When Milwaukee Public Museum‘s so-called “Future Museum” opens in early 2027 (it still doesn’t have an official name), it won’t contain the beloved Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit. Instead, it will boast an entire gallery floor dedicated to Streets’ “spiritual successor,” Milwaukee Revealed.
Rendering: Thinc Design
MPM first released information on Milwaukee Revealed on April 14, 2023. “In the Milwaukee Revealed gallery, visitors will find a charmingly familiar, immersive streetscape set at the magical hour of dusk, featuring storefronts, buildings, houses, and waterways,” MPM said at the time. “But open a door, peer through a window, or press a button to reveal hidden details, historical stories, and interactive features.”
Now, exactly two years later, MPM is offering a peek at a specific feature of Milwaukee Revealed: the Schlitz Palm Garden.
“As you may know, the Schlitz Palm Garden was a real beer hall built in Milwaukee in 1895,” explains a press release. “Future Museum visitors can walk into the Schlitz Palm Garden exhibit and explore how German and Polish migration, labor, and access to natural resources like water, wheat, and hops led to Milwaukee’s rise as a beer capital.”
Rendering: Thinc Design
“In one of the images,” continues the press release, “you’ll notice a massive bronze sculpture will be located in the middle of the space. That sculpture, the 16-foot Japanese censer, once stood in (and may have been made specifically for) the real Schlitz Palm Garden. This censer was very typical of late-19th century Japanese exports. Japanese artwork, like the Japanese censer, was very popular in America in the 1880s and the 1890s. This collection item is currently on view in MPM’s Sense of Wonder exhibit and will be on view once again in Milwaukee Revealed, as depicted in the rendering.”
Photo: Milwaukee Public Museum
And there’s more Milwaukee Day MPM/Future Museum news! Simba, the lion who once lived at MPM and who is currently on display in the Africa gallery, will find a new home in the Future Museum’s Living in a Dynamic World gallery…
Photo: Milwaukee Public Museum
Rendering: Thinc Design
…and the current museum’s giant Pteranodon model will fly over to the Future Museum’s Time Travel gallery…
Photo: Milwaukee Public Museum
Rendering: Thinc Design
As noted above, the Future Museum will open sometime in early 2027. The current MPM will close sometime in 2026. They’re already packing up and closing stuff. Get there while you still can.
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