Ceremonial groundbreaking held for future Milwaukee Public Museum

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --- Construction will soon begin on the future Milwaukee Public Museum. Community leaders and supporters of the project gathered Tuesday, May 7 for a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the start of the project.

This comes as the museum has reached more than half of its fundraising goal. This is the largest cultural project in Wisconsin's history and much of it honors Wisconsin's tribal nations.

The new museum site is located in Deer District, on 6th Street and Mckinley. The building will sit on 2.4 acres of land.

"We are growing Milwaukee. We are building a city that will attract more investments. We're building a city that will attract more tourists, a city that will attract more jobs, more people, as well as more dreams," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

Ellen Censky, museum president and CEO, says this day marks the beginning of an exciting future for the city and state. "This is the next big step in this project," she said.

The groundbreaking event was originally scheduled to take place at the construction site but was moved indoors to the Trade Hotel due to weather. That did not stop supporters from joining to mark the occasion. The ceremony included a land blessing from tribal leaders and several student performances including Indian Community School, Hmong American Peace Academy, Bruce-Gudalupe Community School, and Ko-Thi Dance Company.

Officials say there's much to look forward to in the new building. It will house millions of the museum's artifacts and feature four floors of exhibits. Galleries will focus on highlighting nature, culture, and Wisconsin history.

Censky says the community will begin to see the building come together in the months ahead.

"You'll find in the early part of next year, the building will start to come out of the ground, and it'll actually come out in a spiral in that there will be quadrants poured and it will spiral up," she said.

The Milwaukee Public Museum is a big part of Wisconsin history, first opening its doors back in the 1880s.

Some of the new galleries to expect include one called "Time Travel," which explores the past.

The new building will also include two gardens and a rooftop terrace.

"This is for nearly every child, every elementary student in Milwaukee County and surrounding communities who will visit this museum for the next hundred years," said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.

Fundraising efforts are still ongoing. Officials say they're about $75 million away from their goal. The museum is expected to be completed in early 2027.