MILWAUKEE — Leaders and supporters broke ground for Milwaukee Public Museum’s future home at the Trade Hotel Tuesday afternoon after rain moved the event indoors.
The new museum will be located at the corner of West McKinley Avenue and North Sixth Street, adjacent to the Deer District. Construction is expected to begin in June on the $240 million project with a slated opening for 2027.
“As we break ground on the largest cultural project in Wisconsin history, we celebrate the expertise and generosity of all those who have brought us where we are today and the people for whom we are building the Future Museum,” said MPM President and CEO Dr. Ellen Censky. “It is wonderful to know that all the hard work and support for the Future Museum will enable future generations to find knowledge, joy, awe and wonder in it to last a lifetime.”
It’s being designed by the architecture team Ennead Architects and Kahler Slater. The 200,000-square-foot space will have five levels, complete with a commons area on the first floor and four upper levels with exhibit space.
There will be five permanent galleries in the museum, including Time Travel, Winifred & Spencer Kellogg Gallery: Wisconsin Journey, Milwaukee Revealed, Living in a Dynamic World and the We Energies Foundation Gallery: Rainforest. It will also have a planetarium, a butterfly vivarium and two gardens.
“As Wisconsin’s natural history museum, the Milwaukee Public Museum is an incredibly important educational and cultural institution, and we’re so excited to celebrate this next chapter in its history,” said Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said they are both excited about the opportunities this new space will offer the community.
“This project will showcase Milwaukee’s rich cultural history, and this museum will serve as an advanced hub for education and community engagement. Together, we’re sculpting a brighter future for our children and our children’s children. I can’t wait to walk down the streetscape in the Milwaukee Revealed gallery,” said Johnson.
