In case you missed it, Milwaukee Public Museum‘s new natural history museum—temporarily dubbed the “Future Museum”—is currently under construction on the corner of Sixth and McKinley streets in downtown Milwaukee.
Work on the five-story museum, its attached three-story parking garage, and an outdoor plaza is on schedule for completion in late 2026. Opening is scheduled for early 2027. The current Milwaukee Public Museum will remain open throughout the process, barring a short transition period. After that, it’ll be gone forever. (GET YOUR VISITS IN NOW.)
MPM and construction company Mortenson gave a tour of the Future Museum construction site on Thursday. Crews are currently prepping the second floor of the museum for a concrete pour. Mortenson will continue prepping and pouring concrete throughout winter and into spring. Work began in summer 2024, following a spring 2024 groundbreaking ceremony.
So yeah, everything is on schedule and consistent with the past year of MPM’s messaging. Similarly, nothing has changed as to what will be inside the museum. Artifacts will make the move; full exhibits will not. The Future Museum’s future exhibits have all been previewed, however, including a Streets of Old Milwaukee successor called Milwaukee Revealed.
And yes, they’re going to have a new Snake Button. You can read our extensive MPM coverage below.
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.
RELATED ARTICLES
• Entering final years, Milwaukee Public Museum unveils new exhibit about Milwaukee Public Museum
• Whether you like it or not, they’re building a new Milwaukee Public Museum
• Herb Kohl Philanthropies gives $2 million to support Future Museum, creates Herb Kohl Education Fund
• First Milwaukee Public Museum collections packed, ready to move
• The Bartolotta Restaurants to relocate headquarters for new Milwaukee Public Museum building
• Milwaukee Public Museum previews future rainforest, butterfly vivarium, rooftop terrace
• Here are two more future Milwaukee Public Museum galleries, complete with snake button
• Demolition work on the site of Milwaukee Public Museum’s future home continues
• Here’s the “spiritual successor” to MPM’s Streets of Old Milwaukee, “Milwaukee Revealed”
• Explore the future Milwaukee Public Museum’s second gallery, “Wisconsin Journey”
• Here’s a glimpse of the future Milwaukee Public Museum’s first gallery, “Time Travel”
• Milwaukee Public Museum to share Future Museum gallery concepts, exhibit examples throughout spring
• Milwaukee Public Museum would like to clarify the whole “entire exhibits won’t be moving over” thing
• Here’s everything in Milwaukee Public Museum’s exhibit about its future home
• Milwaukee Public Museum wants YOUR input on new museum exhibits, events, more
• Milwaukee Public Museum would like to address some rumors about new Milwaukee Public Museum
• Check out new, wild renderings of new Milwaukee Public Museum
• Demolition work has begun on the future home of the Milwaukee Public Museum
• “The best job ever”: An interview with former Milwaukee Public Museum exhibit designer Emilio Bras
• We only have a few years left to enjoy the Milwaukee Public Museum
• Mandatory Milwaukee: Milwaukee Public Museum is an old-school treasure (for now)
• Milwaukee Public Museum, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum may share same (new) building
• Here’s what the new Milwaukee Public Museum might look like
• It’s time to admit that it’s (nearly) the end of the Milwaukee Public Museum as we know it
• Milwaukee Public Museum will move to a new downtown location in the next decade