Milwaukee Public Museum new home: Site construction underway

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Public Museum will soon have a new home. On Tuesday, June 7, there was a bit step in the new site's construction.

"To be able to see the physical change on the site, it’s really exciting," said Katie Sanders, Milwaukee Public Museum Chief Planning Officer.

The corner of 6th and Vliet is the future home for the museum. On Tuesday, crews demolished the existing structure to make way for the new building.

"A milestone for all of us. We’ve been working on funding and design and a lot of things that people don’t see. So to be able to see this building come down is quite exciting," Sanders said.

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The Milwaukee Public Museum has been in its current location since the 1960s. Over time, museum workers say the building started to deteriorate. That put the museum in jeopardy of losing its accreditation.

Demolition at site for new Milwaukee Public Museum

"Losing our accreditation would have been really massive, detrimental to the museum. It would have been the first step toward closing," Sanders said.

Thanks to funding and years of planning, this is the first building of three to be knocked down. The new site will be 2.4 acres – and it is an accessible location.

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"Seeing all of the entertainment opportunities that the Deer District is offering to families at night, we’re really excited to bring this educational institution, this opportunity to the neighborhood during the day," Sanders said.

Demolition at site for new Milwaukee Public Museum

Later this summer, project leaders plan to unveil renderings of the new location. The museum is scheduled to open in 2026.