The current Milwaukee Public Museum building will remain open to the public through Jan. 3, 2027, museum leaders announced in a statement emailed Nov. 18.
The current museum is at 800 W. Wells St. It is building a new home at 1310 N. Sixth St. It plans to open there in the first half of 2027 under a new name, the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
This is the first definitive statement from museum leaders that the current building will be open throughout 2026.
More good news for fan of the current museum: It does not have plans to close exhibits or galleries there during 2026, “except for a few instances when part of an exhibit may be temporarily closed for a few days at a time for object deinstallation,” spokeswoman Madeline Anderson wrote in a follow-up email.
As 2026 unfolds, the museum will take a victory lap in its current building with “Greatest Hits” programs that celebrate popular exhibits. That schedule includes:
The museum also will host its two big fundraisers in the Wells Street building for the last time: Food & Froth: Cheers to the Years, Feb. 21, 2026; and its annual gala, “LEGACY: Honoring the People Behind the Milwaukee Public Museum,” May 16, 2026.
Leaders have not yet set a specific opening date in 2027 for the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Public Museum announces final date that current museum will be open
Reporting by Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
