MILWAUKEE – There will be a gap when the current Milwaukee Public Museum closes and the new MPM on the northwest side of downtown officially opens to visitors. Museum President and CEO Ellen Censky tells Wisconsin’s Morning News ahead of Tuesday’s ground breaking she’s uncertain how long that will be. “We do anticipate that there will be one, but what we want to do is minimize that.”
The ground breaking ceremony featuring local performers and dignitaries was set for the actual site at 6th and McKinley. Rain forced the event to move to a ballroom in the nearby Trade hotel, with a news release promising, “Yes, there will still be ceremonial digging inside.” Censky admitted the total cost of the new museum may exceed the estimated $240 million price tag. She said museum officials are working closely with developers to control cost, and that fundraising has surpassed $165 million.
In the meantime, the museum is tackling the enormous task of cataloguing and barcoding every item in its extensive collection. “You know the phrase, ‘how do you eat an elephant… one bite at a time?'” Censky quipped. “That’s exactly what we’re doing, and we’re getting pretty full of elephant.”
RELATED: Museum begins packing 4-million items for big move
Censky also mentioned, “Granny’s been cleaned up and is just fine.” She’s referring to the vandalism at the museum earlier this year. Someone sprayed an oily substance on props and some artifacts at the museum, including the iconic “Granny” whose front porch, rocking chair perch is a must-see in the Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit.
Censky said to expect seeing steel beams rise from the ground early next year at the downtown site, with concrete exteriors following. The new museum is scheduled to open in 2027.Â
