FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Title: The Final Act: How the Milwaukee Public Museum’s “Disposition Plan” Removes the Public from Its Own Museum Milwaukee, WI — October 31 st 2025 For years, MPM, the private nonprofit hired to manage our Milwaukee Public Museum has orchestrated a series of administrative maneuvers culminating in the  Plan for Disposition of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Surplus Personal Property and Milwaukee County Fixtures  (File No. 25-586 ), released in late 2025

Who decides what parts of our shared story are worth saving? The Milwaukee Public Museum has been a place of wonder for generations — where children met lions, where families wandered cobblestone streets, and where time stood still in the warm glow of The Streets of Old Milwaukee  or the twilight of the European Village . For over a century, these immersive environments have been more than displays; they are cultural landmarks, repositories of memory, and quiet teachers of hi

Source: “The Role of Digital Engagement in Museums,” MuseumNext, October 25, 2024. When museums embrace technology, the goal should be to connect people more deeply to history—not to disconnect them from it. Across the world, digital engagement is redefining what it means to be “modern.” From virtual tours to augmented reality experiences, museums are finding new ways to open their doors wider—using technology to make culture more accessible, inclusive, and connected to the p

Milwaukee Public Museum. (n.d.). Milwaukee Revealed . In Future Exhibits . Retrieved October 2025, from https://www.mpm.edu/future/exhibits/milwaukee-revealed For decades, the Milwaukee Public Museum has been our city’s time capsule — a place where generations walked through the Streets of Old Milwaukee, visited the European Village, and marveled at handcrafted WPA-era dioramas that told our story. We were told the museum was moving. But the truth is, it’s being rebuilt from

PreserveMKE respectfully requests that the Wisconsin State Legislature re-examination the state’s funding commitment and level of involvement and oversight for the new Milwaukee Museum projects. We understand that the new museum is being built. We are not suggesting a stop to that project. PreserveMKE’s focus is primarily on the preservation of the current Milwaukee Public Museum. We don’t believe the public’s views were properly represented when the votes were cast to fund t

Walk past a classic bison scene and you’ll notice something: today’s museum pros don’t see a dusty relic—they see a layered story worth...

Photo Credit: Milwaukee Public Museum / via WUWM 89.7 FM  – “The future of Milwaukee Public Museum’s A Tribute To Survival  exhibit,” May...

Photo Courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milwaukee_Public_Museum_January_2023_37_%28Asia--Orangutan%29.jpg Carl Akeley’s...

Photo Courtesy of: American Antiquity, “Stephan F. de Borhegyi, 1921–1969,” Vol. 34, No. 3 (1969), Cambridge University Press. Read...

The History and Future of the Once-Revolutionary Taxidermy Diorama Once hailed as cutting-edge science, taxidermy dioramas were the...

https://www.mpm.edu/node/27094 Preserving Milwaukee’s WPA Legacy at the Public Museum Milwaukee has a unique place in American history....

Milwaukee is home to something extraordinary — one of the world’s largest open-air diorama.  For generations, these exhibits have not...

Source: Milwaukee County Legistar – Parks & Culture Committee, Sept. 2, 2025 (Video available at: milwaukeecounty.legistar.com , File ID...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Milwaukee County’s Financial Crisis Threatens a Beloved Tradition — the Streets of Old Milwaukee MILWAUKEE — As...

22-616 Legistar File - Development Agreement for the new Milwaukee Public Museum This document was obtained through an open records...

Photo Citation Example: Photo: Dr. Ellen Censky presenting to Milwaukee Rotary on the new museum project (Milwaukee Public Museum,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Milwaukee Taxpayers Pay $45 Million, Get Nothing — State Secures Ownership Stake Under Motion 84 Milwaukee, WI —...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Milwaukee Paid $85 Million for a Museum Half the Size Milwaukee County residents are learning that the new...

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally lodge an ethics complaint concerning the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) under the...

Dear AAM Leadership: I am writing to raise serious concerns about the current trajectory of the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) under...

Dear ICOM Secretariat, I am writing to express deep concern about the dismantling of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s historical exhibits...

Good Afternoon Sen. Jacque, I’m writing as a concerned Milwaukee resident and member of PreserveMKE, a group advocating to save the...

When the public asks questions about the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM), the answers we get all sound the same: trust the professionals....

Dear Supervisor Johnson, Per our recent conversation, I am forwarding the attached presentation — Below. Presented to Supervisors Willie...

Milwaukee Residents Rally to Demand Transparency in Public Museum Relocation MILWAUKEE, WI — Concerned Milwaukee residents will gather...

Ken Kratz grew up in Southeastern Wisconsin. He was rooted in the Milwaukee area with his wife, and two children. Anyone who knew him...

Over the last few months, I have frequently encountered the terms artifact and exhibit, used to describe the Streets of Old Milwaukee...

September 5, 2024 To Milwaukee County Supervisors:​​From: Scott Johnson, President, Preserve MKE  Patti Logsdon​​​​​Scott Bush, Preserve...

One question that often arises about our museum is whether its approach remains culturally appropriate in today’s world. This critique...

Two years ago, a small group of concerned citizens united over the uncertain future of the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM). Today, we are...

The narrative began with stories about the roof—leaks specifically noted in the Japan exhibit area. Management emphasized this as...

Museum dioramas, particularly those crafted by innovators like Carl Akeley and Owen Gromme, hold significant historical and educational...

Field Museum The Field Museum emphasizes the historical and educational significance of dioramas, particularly those crafted by Carl...

by: C Houston contributing by SJ, DR "The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best." – Thomas Sowell...

To: Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley    RE: Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) From: Preserve MKE  Board of Directors Copied to County...

April 21, 2025 Website : www.preservemke.org Milwaukee Public Museum’s Secrecy Threatens Milwaukee’s Diverse Legacy MILWAUKEE –...

By Scott J. I started the Streets of Old Milwaukee Club because I’m just a guy who cares. When I learned about the very real plans to...