A Museum Memory from Your Childhood

As one of the largest public museums in the United State, the Milwaukee Public Museum features exhibits of natural and human history that are great for learning, entertainment, and tourism. Over 500,000 visitors each year enjoy the numerous displays and exhibits at the museum. The museum was opened in 1882 as a small collection of items and has grown to house over 6 million specimens. There are both permanent and temporary exhibits in the museum's 150,000 square feet of exhibit space. You can visit Asia, Africa, Europe, the Arctic, Middle and South America, the Pacific Islands, and the Costa Rican Rain Forest, all in one location in the middle of Milwaukee!

Children will love the variety of exhibits that include dinosaur bones, a life-sized replica for the Tyrannosaurus Rex, an entire wing of free, fluttering butterflies, an old European Village, and recreation of turn-of-century Milwaukee. The museum is a great activity for families and offers an affordable admission price for children, seniors, adults, and teens. Monday's feature free admission for Milwaukee county residents, but visitors are encouraged to arrive early, especially during busy summer months. Those who wish to visit the Imax theatre will need to pay an extra admission fee.

After a day of learning and exploring, visitors to the museum will be hungry and thirsty. The Daily Grind features Milwaukee stone Creek Coffee, frozen drinks, sandwiches, salads, and bakery. The Cafy at the museum features soups, handmade sandwiches and wraps, pizza, mixed grill, fresh fruit, nachos, pretzels, ice cream, and dessert. These delicious treats will restore your energy and keep you energized during your visit to the museum.

If you would like to take home a souvenir from your museum experience, visit The Museum Marketplace. Located on the ground floor of the museum, you can purchase unique gifts from around the world. There are also a number of educational games and toys. An additional store, the Haymarket, features a turn of the century candy shop. Nestled in the Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit, it will feel as if you have stepped back in time and you are shopping along the quaint streets of Cream City. For a truly unique gift, purchase "Elephant Poo Poo Paper.'' This recycled product is made from the digestive waste of elephants, perfect for creating paper pulp.

Those with a greater interest in space then earth can check out the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. This is the state's largest and most modernized planetarium and features a Digistar 3 computer project system. This fills the entire dome of the building with 3-D animation of astronomy. The night sky will light up above you, and you will be guided through a view of the Milwaukee sky. Later in the evening, you will be able to amaze your friends and family with your knowledge of the Miwaukee sky.

A rewarding and educational experience, the Milwaukee Public Museum features a variety of natural and human history displays, as well as space exploration. It is a great opportunity to learn about and explore history.