Why Rob Your Children of the Memory?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milwaukee County’s Financial Crisis Threatens a Beloved Tradition — the Streets of Old Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE — As Milwaukee County braces for a projected $171 million deficit by 2030, officials continue to commit public funds to a controversial museum relocation project that threatens to erase a cherished part of the city’s cultural fabric: the immersive Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

County projections show a $14.7 million increase in debt service in 2026 alone—due in part to the County’s $45 million bond commitment for the museum’s new facility. This comes at a time when the County continues to warn that its structural deficit is growing and difficult choices lie ahead. Community advocates are asking a simple but urgent question:

Why rob future generations of the memories that shaped ours?

"For decades, the Streets of Old Milwaukee offered children and families an unforgettable experience—cobblestone streets, vintage shop windows, and a living portrait of our city’s past," said one advocate. "Now, the County is trading that immersive memory for a downsized museum with no clear plan to preserve what made it magical."

Milwaukee Public Museum officials have indicated that the beloved exhibit will not move in full to the new building. Instead, it will be replaced by “Milwaukee Revealed,” a conceptual reimagining that many fear will fail to capture the history and emotion of the original streetscape.

“This isn’t just about bricks and budgets,” advocates argue. “It’s about what kind of future we’re building—for our children, and for the legacy of Milwaukee.”

Community members are urging residents and officials alike to reconsider the museum’s direction and protect the exhibits that connect generations.

Fight for your future.Fight for your children’s memories.Fight for the museum you expected to share with them.

For media inquiries or to speak with community organizers, please contact us at info@savempm.org or info@preservemke.org