"Milwaukee's exhibit:" After 'refresh,' MPM visitors can walk "Streets of Old Milwaukee"
MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Public Museum's "Streets of Old Milwaukee" exhibit is a Milwaukee tradition unlike any other -- and this year, it's better than ever.
Streets of Old Milwaukee
The "Streets of Old Milwaukee" exhibit is MPM's most beloved.
"When we set out to refresh it, we knew we had to be true to the original spirit of the exhibit," Julian Jackson, MPM director of exhibits and design said.
And now, once again, young and old will be able to walk down the streets of old Milwaukee.
"It is truly Milwaukee's exhibit -- and that means something. When people come here, they are going to bring their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren," Al Muchka said.
The "Streets of Old Milwaukee" exhibit is 50 years old -- and a testament to the importance of preserving the city's past. It features some 25 period shops and businesses and thousands of artifacts.
"I am sure we are talking about several million people who have seen Streets of Old Milwaukee since 1965," Muchka said.
Streets of Old Milwaukee
"The limits of the time period are 1890 to 1917 -- but our core time is 1910," Jackson said.
The Streets of Old Milwaukee is a multi-level immersive exhibit. Now more than ever, museum visitors will be able to step in and out of set pieces instead of looking on through a pane of glass.
Streets of Old Milwaukee
Designers are calling this a refresh of the exhibit. They worked to tastefully incorporate new technology to an exhibit highlighting life in Milwaukee more than a century ago.
"Smell technology, sound technology, shadow play in upper windows. We wanted that technology to be subtle and behind the scenes," Jackson said.
And to help museum visitors go back in time, designers created an entrance in the form of a turn-of-the-century streetcar.
"By the time you step off of that streetcar, you already have an idea of what you're going to see and what you're going to experience," Jackson said.
READ IT: Statement from Milwaukee Public Museum officials on "Streets of Old Milwaukee"