MILWAUKEE — Madeline Anderson knows the Streets of Old Milwaukee is a fan favorite exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

What You Need To Know

  • The Milwaukee Public Museum is moving to a new location in 2026

  • It's a long process to build the new museum, and move exhibits and artifacts to the new location

  • A recent statement from the museum that “entire exhibits won’t be moving over” created speculation on social media about fan favorite exhibits, like the Streets of Old Milwaukee

  • The museum said there are some aspects that can't be moved, but it is working to make sure the immersive, walk-through diorama is a part of the new location

“This is one of our most beloved exhibits, and it was also the first of its kind I believe, or one of the first of its kind in the world to have this walkthrough exhibit as opposed to just looking at an exhibit from behind glass or some kind of railing,” Anderson said. 

The exhibit has a lot of history on display from the turn of the 20th century. It’s almost like stepping into a time machine.

“For example, this is the old Pfister Hotel, and the doors were actually the original doors from the real hotel,” Anderson said while giving a tour. “Then over here is Granny’s house. She’s a staple of the streets. In the non-winter months, Granny is usually on her front porch, but in the winter, because of course it’s cold in Milwaukee, she moves inside to her parlor. You can see her there.”

It’s an exhibit Anderson said Milwaukeeans and visitors alike enjoy because of how unique it is. 

A lot of the structures along the Streets of Old Milwaukee are built into the current museum building. That creates a bit of a problem for the museum — which is moving to a new building on N. 6th St. and W. McKinley Ave at the end of 2026.

“It will be a new building and we cannot bring over all of these smaller scale businesses and homes exactly as is,” Anderson said. 

That doesn’t mean the exhibit is going to disappear. 

The museum couldn’t share specific details, but Anderson said a similar exhibit will exist in the new museum with a different name. 

“This feel, this immersive feel and the walkthrough diorama, that will be carried over to the museum and it will explore Milwaukee’s history, Milwaukee’s culture, Milwaukee’s nature,” Anderson said. “It will be very immersive, and you’ll be able to walk through it just like you can with the Streets of Old Milwaukee.”

Anderson said the museum plans to announce more detailed plans on exhibits and galleries at the new museum this spring, and wants to assure fans that even with changes, the new location will incorporate nostalgia in what they call a “refreshed space.” 

The museum is also encouraging the public to follow their social media accounts and check their website for updates on all exhibit news at the current and future locations.