The Milwaukee Public Museum‘s last day of operation in its current location will be Jan. 3, 2027.
In 2027, MPM will re-open in a newly constructed building (1310 N. 6th St.) as the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
On Tuesday, MPM announced that the current museum (800 W. Wells St.) will host a series of “Greatest Hits” events throughout 2026, celebrating some of the most beloved exhibits in the Wells Street location.
That will include theme days, after-hours events, lectures, new merchandise and more, to be announced in the months to come. The Greatest Hits themes will be on the following schedule:
- Ancient Civilizations: Jan. 10-Feb. 14
- Diorama-RAMA: March 14-April 17
- Rainforest & Butterflies: May 7-June 6
- Dino Days of Summer: July 11-Aug. 6
- Streets of Old Milwaukee & European Village: October-December
“We are thrilled to be able to remain open for all of 2026 and give MPM fans near and far an entire year yet to make memories in the current building,” said Ellen Censky, the museum’s president and CEO. “This next year promises to be the most exciting and worthwhile time to become a member, as we pack in as many unique experiences as possible for visitors during this Museum location’s final farewell.”
The museum has not yet determined the opening date for its new location, and the building remains under construction. The move is set to cost a total of $240 million, including the purchase of the land, the relocation of MPM collections, construction and design and a $20 million endowment for the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
MPM’s pending name change emphasizes its statewide reach. “While most of our visitors were initially from Milwaukee when we were chartered by the state in 1882, more than 140 years later, our reach has expanded across all of Wisconsin,” the museum wrote in its explanation of the change. “We are truly a statewide institution with the good fortune of being located in Milwaukee.”
The cost is currently offset by $86 million in public funding from both the state and county. The museum has raised $105 million in private funding so far, according to its capital campaign site, with a goal of $150 million to meet its total cost.
