12.6–$13.6 million (county consultants)

Directly across Wells Street from MPM (the accessible entrance is at 813 W. Wells), the 1898 Central Library is where the museum itself lived before the current building opened in the 1960s. The domed rotunda and mosaic floors are worth a look on their own.

Hours

Mon–Tue 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Wed–Fri 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Nov 26–27, 2026 for Thanksgiving.

Price

Free

If Streets of Old Milwaukee leaves you wanting more local history, the county's Historical Center is a little over a third of a mile east of MPM. It is closed on Thanksgiving, the Friday after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Hours

Mon and Wed–Sat 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Tue and Sun. Often closes at 2 p.m. Fri/Sat for private events (early closings posted for Nov 6, 7, 13, 14 and 21, 2026).

Price

Daily visitor $8; seniors 62+, military, ages 13–18 and full-time students $6; 12 and under free; Museums for All accepted

With MPM's café open only 11 a.m.–2 p.m., this food hall in The Avenue is the easy before-or-after meal: more than 20 food vendors, a self-serve wall of Wisconsin-made beer and games including Topgolf Swing Suites. It is about four-tenths of a mile east along Wisconsin Avenue.

Hours

Food hall Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–7 p.m. (vendor hours vary)

Price

Free entry; pay per vendor

The Bucks' arena and its plaza of bars and restaurants are about a third of a mile northeast of MPM — and roughly two-tenths of a mile from the new Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin site at 6th and McKinley, which MPM describes as adjacent to the Deer District. Walking from Wells Street up to the Deer District and on to the new building is the simplest way to see where the museum is headed.

Hours

Plaza open daily; arena hours by event

Price

Free to walk the plaza; events ticketed

Marquette's art museum is free and open to the public, about four-tenths of a mile southwest of MPM on the university campus. Its exhibitions and programs are free unless otherwise noted — a calm, art-focused counterpoint to MPM's dioramas.

Hours

Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and some university holidays

Price

Free

After the European Village, a German dinner is the natural follow-up: Mader's bills itself as 'Authentic Bavarian German Cuisine' and sits on Old World Third Street, about four-tenths of a mile northeast of the museum. Its own site still uses the Old World 3rd St. address; maps list the same block as N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Hours

Mon–Thu 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sun 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

Price

Menu prices not listed here

The Streets of Old Milwaukee touches on how the city became a beer capital; about a third of a mile north, Best Place occupies part of the historic Pabst Brewery complex, with taverns, a café, a gift shop and bookable beer history tours.

Hours

Gift shop & tavern: Mon, Thu, Fri, Sun 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Tue noon–2:30 p.m.; Sat 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Café: Mon–Thu 7 a.m.–3 p.m., Fri–Sat 7 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Price

Tour prices not listed here

Is the Milwaukee Public Museum closing?

The building is closing, not the institution. The museum at 800 W. Wells St. closes after Sunday, Jan 3, 2027, and Milwaukee Public Museum moves to a new building at 6th and McKinley, where it will reopen in 2027 under a new name, the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. MPM says there will likely be a brief period when both buildings are closed during the move.

When does the Milwaukee Public Museum close?

The last day of operation on Wells Street is Sunday, January 3, 2027, according to MPM's own announcement and website. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; no special final-day hours or ceremony have been published. (One news report gave Jan. 4, 2027 as the 'official' closing date — that is the first day it is shut.)

When does the new Milwaukee museum open?

No exact date has been announced. MPM's membership and campaign pages say the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin is 'opening in spring 2027'; older pages say 'early 2027', and the museum's Oct. 1, 2026 press release says an official opening date 'is still being determined'.

What is the new Milwaukee Public Museum called?

The Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. The name was announced on May 6, 2025 and takes effect when the new building opens at the corner of N. 6th St. and W. McKinley Ave. (1310 N. 6th St.) in the Haymarket neighborhood next to the Deer District. The overall complex is called the Milwaukee Museum Center.

How much are Milwaukee Public Museum tickets?

General admission is $25 for adults 18–64, $24 for teens 14–17, $21 for seniors 65+, $19 for youth 4–13 and $21 for military and college students; members and children 3 and under are free. Milwaukee County residents get $2 off. Admission includes one Planetarium program; Dome Theater giant films are $6 extra ($5 for members).

Is the Milwaukee Public Museum free?

Not normally, but it is free for everyone on Kohl's Thank You Thursdays. Two remain: Thursday, Nov 5, 2026 and Thursday, Dec 3, 2026, which is the final one; reserve up to seven days ahead because walk-ups are not guaranteed. Members and children 3 and under are always free, Museums for All (EBT) admission is $3, Wisconsin Tribal members are free throughout November 2026, and the Ground Floor Hebior Mammoth can be seen without a ticket.

What are the Milwaukee Public Museum hours?

Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26, 2026) and Christmas Day and closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Members can enter an hour early, at 9 a.m., on Saturdays and Sundays.

Where do I park at the Milwaukee Public Museum?

Use the MacArthur Square parking structure next to the museum, entered from N. James Lovell St. (7th St.); it has a Ground-level entrance straight into the museum. MPM members pay a $5 flat rate with validation at Member Services; MPM does not publish the public rate. Metered street parking is also available and is free on Sundays.

Will the Streets of Old Milwaukee move to the new museum?

Not as it is. MPM says built-in exhibits cannot be moved intact, so the new museum will have a new walk-through streetscape gallery called Milwaukee Revealed, described as the 'spiritual successor' to the Streets. It will include a working Haymarket Candy Shop, the Apothecary's bottles and cabinetry, the penny-farthing bicycle and the Schloemer automobile. MPM has not published a comparable successor to the European Village.

How long does it take to go through the Milwaukee Public Museum?

MPM does not publish a recommended time, and visits are not time-limited. There are three exhibit floors with more than 150,000 square feet of exhibits, plus 23-minute Planetarium programs and 45-minute giant films. As a planning estimate rather than an official figure, allow about half a day to see all three floors and a dome show.

Is the butterfly garden still open?

Yes. The Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium on the First Floor is open and included with admission; MPM has announced no early closing date for it. Only the adjacent Butterflies Alive! play area has been permanently closed. A new rooftop Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium is planned for the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.

Is the planetarium still open?

Yes. The Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium is running Planetarium Palooza — a rotating lineup of its 20 greatest shows — every open day from Nov 1, 2026 through the final day, Jan 3, 2027. One Planetarium program is included with admission (first come, first served); giant films cost $6, or $5 for members.