Check out Downtown Milwaukee’s top 5 museums near Streetcar Flats. Dive into the city’s rich history and learn what made Cream City the monumental place it is today.
Milwaukee County Historical Society
The Milwaukee County Historical Society (MCHS) was founded in 1935 and is one of the most impressive on the list of Milwaukee’s top 5 museums. Its drive is “to preserve and present Milwaukee” with instructive programs, exhibitions, and events.
Originally housing Milwaukee County records, the MCHS stores over one million documents, photographs, and over 60,000 artifacts.
MCHS has several locations, including its primary downtown location on the Milwaukee River, Shorewood’s Kilbourntown House in Estabrook Park, and the Trimborn Farm and Jeremiah Curtin House in Greendale.
910 N Doctor M.L.K. Jr Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Wed – Sat 9:30 AM – 5 PM, Sun – Tue Closed
(414) 273-8288
milwaukeehistory.net
Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) began in 1882 thanks to the German-English Academy in Milwaukee, created in 1851. Peter Engelmann was the Academy’s principal and “encouraged student field trips” where “organic, geological, and archaeological” samples were gathered.
Engelmann established a natural history society in 1857 to house the growing sample collection. August Stirn (city alderman and national history society member) recognized the collection’s continued growth and acquired legislation for the City of Milwaukee to shift the collection into “a free public museum.”
The Milwaukee Public Museum formally opened on May 24, 1884. Currently, the MPM has permanent exhibits across its three-and-a-half floors, with space reserved for touring and temporary exhibitions. Educators can learn more about MPM’s programs and research collections.
800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53233
Wed – Mon 10 AM – 5 PM, Tue Closed
(4140 278-2728
mpm.edu
Grohmann Museum
Dr. Eckhart Grohmann provided The Grohmann Museum, which hosts the world’s largest art collection displaying “the evolution of human work.” Dr. Grohmann, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Regent and art collector, donated the collection and finances in 2001.
The collection contains over 1,500 paintings, sculptures, and other works dating from 1580 to today. Many styles and subjects express how work has changed “from farming and mining to trades as glassblowing and seaweed gathering.”
Visit the museum and learn more about its exhibitions and events.
1000 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Mon – Fri 9 AM – 5 PM, Sat 12 PM – 6 PM, Sun 1 PM – 4 PM
(414) 277-2300
msoe.edu/about-msoe/grohmann-museum
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
The Wisconsin Marine Historical Society (WMHS) is a non-profit association started in 1959 and is a partner of the Milwaukee Public Library. The independent Society has 150 members devoted “to collecting, preserving, archiving, and making materials related to Great lakes marine history accessible to the public.”
The Milwaukee Public Library is home to the gargantuan Great Lakes Marine Collection, one of the most significant Great Lakes resources in the world. The collection boasts more than 11,000 vessel files, 32,000 vessel index files, and over 50,000 pictures, journals, manuscripts, nautical charts, and other documents.
Filter through the WMHS’s quarterly newsletter, Soundings, and dive into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway’s importance on commerce and industry.
814 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233 (Inside the Milwaukee Public Library Central Branch)
Mon & Tue 10 AM – 8 PM, Wed – Fri 10 AM – 6 PM, Sat 9 AM – 5 PM, Sun Closed
(414) 286-3074
wmhs.org
Photoverse Selfie Museum
The Photoverse Selfie Museum is a collaborative effort between 3rd Street Market Hall and the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD). The Selfie Museum has 27 interactive spaces designed by local MIAD artists.
Plan a date and time with friends and family, grab your cameras, and buy your tickets or book your party. Sift through their gallery and read through their FAQs, then schedule your visit today!
275 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203 (Floor G, The Avenue MKE)
Mon, Fri, & Sat 11 AM – 9 PM, Tue – Thur 11 AM – 8 PM, Sun 11 AM – 7 PM
(414) 249-5062
3rdstmarkethall.com/photoverse
