MILWAUKEE — The basement of the Milwaukee Public Museum holds millions of years of history. 

In oak drawers sit fossils dating back centuries. 

“What these show is what Milwaukee County, what existed in Milwaukee County 425 million years ago,” said President and CEO Ellen Censky. “This is the best evidence of Silurian reef fossils in the world.”

Hundreds of millions of years of fossilized history that is unable to be replaced are one pipe burst away from being destroyed. 

The basement of the current museum holds exposed storm and waste water drain pipes. 

“If it were to fail, it would flood this entire basement and flood not just with rain water, but also with waste water,” Censky said. 

The museum has already dealt with flooding in the basement. 

Bottoms of several cabinets have water damage, there are stalactites growing from the ceiling, and in another room in the basement, they’ve had to hang buckets, cover everything in plastic, and even rig a drainage system to keep kitchen water from dripping through a crack. 

“Our maintenance team has what I like to all, “McGyvered" this place, in that they’ve created a guttering system that is under the cracks and it channels that water, from, if it should come through, it channels it into a bucket here,” Censky explained.

Those are all reasons why Censky and the museum say a new building is necessary. 

It is expensive though, costing an estimated $240 million. 

On Monday, Milwaukee County offered to help. 

The county is putting up $45 million in bond funding, joining with the state’s $40 million.

“This morning, I’m proud to sign this legislation into law in supporting of the museum to help bring players to the table, that not only saves this county money in the long run, but helps to keep the service that enriches and entertains thousands of our children and adults every single year,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. 

The museum is also looking for $5 million in federal grants, and community fundraising efforts will soon get underway. 

The museum hopes to break ground on its new location near Fiserv Forum at the end of 2023, with an expected opening date in 2026. 

Until then, the museum still needs support and wants the public to know it is open for business.

“Continue to come here,” Censky said. "We will be open until we’re getting ready to move. So, come and visit and enjoy the exhibits that we have right now.”

And now, those visits are one step closer to continuing for generations to come.