MILWAUKEE – This morning the County Board of Supervisors approved (14-4) a proposal to contribute $45 million in bonding to finance a new building for the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM). County Supervisor Joseph J. Czarnezki voted to approve this funding.
MPM has indicated that it plans to call the new museum the Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture.
“The Milwaukee Public Museum is a vital part of our community and I believe it deserves a home that will preserve and honor its publicly-owned collection,” said Supervisor Czarnezki. “While I support Milwaukee County helping fund the new museum, I must urge them to retain the name ‘Milwaukee Public Museum’ or at least ‘Milwaukee Museum of Nature and Culture.’ The name ‘Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture’ is inappropriate, as it diminishes the fact that the collection is owned by the people of Milwaukee County.”
The new museum building will be located at the northeast corner of Sixth and McKinley streets in downtown Milwaukee. The museum plans to co-locate with the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.
MPM plans to begin construction late next year and complete the project in spring 2026.
The museum has secured $40 million in funding from the State of Wisconsin and is seeking $5 million in federal grants.
