Tuesday marks the first day of demolition in Milwaukee Public Museum’s (MPM) long-term project toward a new building on the northeast corner of 6th and McKinley. The demolition is beginning on the first of the three buildings set to be leveled for the project.
The other two buildings are set to come down early next year and construction is expected to take three years. As for the museum’s content, the exhibits are still being diligently thought out by MPM. Chief Planning Officer of MPM, Katie Sanders, said “As MPM has been a leader in exhibit design for our entire history, were really taking this opportunity to look at what the next generation of learners need from the museum.”
With over 4 million specimen within MPM’s current space, it is still being decided what will be repurposed in the new facility and what will not. Although most of the content is still undecided, Sanders said museum goers can expect a butterfly vivarium and a planetarium.
Of their $90 million goal in government funding, the museum only needs $5 million more to reach their goal. Additionally, with demolition and construction time frames taken into consideration, Sanders said the project is expected to be finished sometime in 2026.
