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Milwaukee Public Museum, Future Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum aims to inspire curiosity, excite minds and foster a greater appreciation for the world's diverse heritage
Located at the edge of Milwaukee’s urban center and near the newly re-invigorated entertainment district, the Future Museum is poised to create a flurry of activity, attracting a wide range of visitors with dynamic interior spaces and landscaped outdoor spaces that invite people to explore the diverse natural and cultural history of Wisconsin.
Influenced by the ecological histories of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, both formed by the movements of water through time, the museum’s design takes ques from the geological formations at Mill Bluff State Park and the experiential qualities that their exploration holds. The building image, the choreography of its spaces, its exhibits and its landscape all work together in concert to leave one lasting impression —the curiosity and excitement that is Wisconsin’s natural landscapes, its cultures, and the awe and wonder that they invoke.
At the heart of the vision for the Future Museum is a desire to explore the intersections of nature and culture and to showcase their renown collections containing over 4 million specimens, which range from the Natural (Botany, Zoology, and Geology) to the Cultural (Regional, Indigenous, Euro-American History and Technology).
The Museum Commons, located at ground level and visible from the exterior, serves as a vibrant, welcoming community space where the three main entrances converge, creating a distinctive civic destination. In concert with the museum’s gardens, this pre-ticket experience creates a welcoming entry which is inviting for all to explore.
On its roof, permanent exhibit galleries open onto a generous rooftop terrace with dramatic views over the Milwaukee Skyline. Envisioned as both an interpretive garden and outdoor classroom, the rooftop terrace also acts as a destination event space that can be utilized well into the shoulder seasons.
Details
- Year
- 2026
- Location
- Milwaukee, WI
- Size
- 190,000 GSF
- Program
- Exhibit Space (including permanent and changing galleries of multi-sensory exhibits), Offices, Lab Space, Classrooms and Flex Space, Planetarium, Vivarium (butterfly wing), Café, Collections Storage, Collections Management and Research Spaces, Above Ground Parking Structure
Team
- Ennead Design Team
- Jarrett Pelletier, Don Weinreich, Todd Schliemann, Marissa Sweig Trigger, Yumeng An, Trisha Awasthi, Anders Evenson, Elodie Graham, Tinglan Guo, Kevin Krudwig, Kathleen Kulpa, Apexa Patel
- Architect of Record
- Kahler Slater
- Exhibit Design
- Thinc Design
- Landscape Architect
- GGN
Press
- 2024
- "Milwaukee Public Museum kicks off construction of new museum" (Milwaukee Business Journal)
- "Milwaukee Public Museum ceremonial groundbreaking; set to open in 2027" (Fox 6 Milwaukee)
- "Milwaukee Public Museum ceremonial groundbreaking; set to open in 2027" (Yahoo!)
- "Milwaukee Public Museum holds ceremonial groundbreaking for future museum project" (Biz TImes)
- "Ceremonial groundbreaking held for future Milwaukee Public Museum" (WDJT Milwaukee)
- "Ground broken on Milwaukee Public Museum’s new building in Wisconsin" (World Construction Network)
- "Leaders break ground on MPM’s future home" (Spectrum News 1)
- "MPM Holds Groundbreaking for $240 Million Museum " (Urban Milwaukee)
- "Milwaukee Public Museum breaks ground, slated for 2027 end" (The Daily Reporter)
- "Milwaukee Public Museum hosts ceremonial groundbreaking for Future Museum" (On Milwaukee)
- "Milwaukee Public Museum hosts groundbreaking for new location" (WKOW Milwaukee)