In case you missed it, you have just under one (1) year to enjoy the Milwaukee Public Museum as you know it. MPM will officially close January 3, 2027, making way for the new Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. The new museum, currently under construction near the Deer District, will open sometime in 2027. Feel free to argue about the museum(s) NOW.
Done? Great. So where will everything go? What will MPM take to the new museum and what will it leave behind? Will the new galleries and exhibits (including Milwaukee Revealed, a.k.a. the “spiritual successor” to the Streets of Old Milwaukee) feature entirely old stuff, entirely new stuff, or a mix of stuff? Sure, the feathered dromaeosaurid from the “Tyrannosaurus rex taking a chomp out of a triceratops” exhibit is making the move, but, well, what about the Tyrannosaurus rex taking a chomp out of a triceratops?
And, most importantly, if MPM doesn’t want something, could we, the unwashed public, get a chance to buy it at auction?
Good questions! MPM hasn’t released a master list of every single item it will port over to the new museum, but it has been fairly clear about what will happen to the items it may not want. Look no further than the previously released “Plan for Disposition of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Surplus Personal Property and Milwaukee County fixtures”!
First, some clarifications. MPM will retain everything in its accessioned collections. These collections “are the items and specimens that have been collected or donated to the museum, which are used for research and/or put on display for the education and enjoyment of visitors,” MPM explains in a FAQ. “MPM has more than 4 million items in its collections, and they are owned by Milwaukee County. These items will be moved to the new museum building or to offsite storage.”
Then there are the non-collection items. These items include “fake plants, mannequins, painted backgrounds, built-in storefronts, and many more examples that have been created to put the collections items into context for visitors.” Also, “scenery, lighting, building facades, and mounts.” These items are owned by MPM, and these are the items that fall under the “Plan for Disposition.”
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So let’s take a look at that plan. It includes five (5) ways non-collection items could be repurposed before being offered to the public. The plan is reprinted in full below. (A timeline for everything is expected “in the first quarter of 2026.”)
1. Repurposed by MPM
2. Milwaukee County Departments (Zoo, Mitchell Park Domes, etc.)
• County agencies will receive the first opportunity to claim surplus items.
• A dedicated walkthrough period will be scheduled for departments to identify and tag items.
• Departments are responsible for coordinating removal within a prescribed timeline.
• Cost of moving paid by Milwaukee County.
3. Museums and Tribes
• Following County selection, peer institutions will be invited to review, claim, and purchase items for reuse.
• Includes institutions such as Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, Tribal Museums, America’s Black Holocaust Museum, and others.
4. Nonprofit Organizations and Educational Institutions
• Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations, educational institutions and tribes may request access to surplus property.
• MPM may ask organizations to submit a brief expression of interest to participate.
5. Exhibit Fabrication / Traveling Exhibit Production Companies
6. Public Offering
• Remaining personal property of MPM will be sold via public auction, online platform, sealed bid, or other public process.
• Milwaukee County may offer fixtures by public auction, online platform, through a Request for Proposals, or other public process.
• Public notice of sale details will be posted broadly and in compliance with any applicable rules.
7. Final Disposal
• Items not transferred through the above phases will be removed and discarded appropriately
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