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Milwaukee Public Museum
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
800 W Wells StMilwaukee, WI 53233
Neighborhoods: Westown, Downtown
(414) 278-2702
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm
Sat 9 am - 5:30 pm
Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
29 reviews for Milwaukee Public Museum
Review Highlights
"The most memorable diorama is of a life-sized T."
(in 3 reviews)
"...got Grandmas House, the candy store and the sometimes open..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The dioramas of this museum fill my little heart with joy."
(in 6 reviews)
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Kyle H.
Cleopatra, Cleopatra, wherefore art thou? You're right here in Milwaukee! (through April 29, 2012) What a well-done exhibit on the Last Queen of Egypt! In January, adult admission for the Cleopatra and Museum entrance is just $20.12, including parking. And it was so worth it.
Each entry comes with a complimentary and well done audio tour. My son and I learned about Cleopatra's lineage (Greek!), the underwater archeological excavation of many of the exhibit's treasures and sculptures, and her life and times.
Cleopatra was one smart dame! She knew several languages, and was the first ruler of Egypt to learn the native tongue of her subjects! Her beauty and her wiles, are well-documented as well in movies (Vivian Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor), but her manipulation of powerful men was no harlot's game: she used her beauty and intelligence to try to gain influence in Rome for her family, and her country.
After Cleopatra, we wandered through the taxidermied animals and birds- there's a lot to see and read! This area of the museum could really use an overhaul. Informational touch screens, and media are sorely needed to capture the attention of today's media-addicted families! Who's got the deep pockets, Milwaukee?! Give it up!
The normal museum is about 4-stars, but they keep hitting it out of the park with their special exhibits. 5-star bump!Listed in: Milwaukee, the Good Land
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/21/2010
I grew up coming to this Museum and being fascinated by the Native American dioramas that seemed to… Read more »
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Review from abigail b.
Seattle, WA
1/18/2012
i worked here for a little while. i can't tell you how many hours i have spent on my phone next to those stuffed beavers (which sounds gross, i guess).
there's a picture of me and my sister in the photo booth at mpm when i was three or four years old. we've moved 15+ times since then, and i ended up working there. i guess i have a lot of nostalgia for it all.
the people are incredible and will go far, far out of their way to make sure you have a nice time. all of the exhibits are well taken care of and managed; however, if you think you're the first person to get grabby in the european village -- you're not.
the butterfly exhibit is the best i have ever been to. we have a butterfly exhibit at my city's museum and they all seem pretty miserable (the butterflies and the employees). there's an insane amount of them in there and a lot of different kinds, unlike most butterfly exhibits where you might see one gimpy monarch flutter by every ten minutes or so. make sure to check out the bugs, too.
the middle of the week during the day is the best time to go, especially for the special exhibits. avoid mondays and saturdays if you don't enjoy sharing space with jogging strollers. don't bother eating there. it's not worth it. -
Review from Tony K.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
The MPM is a Milwaukee Gem.
In the past few years they really have been bringing in some top notch exhibits - for example: Body Worlds, Titanic, Dead Sea Scrolls, Mummies, Frogs and Cleopatra (all of which I've attended). Most recent has been Cleopatra - and I've gotta say I think it's my hands down favorite. From the quality of the artifacts to the overall design and presentation this was stellar.
For the overall museum:
The staff is super friendly. You get a sense of pride from each of them.. and it's pretty nifty.
The exhibits are clean, relevant, and interesting. I always HAVE to check out Butterlies! What's that? I have a monarch on my head??!! SWEET - Take a picture, STAT!
The Humphrey Imax has some really great documentaries and even mainstream movies from time to time. Check it out.
I am now going on my 4th year as a member and am so proud to say so.Listed in: #yelp100MKE
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Review from Kari G.
Milwaukee, WI
11/27/2011
I really wanted to see the Cleopatra Exhibit at the Museum, so I suckered my husband into going..trickery at its finest. Since it is Thanksgiving weekend, and I am sure other families had the same bright idea, we were not able to find much street parking on a Saturday morning. We ended up parking in MacArthur Square parking structure and walking the few feet over to the museum.
We go in the Museum and the place is buzzing! There were a lot of people there. We get in line and purchase the tickets to Cleopatra...$30 per person. I was wishing that either we were both students or senior citizens because really that is a lot of money. We walk up to the exhibit area and wait in line and we were handed our narration wands. Once you enter, you see a short video then commence on your walk through the exhibit.
Here is the thing that bothered my husband and I. None of these artifacts have been proved to be linked to Cleopatra. The only thing that can be proved is that these items existed around the time she was alive. So with that being said, they are still searching for anything remotely related to Cleopatra, including her tomb. The exhibit should be renamed Egypt..just my opinion.
After we left the exhibit, we had more fun walking around looking at the exhibits we remember from our childhood, especially Old Milwaukee and the all important candy store! We also went into the butterfly room which neither of had been to since that area opened.
I am sure we will be back to go the IMAX, or another exhibit that interests us both. -
Review from C G.
Palatine, IL
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
What I like about this museum is that it is compact enough that it is easy to manage with my 4 and 5 year old children. I love streets of old Milwaukee. The other exhibits are all very nice. The museum is a bit dated but still nice. Great for little kids!
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Review from Joanna T.
Top 10 Reasons MPM is Awesome:
1. Hosts Food & Froth. If you haven't done this event, you should. If you have, you know what I'm talking about.
2. Streets if Old Milwaukee - natch. You've got Grandmas House, the candy store and the sometimes open theater.
3. The slightly voyeuristic thrill of peeking in houses in the European Village (along with the incredibly outdated concept of what a European house might look like)
4. The Rattlesnake button - oh yeah!
5.On the 2nd floor there is a diorama detailing the fur trade entitled "the quest for beaver"....my inner 12 year old boy is still snickering
6. The igloo!!
7. The cheesy dinosaur area, complete with sound effects that sometimes work.
8. On floor 3, there is a diorama of a girl with a lot of "back" - leading to fun photo ops.
9. Sticking your head in the skull rack on the 3rd floor for pictures
10. The fact that almost nothing has changed since I was a kid (except my maturity level which has NOT improved). I guess you can go home again.Listed in: Time Capsules
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Review from Anna W.
1/14/2011
This is really one of the better public museums I've ever been to.
I come here at least once a semester, usually on Mondays because that's the Milwaukee resident free day. I somehow always manage to find something new I have never seen before.
By far the best, and most fun, exhibit is the butterfly room. I also love the South American exhibit.
This museum is really great for Milwaukee and I can honestly say I have learned a lot from my multiple visits. The museum does a great job of making each exhibit educational without making you have to sit and read at each station. -
Review from Ed B.
Redwood City, CA
8/27/2011 2 photos
It has excellent exhibit, just as nice as the larger field museum in Chicago
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Review from Cathaleya C.
Naperville, IL
12/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
A great compass of natural history... until you get to the China exhibit. You can find those plates and furniture at your nearest Chinatown. As a matter of fact, I have some of those plates (and I might know a couple older relatives with the same furniture). To me they are junk. The only exhibit missing in this part is the battery-operated white cat with the waving arm.
Also, the Thailand exhibit... I believe my father has several of the same stone Buddhas sitting in in his bedroom. I didn't learn much there.
The butterfly room was interesting. There were some very beautiful ones of all sizes. My one-year old watched me as I freaked out to those critters hovering over us.
Overall, GREAT displays. Lots to learn. It could take about two hours to walk the entire place. -
Review from Nicole L.
Glendale Heights, IL
Updated - 12/19/2010 4 photos
I would have given the museum five stars today if it hadn't been for the fact that the IMAX projector broke down right before our film was starting and they couldn't get it fixed right away so we were unable to see the film.
The special frogs exhibit was cool, though.
I like this museum because it's not nearly as crowded as the museums in Chicago so it's a much more relaxing visit. I suggest parking close to the door and then leaving your coats in the car. Even on a freezing cold day like today it wasn't bad since we were in the very warm museum quickly. I'm always cold but I noticed they keep the museum quite warm, so don't bundle up too much!Listed in: Museums & Planetariums
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/14/2010
I like this museum. It reminds me of a cross between the Museum of Science & Industry and the Field… Read more »
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Review from Erika G.
7/29/2008
My Dad built this museum.
He was the Art Director from 1954-1984, ran the art department - in charge of all dioramas, graphics, special exhibits and displays. I literally GREW UP in this museum. As a college student, I worked at the sales counter. There are initials carved on a fence in the Streets of Old Milwaukee - ELG + JJG - me and my brother.
Some of the exhibits my father designed are the Streets of Old Milwaukee, the European Village, the Living Oceans, Africa, the Guatemalan Market, Old Delhi, South America, China, the Japanese House - and many more. He invented the "open air" style of diorama (like the Africa exhibit) where you sort of "walk thru" the exhibit as if you are in a habitat - rather than rows of boring display cases. Many other museums around the country now use this style.
I used to go to work with him when I was a kid, and got to arrange the artifacts in some of the exhibits - my arrangements are still in place today.
Good for kids?! A paradise for kids! My lifelong love of travel started HERE.Listed in: Museums
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Review from Nicholas B.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2009
It does not matter what else is in this place; the life size T-Rex devouring a Triceratops with all of the Triceraguts splattered on the ground for all of the children to see, or the deal with the Serbian mannequins, or that igloo, or any of that. Those all rule and all, but there's only on real reason people visit this place.
The Rattlesnake Button*. The glorious Rattlesnake Button. God bless the Rattlesnake Button.
*DISCLAIMER: Rattlesnake Button only cool if under the age of 6 or nostalgic about being under the age of 6 -
Review from Mike P.
Broadview Heights, OH
12/20/2009
This sounds like one of those boring, stuffy, better learn something or else places.
But its not!
Milwaukee Public Museum is a combination of natural history, local history, local and world cultures topics. Its a place where you can see dinosaur bones, what people around the world do and wear, learn about nature, step into the past, and see an amazing tribute to the American Indian.
The displays are tastefully set up in an easy to find and organized way where the experience of 'being there' teaches you more than the written notes and comments. They are so eye pleasing and fun to look at that before you know it so much time has passed and its time to go home, or where ever else you have to be.
I have several favorite exhibits. The Streets of Old Milwaukee is where you step in and walk around what Milwaukee looked like in the late 1800's. The cobblestone streets and realistic looking buildings were amazing! Watch for the appropriate candy store where you can buy something for your sweet tooth!
They have a butterfly garden with hundreds of live butterflies. They let you try to perch one on your finger. I had one butterfly actually land on my finger when I stuck it out in the air. This is a fun exhibit! Love it!
The Rainforest is a two story exhibit which is all about the Costa Rican rain forest. Two stories because on the second level you get to see the tops of the very tall trees. Fun, interesting and noisy!
Wisconsin Woodlands and Wisconsin Archaeology made me feel as if I were in the middle of the Wisconsin wilderness. You'll come out and say it was a fun way to learn about the state!
They have a cafe on the main floor, though I didn't buy any coffee. I will say the cafe and dining areas were clean.
Whoever put together this museum certainly put in a lot of time, energy and money to make it the place it is. Certainly not your Dad's nor Grandpa's museum.
A word of advice about parking- look for the entrance to the indoor parking lot on James Lovell Street. The entrance to the museum is inside the parking garage, too. -
Review from Laura F.
9/15/2006
Financial troubles aside, the Milwaukee Public Museum was an exciting place for me to go as a kid. I haven't been there in a while, but considering my fascination with immigration, I think I need to revisit the Streets of Old Milwaukee. I loved that place when I was a kid!
I agree with the other post-ers, it's a unique museum that incorporates a lot of hands-on exhibits and does a good job of incorporating local topics into its exhibits. -
Review from Rachel H.
2/18/2009
My daddy used to bring us here all the time. I know every exhibit by heart from the sausages in the meat shop of Streets of Old Milwaukee, to the roars of the T. Rex, to the bat guano of the rainforest. The dioramas of this museum fill my little heart with joy. If I could get married in the igloo, I would.
I don't even know what to say, but the 100+ photos I took of all my favorite taxidermied animals and carefully molded Native Americans will do the talking for me.
Milwaukee Museum, please don't ever change.Listed in: Wisconsin, More Cheeseheads…
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Review from Jen Y.
Milwaukee, WI
4/15/2008
The Milwaukee Public Museum is a great way to spend the day. It's cool to go see the big bison, dinosaurs and other artifacts. The streets of Old Milwaukee is so cute. I never get tired of looking in those windows seeing what's inside each cultural home. We're also moving up and getting some excellent traveling exhibits, such as Bodyworlds.
They also have great behind the scenes tours, so watch for that. You can see them clean bones and all the other preparation for exhibits. It is kind of old and outdated but reminds you of school, just way more fun. -
Review from Kris R.
Santa Cruz, CA
3/4/2010
Diorama-rama!
This is what museums should be. It's not all slick like the Smithsonian or something, it's a collection of very strange little niches.
There are 2 main reasons to go: 1st is the mock-up of the old town streets. There are tons of authentic period pieces behind replica storefront/home windows. You really get a feel for the old-time walking through, and a sense of just how diverse it was as a port town. The 2nd is the butterfly room! I mean the one with the Live Butterflies. I've never seen it's like. It is so wonderful, really wonderful, to have all of these little butterflies flying around your head. I didn't want to leave.
Of course, there are many other things, like the section that looks like your strange, rich, globe-trotting uncle's attic, the Native American sets, the tropical rain-forest chock-fulla info...and did I mention the dioramas?
Not your average museum: This is the jewel of Milwaukee.Listed in: Emperorz of Odd
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Review from Dave S.
Milwaukee, WI
12/7/2007
An underappreciated gem. The Milwaukee Public Museum is a comprehensive natural and cultural history musuem that covers everything from paleontology, local history, geology, botany, and world cultures. I don't think most citizens of Milwaukee appreciate just what a treasure this museum is. I have been to other similar museums in larger cities and they cannot compare to the breadth and depth of this museum.
The rainforest exhibit, butterfly collection, and Streets of Old Milwaukee are great, as are the big blockbuster exhibits the museum brings through about once a year, but my personal favorite part of the musuem are the less-visited upper levels. Here you have an incredible spread of diorammas chronicaling Native American and indigenous cultures all over the world, as well as the ancient cultures of Asia and Africa. But these upper levels have a problem in presentation. Many of the interpretive displays look like they haven't been updated in 20 years. Maintenance and cleaning of the displays is lacking somewhat.
Overall, this is a great museum, but with a little elbow grease it will truly shine like the gem it is. -
Review from Heather T.
Champaign, IL
8/18/2008
This place has barely changed since I was born, and I still love it. I think that's part of its charm.
The best floor is the 'first' floor. The dinosaur area is the greatest thing ever (particularly when the sound is working for the t-rex exhibit). You move into the rainforest display, which is beautiful and interesting. Across the way, you can go into the "Streets of Old Milwaukee," which is a wonderful tribute to the yesteryears of my city. This moves into a "European Village" exhibit, which is too much fun. It's set up so that you look into people's 'houses' from each European country. Some of it is a touch creepy, like the German figurine who looks like he would've been working for the Nazis, or the children peering out of windows...but overall, it's cute and interesting.
I'm also a fan of the igloo that you can sit in, the amazing bison and Indians display, the cool Africa displays (yeah for a life sized elephant!), the interesting Asian art and artifacts, and the mountain goats who are (literally) butting heads. I hope the Ancient Egypt special exhibit isn't gone forever--I loved getting to see real mummies!
This is a very fun museum, and you can spend a lot of time here. We managed to spend 2 hours here last weekend, and we've not only been there before, but we were trying to 'go fast.' -
Review from Kendra M.
Glencoe, IL
2/27/2011
We just returned from the Mummies of the World exhibit, which was superbly done. The mixed use of actual mummies, artifacts, multi-media information stations and overall ambience makes this experience phenomenal!
I remember visiting the museum back in the 70s, and they've done an excellent job keeping original dioramas, but also updating exhibits and infusing modernity to make an overall wonderful museum day! -
Review from Renato P.
Grayslake, IL
6/21/2008
I have to say as a lifelong Chicagoan that the Field Museum can learn a few things from their Milwaukee counterpart. Truth be told , the Field outclasses the MPM but they rock the Field in it's freakshow factor. Old school wax figures dominate the landscape there as do gaudy life sized nature dioramas , both of which are right up my alley. Gotta love a life sized recreation of a T-Rex devouring a Triceratops , the Field thinks it's too cool or classy to ever do something like that. It's a decent sized place and covers the landscape of many regions from the Middle East to the Arctic complete with representations of the animals and indigenous people. The next featured event is the Titanic exhibition coming in October of 2008 , and I will surely make a return visit for that one. For a smaller city Milwaukee has a big boy museum , kudos.
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Review from Michael W.
Dubuque, IA
8/4/2006 3 photos
I went to the Public Museum primarily because I wanted to see the butterfly garden. It's fairly small, but a lot of fun for kids. I enjoyed the Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit - you can peek into the windows of various houses, each representing a different immigrant population. There's also a bug exhibit on display right now (not sure for how long) where kids can hold a spitting cockroach! The most memorable diorama is of a life-sized T. Rex munching on a poor Triceratops - plenty of guts are exposed for all to see. Not for the feint of heart!
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Review from Douglas R.
Chicago, IL
2/18/2008
While there are not too many new exhibits...this place is just kinda cool. It is inexpensive and will take the better part of a day to fully enjoy. The streets of Milwaukee exhibit will probably show up again in your dreams at some point.
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Review from Marcus S.
Chicago, IL
6/30/2008
Its like a time machine back to my childhood. Get a membership, its worth it.
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Review from Mark B.
Oregon, WI
3/5/2009
The Milwaukee Public Museum is one of those places you should visit every few years. Some stuff changes and some stays the same, but it is always interesting. The current big attraction is the Titanic exhibit. This is a must see for just about anyone except small children. See the IMAX Ghosts of the Abyss first, then go through the exhibit. Take some time to read the history of the items and people. The butterflies are always an attraction and if you like to photograph butterflies, it is easy here.
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Review from gfiddy f.
Chicago, IL
2/21/2009
Who doesn't remember the Streets of Old Milwaukee? Misleading generations of schoolchildren into believing life in the past was lived on the second story of the public museum!
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Review from sue d.
St. Charles, IL
5/9/2010
I recently spent 3 hours traveling from northern Illinois to see the Milwaukee Public Museum's exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The week before I went on line to purchase tickets, but found that since I am a member of a Chicago Field Museum, I was eligible for free entry in to the Milwaukee Public Museum. I would still have to pay the price to enter the exhibit, but entry into the museum was free. I was pleased that my membership at the Field was paying off!
I decided to travel to the museum by train, although much costlier and time consuming than by car, I figured it was my duty as a citizen of the world to travel ecologically when and where possible. I paid $7 for Metra and $44 for Amtrak tickets round trip.
I looked at maps so I could walk from the train to the Museum. I entered the Museum and went to the ticket window. I was told that I would have to pay the full price to enter the museum and the exhibit. Although they do have a reciprocal membership agreement, for this exhibit they do not honor that agreement and a visitor must pay the museum and the exhibit costs. I told them this information was not contained on their web site. They said that is our policy. Pay up the full price or you do not get in. After speaking with the manager of the ticket office and the membership office, I was left sitting in the lobby of the museum with nothing left to do but wait for my train time and travel back to Illinois without having seen what I had spent alot of time and money to see. THAT IS RIGHT- I WAS LEFT SITTING IN THE LOBBY ALONE WITH NO RECOURSE, AFTER 3 HOURS TRAVELING TO GET THERE. I have no idea if this museum has exhibits of quality becaus I was treated so poorly. BE AWARE that if you go to this museum, they are not prepared to honor any discounts, coupons or other agreements previously made. They do not care that you are from near or far, pay up the full amount, whatever arbitary amount they set or go home after a long trip for NOTHING.
SIDE NOTE: A friend of mine that recently went up to see the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit in Milwaukee and has traveled the world extensively informs me that this museum has a diorama of Jeruselem in the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit and that one of the idenitifying markers on the diorama showing the Western Wall in Jerusalem is mislocated. So much for their acuracy. I suppose they could put more time and energy making certain their exhibits are accurate, but instead they apparently spend their time figuring out ways to decieve people into visiting thinking they will be able to enter for one price and then charging them another.
I am a huge supporter of museums and have visited other museums with the same agreement and if they are not offering free admission because of a special exhibit, they place this information prominently on their web site. They told me I should have called to veify their policies, but I have been given inacurrate information over the phone when calling and then when I arrive, I have nothing in writting, so what is the point, although I guess for them the point is that they can then say you don't have it in writting, so too bad. I thought museums were orgaizations set on presenting facts to people who visit, but there were no facts presented for me to make an informed visit to their facility about the true cost I would be required to pay. On the contrary, their only nformation concerning this issue was on their Members page, which I did not look at since I am not a memeber of their museum. The information said that each museum can chose their own policies, that is not really much information to go on anyway, is it? This museum is deceptive and arbitary. I will not visit again. Thanks for NOTHING Milwaukee Public Museum. -
Review from Jay W.
Northeast, IL
12/30/2010
My wife and I went the MPM the week between Christmas and New Years. She's never been there before, and I haven't been there for many years. The museum is fun, interesting and lots to see. Now it's nowhere near as big as Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, can't touch it for breadth of collections and vastness of the campus, but nevertheless they do have a respectable depth of collections. The American Indian collections, awesome. Tons of artifacts related to American history, the frontier and expansion. It's a definite must-see Milwaukee attraction. Here's the biggest tip: NEVER go when the kids are off school, the place was completely packed on a Thursday. 45 minute wait to buy tickets. At first I was annoyed by the crowd and even considered leaving w/o going in, but the staff was so incredibly friendly we stuck it out and everything went fine. Everyone was helpful and accomodating - BUT they should have had more people selling tickets and they would have needed fewer to walk around and console people stuck in the long lines. It's worth mentioning that some of the museum is really starting to show its age. Not a huge museum but if you want to cover all the exhibits thoroughly it'll take more than one visit.
GREAT alternative to the Chicago Museums, which we need desperately ever since Mayor Daley embarked on his campaign to handicap (if not cripple) the businesses and public institutions of Chicago by jacking up all the parking and fees for everything. -
Review from Tonya C.
9/15/2006 2 photos
Since I had a German friend visiting, and it was a rainy day last Monday, a museum visit seemed in order. What we discovered when we got there was that Milwaukee residents get in for FREE on Mondays, and the large museum has a great exhibit for Milwaukee newcomers: The Streets of Old Milwaukee dioramas. We'd originally come for the special exhibit on Chinese Astrology, but ended up spending at least as much time oogling old-time Milwaukee houses and businesses. Since I'm new to Milwaukee myself, I really appreciated the background, and it put our walking tour of the Third Ward into a different perspective. The really neat thing about this museum is that it focuses so much on hands-on interaction. Having gone to high school in the DC suburbs and explored most of the Smithsonian museums over the course of those years, I have to say I appreciated the attitude of the Milwaukee Museum in allowing its visitors to DO something with what they were learning. Given the great deal to Milwaukee residents, I know I'll be going back--and especially when they open the planetarium in November.
