PreserveMKE urges state and county leaders to explore a preservation alternative before Milwaukee’s historic museum is dismantled or redeveloped

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — September 23, 2026 — Earlier this year, representatives of PreserveMKE met with State Representative Russell Goodwin to discuss the preservation of the Milwaukee Public Museum. PreserveMKE is a grassroots coalition of more than 13,000 supporters working to protect the museum’s historic exhibits, murals, and collections. PreserveMKE leadership was encouraged to learn that Representative Goodwin is interested in exploring legislation that would enable state acquisition of the Milwaukee Public Museum. No such legislation has yet been introduced — but a possible path could be emerging.

PreserveMKE believes this offers a way to stabilize the museum’s future and help ensure that its collections remain in public hands rather than being put at risk through the current relocation process. Legislation like this will need support at every level of government, and Milwaukee County leaders have an important voice with state lawmakers.

The Milwaukee Public Museum is more than a budget item. It is where generations of Milwaukee families have walked the Streets of Old Milwaukee, explored the Costa Rica rainforest, and stood beneath the dinosaurs in the Third Planet exhibit. The museum displays hundreds of murals painted by notable artists, alongside exhibits built by skilled artisans to the highest standard of craftsmanship. These “Milwaukee-style” habitat dioramas are recognized by museums around the world for their historic significance — the model that others followed, not the other way around. Once these immersive environments are dismantled or dispersed, they cannot simply be recreated. History will not look favorably on their destruction.

The public was not told

As PreserveMKE previously alerted the County Supervisors, the public and elected officials did not receive a clear message about the museum’s fate. Many citizens believe the museum is simply moving from a “dilapidated” building to a new one. The fate of the historic exhibits themselves was not accurately disclosed.

MPM leadership has claimed the current building is beyond repair. PreserveMKE believes this to be misleading. Maintenance and repair reports obtained by the coalition contradict that narrative.

Before an irreversible decision, the alternatives

The central question is no longer whether the museum deserves to be saved — it is whether anyone with authority has seriously examined how. Before Milwaukee County accepts demolition as inevitable, leaders should be able to answer:

  1. What would it cost to preserve and rehabilitate the current museum — and how does that compare to the public’s total commitment to the replacement project?
  2. Which exhibits, murals, and dioramas will not move intact to the new building — and what is planned for each of them?
  3. Which items belong to Milwaukee County, MPM Inc., or donors — and what title records support each classification?
  4. What is being offered, sold, or disposed of under the current disposition plan, and who receives the proceeds?

“Milwaukee County is being asked to accept the loss of a one-of-a-kind museum environment without ever weighing what it would mean to keep it,” said Scott Johnson, a PreserveMKE spokesperson. “Before anything is demolished, sold, or hauled away, the public deserves a real comparison — what preservation costs, what disposal costs, and what the community loses in each scenario. Preserving the current museum would protect the public’s investment and give future generations something that cannot be rebuilt once it is gone.”

What PreserveMKE is asking

PreserveMKE urges the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to give full consideration to Representative Goodwin’s efforts and to meet with him directly to determine whether state acquisition and preservation of the museum is possible — and whether it would better serve the public than demolition and disposal. This could be a win-win for all involved, and it would prevent the destruction of hundreds of beloved murals and irreplaceable works of art and craftsmanship. Before Milwaukee County accepts demolition as inevitable, state and county leaders should determine whether preservation is possible — and whether it would better serve the public.

For more information

The preservation alternative: savempm.org — What if someone offered Milwaukee County millions?
The money questions: savempm.org/prove-mpm-owns-it
Timeline and documentation: savempm.org/what-did-they-know
Press kit and source index: savempm.org/press-kit