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    Milwaukee Public Museum

    4.3 (204 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Milwaukee Public Museum Photos

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    Emily T.

    Though I didn't grow up in Milwaukee and didn't go to this museum as a child, I could easily see why people are nostalgic for this place. The museum had so many lovely exhibits and dioramas, and like many Milwaukee residents, I'm sad at the thought of so many of them not relocating to the new museum. Like, they're not taking the Streets of Old Milwaukee to the new museum?!?! BOO!! Some exhibits were closed (including one permanent closure), but it honestly didn't really affect my experience. There was still plenty to see, and I spent nearly the whole day there.

    Shakari B.

    I came here with my family for a quick getaway from the city. We came on a Sunday and there was a fairly decent crowd. I truly enjoyed all the exhibits but the one that caught my eye the most, was the Egypt exhibit. There was so much information and it was well put together. The food court has some fairly affordable options in comparison to the Field museum in Chicago. We were able to get 2 slices of pizza, a sandwich, 2 gatorades and a bratwurst for under 50 bucks. We also saw 2 short films at the theatre which the kids enjoyed. I do like how clean the museum was and that they had a butterfly wing! I would definitely like to return in the warmer months and I am excited for the new location.

    A diorama of Egyptian culture
    Jeff M.

    First time exploring all the exhibits as an adult and probably the last time before the new museum goes up. As a kid, my two favorite exhibits were the old streets of Milwaukee and the butterfly experience. I'd have to say they both still are. Except, I'd move the butterfly experience as number one over the streets of Milwaukee. Being able to watch my nieces have butterflies land on them was fun to see and they both really enjoyed it too. The old streets of Milwaukee feel... old. Like, I get it, that's the point, but I feel like some could be updated or touched up to bring more "life" to the manikin characters. Still worth walking through though! I also found more appreciation for the other exhibits that I likely walked right by as a kid. It's a solid trip to take if you have young kids eager to explore and learn.

    Mary Jo C.

    So lovely we were able to take one last stroll through The Streets of Old Milwaukee, the euopean village and mostly,watch in amazement at all of the beautiful butterflies in their environment. I have loved this museum since I was a child. The Nostalgia I felt today knowing this will soon be all gone, pulled at my heartstrings. I know a new and amazing new museum will soon be here, but, in the meantime, I am grateful for all the memories I felt today. Although some exhibits were already gone, it really didn't affect our overall experience.

    Elephant
    Karl A.

    We had a ton of fun at the museum! From the outside it looked small... was I ever surprised when we got inside!!! We wandered exhibit after exhibit for hours! From the prehistoric displays to the American history, each display was full of great info. I will say I was surprised at how many people came just to hit the secret button.... That seemed to be one of the biggest draws. We also had fun in the butterfly room. It was so fun watching them land on everyone in our group. I hope all this fun gets incorporated into the new museum. This one is well worth the visit! Plan on spending a few hours here!

    Nazia C.

    Lots of bones in this museum. There's a massive mammoth as soon as you enter the museum. There's a live tropical butterfly exhibit that you can walk through if you like to be surrounded by butterflies. The lockers on the main level were out of order so I had no choice but to pay for coat check. The guy at the ticket stand was helpful.

    Butterfly
    Wen C.

    I hate to give such a low rating. I heard that the museum is to be moved to a new location and some of the exhibits aren't going to make the move, so I hurried in. After spending an afternoon here, I can sum up the museum as being so dated that it should be preserved in a museum about museums as a relic of its time (it's recursive, I know). The museum was opened to the public in 1884, and it seems like not much has been done to keep it current or modern. Imagine dimly lit hallways with huge dioramas, without much text or explanation about what you're seeing. There's a lot of items in the museum that aren't labeled, so you have no idea what you are looking at. Also, the scant text that is there is quite outdated, potentially having been there since the museum opened. One display said that India has 17 states...well it currently has 11 more since that was written. Some displays are completely empty, with a small placard saying that it's due to the The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA). Do they use that empty space to make it somehow more educational? Nope. It was also awful to see how there was only one worker managing the butterfly wing who controlled the flow of traffic in and out. He went over the ground rules of how to treat the butterflies with respect, but with no one inside to actually make sure the rules were followed, there were plenty of people trying to catch and chase the insects. There were a lot of them dead on the ground. It's also questionable what the educational value there is as there's nothing identifying what species of insects or where they are native. Old Milwaukee was also disappointing since they had storefronts, but it could have been more educational if they researched the people who worked or owned the shops to make it have an even stronger connection to the city, rather than looking old timey for the sake of shallow entertainment. I would not return here again.

    Skull
    Noah A.

    There is 3 floors 1 dinosaurs and mid evil times, homes 2 Indian culture it half of the things were missing 3 Australia,Africa,Antarctica culture. It was hard to find the stairs. And part of it was closed.

    Jason S.

    I had to be talked into going here by my fiancée. For 2 adults, 2 kids and parking, cost was just shy of $100 and this just seemed like too much. But, it was the day after Thanksgiving and I didn't want to do Black Friday shopping and so we went. She told me she had a lot of fond memories of this place growing up going in school field trips. It sold me. Kids are ages 9 and 12 and it was honestly the perfect activity for them as the place was absolutely geared towards them and they loved everything about it. Probably the favorite of the whole family was the butterfly garden. Pretty great experience. We also loved the planetarium which was included with the day pass price. Show was on eclipses and it was great. All the natural history exhibits in the upper floors were worth the visit as was the Streets of Old Milwaukee which the kiddos loved. Honestly couldn't have been happier with the visit. Only drawback was the popcorn we got for the planetarium movie was burnt. If your family doesn't have the money to shell out for this, I saw a flyer while there that said the first Thursday of the month is free admission. I'll post more information in my pics.

    Live Butterfly exhibit.
    Matt C.

    Our family loves this museum. There's so much to do and discover. I could be here for hours and get lost in the information and exhibits that are so well put together. We can't wait to return.

    C19 10/20
    Steven T.

    My work offers free admission to local attractions and sports so a free pass for the museum was one so I stopped by. It is downtown so you have to pay for parking in a lot or get lucky and find a street meter spot, I got a street spot for $2=2 hours. The museum is 3 Levels with mostly static displays with minimal interactive displays and mostly dioramas of native animals. Lots of bones and fossils with ancient artifacts mostly. The butterfly display is live and interactive so they fly open and free as you visit the display, I didn't do it in fear of injuring one with a door opening or letting one out. The cafe has a nice all glass sun room overlooking a nice outdoor patio for the nicer days to relax and have a meal and a drink. Overall it's an interesting place to visit for an hour to leisurely walk through is about right but if you read everything you could probably spend way mote time in the place.

    New exhibit entrance
    Dawn O.

    I was one of many chaperones today for 50-3rd graders. We first started off WI stargazing in the planetarium. They were amazed & had so many questions for the program director. It was cool to see the Mke city lights & go out into the country to stargaze & view constellations. Then, onto the new exhibit, survival of the slowest. My favorite was the sloth. It was way more active than the one at the zoo. The other animals were mostly geckos, snakes & turtles. Nothing you can't see at the zoo, but the kids loved the exhibits & it was interactive. The streets of Milwaukee & riding through the decades on the trolly. It was a fun, interactive, fast, eventful day. I recommend the exhibit, but if you like the zoo better, you can see most animals there at the aquatic house.

    Arctic exhibit

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    2 years ago

    Great spot for the kids. It's basically a children's museum. Good variety. Clean. Overall a good place to spend a few hours with the kids.

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    2 years ago

    It's got everything from everywhere and more like butterflies! Kid friendly and easy to navigate

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    I've been to museums all over the world, this is by far one of the best I've ever been to.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Milwaukee Public Museum

    What day is free to Milwaukee county residents?

    Hello Eleanor, Milwaukee Country residents receive $2 off admission every day and the first Thursday of the month is free for all guests.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Milwaukee Public Museum

    He loved running through the streets of Old Milwaukee and I couldn't get him out of the cave exhibit.

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    Grohmann Museum

    Grohmann Museum

    4.9
    (47 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    What a nifty way to spend an afternoon. Provided that you're a vaguely cerebral (fair to say,…read more"nerdy") older sort, especially if you're a fella (I wouldn't recommend the place for most kids - especially not a gaggle of tween girls). All manner of The Work of Man memorialized in sculpture and painting, with a particularly nice Carl Spitzweg side gallery (worth a visit if you ever admired Norman Rockwell's "The Bookworm" - the original of which is also there, right outside the Spitzweg room - because you'll find its inspiration). Oh, and it's five bucks (I didn't even ask about the Senior Rate). And be careful not to trip over the students sunbathing on the grass in bikinis when looking at the magnificent sculptures in the rooftop garden.

    Been living in the neighborhood almost a year and never gave thia place a secons thought. Realizing…read moreit was right next door to one of my favorite coffeeshops (Discourse) and that it was only $5, I gave it a shot. This is one of the best kept secrets in Milwaukee, honestly. The artwork on display is incredible, with some genuinely masterful pieces, as well as more modern interpretations. Mostly paintings with some sculptures, iron work, and videos. They even have a rooftop which offers incredible views of the skyline and features several large sculptures, just bw aware that it's closed for winter. I took an hour and a half to get through it, and that's just taking a peak at the rooftop. I would say you could spend upwards of 2 hours here with little difficulty.

    Photos
    Grohmann Museum  1000 Broadway, Milwaukee, WI
    Grohmann Museum 1000 Broadway, Milwaukee, WI
    Various works
    Various works
    Rooftop

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    Rooftop
    Discovery World

    Discovery World

    4.0
    (134 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    For the amount of kids and families that come through here, I am impressed at the working displays…read moreand overall cleanliness of this museum. We came here on a Saturday and it was moderately busy yet we were able to see everything in a few hours. There are plenty of hands-on activities throughout for all ages and exhibits highlighting local individuals and companies as well. It's hard to say what my favorite area was because I enjoyed everything, but the aquariums, weather/ storm area and the corporate exploration station stick out in my mind as where I had the most fun personally. We didn't shop around the food or gift shop area but that could be an area we explore more next time. Discovery World is well worth the price of admission and the entire family is guaranteed to have fun while learning something new!

    My family loves a good science museum. Discovery world is one the best we've been too around the…read moreUS. Offering a good mix of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology exhibits, there's a discipline for everyone. I love the corporate collaborations with some of the areas best known companies. The staff does an excellent job of making sure all the hands on exhibits are in working order, which tends to be the biggest problems at these types of museums. It had been a few years since I was here. I won't make that mistake again.

    Photos
    Animal Encounters every week!
    Animal Encounters every week!
    Automation Everywehere
    Automation Everywehere
    Touch Tanks

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    Touch Tanks
    The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion

    The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion

    4.4
    (139 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    The Pabst Mansion certainly comes alive during Christmas time with whimsy and play amidst history…read moreand class. It's my favorite time to visit since each room is activated with holiday decor, festive cheer, and pops of color! Year after year, a team of volunteers help staff transform the Pabst Mansion into this whimsical exhibition adding to the MKE beer baron's living experience. Each year, the colors and decor changes adding a unique experience every holiday season! Times entry and same day tickets are available in advance or at the door, though "at the door" occurs at street level in an adjacent building. A very small free parking lot is up the hill onsite next to the mansion but additional free parking is available across the street and is labeled with signage. If you haven't had the chance to visit during the holiday season, I do recommend it as something different to do during the colder months!

    We made advance reservations & parked in the complimentary lot across the street. Admission is…read more$19 per person, reduced for seniors, children, and free for members. The building is under construction, we entered through the gift shop. We showed our NARM card for free entry. We started with an informative film about the history of the Pabst Mansion. Fifty of us were on the tour, we were broken into 2 groups & I followed Molly throughout the house. She pointed out interesting pieces & fascinating stories. Our hour long tour of the Pabst Mansion was a fascinating:90. We learned about the home, Pabst family & details about the architecture and furnishings of the home while exploring the 1st through 3rd floors. This house had electricity, inside plumbing, a telephone, central heat & 10 bathrooms. In 1892, Captain Frederick & Maria Pabst completed construction of their mansion, It was designed by George Bowman Ferry and Alfred Charles Clas, & cost $254,000. These art collectors, filled their mansion with priceless treasures. During the years of the Pabst family's ownership, the house was the scene of many fine parties and receptions, a wedding & in the end, their funerals. The Pabst descendants sold the house in 1908 and for 60 yrs. was the archbishop's residence When it was sold in 1975, the mansion was nearly torn down but become a museum & was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Photos
    The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion
    Women's parlor
    Women's parlor
    The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion

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    National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

    National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

    3.8
    (89 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame is a pretty interesting spot. I've been meaning to check this…read moreplace out since I drive by it fairly often. We finally made it this last weekend with some friends. The collection is pretty impressive, from sports, pop culture, tv shows, and more. There's a $5 fee which is fair. They have scavenger hunts for kids and you can try and find 'Waldo' for a small prize. Overall, we enjoyed the experience of checking out many different bobble heads. Give it a try!

    I recently heard about this place from a recent Local Yelp collection offering up fun things to do…read morein the Milwaukee area. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum? I had never heard of it. My husband and I immediately decided a date day was in order. Located above a Colectivo location that I've been to on multiple occasions (how I never noticed what was upstairs, I cannot fathom---too focused on caffeination, maybe?), this little museum offers a quirky, reasonably priced afternoon. We walked in, paid, and were escorted to some benches where the museum docent gave us a quick overview and played a video that offered a more detailed overview. After that, we were able to wander the museum at our leisure. They have bobbleheads of all sorts from sports to pop culture. Over 10,000, actually. I enjoyed the pop culture side of things the most. Golden Girls bobbleheads? Wednesday Addams? Beetlejuice? Yes, yes, and yes. Patrons are also able to play a fun little game of Where's Waldo during their visit. We found him and got some fun little prizes. Where is Waldo?!? You'll have to find him for yourself--I'll never tell. Get to it!

    Photos
    Street view
    Street view
    Visitors receive a 10% discount at Stack'd Burger Bar
    Visitors receive a 10% discount at Stack'd Burger Bar
    Store

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    Store
    Harley-Davidson Museum

    Harley-Davidson Museum

    4.3
    (310 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    If I could give this museum experience more than 5 Stars, I would! This museum experience should…read morenot be missed if you are visiting Milwaukee, WI. The rich history of an American motorcycle/automotive juggernaut is on stunning display at this beautiful campus, which is COMPLETE with the museum, restaurant, concert area, TWO stores (they have their own Outlet; "come on, can you say 75% OFF on a leather Harley Davidson jacket?!"), original structure from when the Davidson brothers and Harley started making magic, and grassy areas for picnics or just hanging out. And of course, "special parking" for HOGS! I could have spent all day here. EVERYONE who works there is super pleasant, professional, and FUN. And if your hands are tired of carrying all your shopping items (or you didn't bring an extra suitcase), guess what, they SHIP! I will definitely be back and I am eyeing a Road Glide Trike!

    I took advantage of the $4.14 ticket deal on 4/14 day. It was my first visit to Harley Davidson…read moremuseum and I was impressed! The customer service counter had motorcycle windshields which I thought was clever. I appreciated that the staff member let me know the bathrooms are on the first floor so I went there first before heading to the start of the museum on the 2nd floor. So many motorcycles to see! It was fun to see how they have progressed over time. The engine wall was beautiful, very aesthetically pleasing. I most enjoyed the displays that included anecdotes from the riders. If not going on 4-1-4 day, the museum is $25.

    Photos
    Harley-Davidson Museum
    Harley-Davidson Museum
    Harley-Davidson Museum

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    Boerner Botanical Gardens

    Boerner Botanical Gardens

    4.1
    (70 reviews)
    9.1 mi

    I've made two visits here - one in the summer and one for China Lights. During the summer, it was…read morebeautiful and green and it was a popular place. People of all ages were walking the grounds, taking photos, enjoying picnic lunches, etc. and it was lovely to see the park in full bloom. I hadn't been in several years. Then I came back in the fall to see China Lights. It did not disappoint - we thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus they made China Lights almost entirely wheelchair accessible, which helped someone in my group. China Lights is a unique imagery experience, I'm not sure what else is quite like it. Plus there was a brief acrobatics show which was also fun to see. I haven't been in winter, so I can't speak to what it looks like in winter (but this is WI - so I'm not sure what you can really expect to see then). Otherwise, I recommend adding this to your list of Milwaukee areas to visit and enjoying the beauty of all that grows here, curated and in full bloom.

    We became members last year and I'm so glad we did! The gardens are beautiful and well-maintained…read more A perfect place to walk in spring, summer, and fall. A little bummed about only daytime hours being offered right now, since the only time I could visit is over a lunch break. May 1 will be here soon, bringing night and weekend hours for working folks and families. Parking lot is plentiful and easy to navigate. I really encourage a membership for those who visit often. It's so cool to watch the gardens grow and change throughout the seasons. Your membership also gets you into the Domes for free!

    Photos
    Famous mask show
    Famous mask show
    It's not a chinese show without a dragon
    It's not a chinese show without a dragon
    Margie's Garden

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    Margie's Garden

    Milwaukee Public Museum - museums - Updated June 2026

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