The Harley-Davidson Museum of Milwaukee
Having opened to the public on July 12, 2008, on a 20-acre site in the Menomonee Valley, the Harley-Davidson Museum has become a huge success. It was built in an historically industrial area of Milwaukee, as the site was formerly used by the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, Lakeshore Sand Company, and Morton Salt. A 1.2 meter layer of imported soil was added to combat the contaminated soil. New vegetation was planted to restore the landscape to its riparian state.
In late February 2006, designs for the museum were unveiled, having been created by James Biber, a partner at Pentagram, his team, and Michael Zweck-Bonner, an associate at Pentagram. Abbott Miller, a partner at Pentagram, designed the museum's permanent exhibitions, and the firm had designed the museum over a period of eight years. On June 1, 2006, Harley-Davidson began the construction of the $75 million complex with a groundbreaking ceremony that included legendary Harley-Davidson dirt track motorcycle racer, Scott Parker, breaking ground by doing a burnout with a Harley-Davidson XL883R Sportster, instead of with the traditional golden shovel. The site includes parking spaces for 1,000 motorcycles and 500 cars. The Museum's facade also features a 17-foot (5.2 m) tall, steel Harley-Davidson sign.
Today, there are more than 450 motorcycles and artifacts at the museum, dating back to Serial Number One, the oldest-known Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Stories of extraordinary products, people, history, and Harley-Davidson culture, can be explored here. The world-class museum space and outlying buildings, situated on the Milwaukee riverfront, also has great views of the city skyline. You can also have your own piece of memorabilia, as the Harley-Davidson Museum gift shop sells plenty of H-D inspired items. There's also the Harley-Davidson -themed eatery - MOTOR . Museum admission isn't required to eat there, so if you're just looking for somewhere interesting to hang out and have a good lunch, why not give it a try.
The museum itself is packed with great Harley-Davidson motors, memorabilia, and historical archives, including the unique 'Experience Gallery'. For some of you, this is the moment you've been waiting for, as you can climb on board one of the many motorcycles that inhabit the gallery. Chosen for their diverse scale, the bikes in this gallery are here for you to sit on, touch, and admire. And while sitting in the saddle of one of these legendary rides, enjoy a video that allows you to experience the great roads of America and the camaraderie of riding that is at the heart of the Harley-Davidson experience. While you’re there, take a seat on one of the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles and get a photo!
At the time of this writing, the entrance cost is just $20 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $10 for children (free for under five), which gives great value for the money and a memorable day out for anyone including families, not just those who have a particular interest in Harley-Davidson or motor history.
Showing posts with label Museums in Milwaukee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Museums in Milwaukee. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is a natural and human history museum located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884; it is a not-for-profit organization operated by the Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc. There are three floors of exhibits and the first IMAX Theater in Wisconsin. Admission is free to residents of Milwaukee County on the first Thursday of every month and to Milwaukee County jurors at all times.
There are Ancient Egyptian mummies, recreated streets of Old Milwaukee, classic Mediterranean villages, exotic and intriguing Pacific Islands, and the Sense of Wonder exhibit, which highlights what Victorian museums were like, celebrating the oddity of species and showcasing a humpback whale skeleton. The planetarium is the largest and most modern in Wisconsin, filling the Dome Theater with animations and projections and immersing guests in the wonders of the universe.
From hundreds of positive reviews on tripadvisor.com, here are a few which help give you an idea: "Awesome place to spend all day or at minimum, several hours! Great Cafe, snacks, elevators for convenience, and friendly, helpful staff.", "Don't miss visiting the Milwaukee Public Museum. We could have set aside more time as it is almost impossible to see all there is to see in just a few hours. There is a new exhibit entitled Crossroads of Civilization which deals with ancient times in the east and Mediterranean areas of the world. The Streets of Old Milwaukee which I remember visiting as a child was closed for renovation, but there was so much to see. What a great learning experience!"
The good news is that The Streets of Old Milwaukee experience is soon reopening (December 2015), and should be better than ever. It will include new storefronts and businesses and reflect cultural and economic changes of the post-Industrial era. The museum hopes to create a "heightened sensory experience" that includes hands-on displays, hidden "secrets," the ability to eavesdrop on conversations from the past and even smells. A new life-size streetcar will carry visitors into the exhibit and help you travel back in time.
There are also many efforts to make the museum more accessible for everybody. Dawn Koceja, who heads the museum's accessibility efforts, explains that innovations aimed at the visually impaired grew out of a collaboration between the museum and ABLE, who provide audio and Braille transcription services to 2,000 people in southeastern Wisconsin. ABLE have helped to "change the whole mind-set of the museum" which has led to more hands-on experiences for visitors. As a result of that collaboration, the museum has committed at least $100,000 to accessibility enhancements this year alone, and Koceja will also be reaching out to other groups in the coming years.
The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is a natural and human history museum located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884; it is a not-for-profit organization operated by the Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc. There are three floors of exhibits and the first IMAX Theater in Wisconsin. Admission is free to residents of Milwaukee County on the first Thursday of every month and to Milwaukee County jurors at all times.
There are Ancient Egyptian mummies, recreated streets of Old Milwaukee, classic Mediterranean villages, exotic and intriguing Pacific Islands, and the Sense of Wonder exhibit, which highlights what Victorian museums were like, celebrating the oddity of species and showcasing a humpback whale skeleton. The planetarium is the largest and most modern in Wisconsin, filling the Dome Theater with animations and projections and immersing guests in the wonders of the universe.
From hundreds of positive reviews on tripadvisor.com, here are a few which help give you an idea: "Awesome place to spend all day or at minimum, several hours! Great Cafe, snacks, elevators for convenience, and friendly, helpful staff.", "Don't miss visiting the Milwaukee Public Museum. We could have set aside more time as it is almost impossible to see all there is to see in just a few hours. There is a new exhibit entitled Crossroads of Civilization which deals with ancient times in the east and Mediterranean areas of the world. The Streets of Old Milwaukee which I remember visiting as a child was closed for renovation, but there was so much to see. What a great learning experience!"
The good news is that The Streets of Old Milwaukee experience is soon reopening (December 2015), and should be better than ever. It will include new storefronts and businesses and reflect cultural and economic changes of the post-Industrial era. The museum hopes to create a "heightened sensory experience" that includes hands-on displays, hidden "secrets," the ability to eavesdrop on conversations from the past and even smells. A new life-size streetcar will carry visitors into the exhibit and help you travel back in time.
There are also many efforts to make the museum more accessible for everybody. Dawn Koceja, who heads the museum's accessibility efforts, explains that innovations aimed at the visually impaired grew out of a collaboration between the museum and ABLE, who provide audio and Braille transcription services to 2,000 people in southeastern Wisconsin. ABLE have helped to "change the whole mind-set of the museum" which has led to more hands-on experiences for visitors. As a result of that collaboration, the museum has committed at least $100,000 to accessibility enhancements this year alone, and Koceja will also be reaching out to other groups in the coming years.
Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum collects and preserves art, presenting it to the community as a vital source of inspiration and education. From its roots in Milwaukee’s first art gallery in 1888, the Museum has grown today to be an icon for Milwaukee and a resource for the entire state, with 30,000 works of art and 400,000+ visitors a year. The 341,000-square-foot Museum includes the War Memorial Center (1957) designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, the Kahler Building (1975) by David Kahler, and the Quadracci Pavilion (2001) created by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Central to the Museum’s mission is its role as a premier educational resource, with educational programs that are among the largest in the nation, involving classes, tours, and a full calendar of events for all ages.
With excellent ratings and reviews, it's generally agreed that this museum is very much worth a visit. On tripadvisor.com, for example, here are a few comments which are typical of many: "This is always an interesting place to visit. The museum itself is amazing to behold from the inside and outside"; "The Quadracci Pavilion by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, alone is worth the visit. The building is breath taking and could easily be the most memorable object that you'll see here"; "The Milwaukee Art Museum is a must-see when visiting Milwaukee. Even if you don't have time (or interest) in seeing the actual exhibits, you must come inside the building to see the unique architecture and views of the lake. However, there is a nice collection and traveling exhibits, so I definitely recommend sticking around." The positive sentiment is overwhelming for the Milwaukee Art Museum, and for good reason.
Four floors of over forty galleries of art are rotated regularly with works from antiquity to the present in the Museum’s far-reaching Collection. Included in the Collection are 15th– to 20th–century European and 17th– to 20th–century American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, decorative arts, photographs, and folk and self-taught art. Among the best in the nation are the Museum’s holding of American decorative arts, German Expressionism, folk and Haitian art, and American art after 1960. The Museum also holds one of the largest collections of works by Wisconsin native Georgia O’Keeffe. Important artists represented include Nardo di Cione, Francisco de Zurbarán, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Winslow Homer, Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Jóan Miro, Mark Rothko, Robert Gober, and Andy Warhol.
With various traveling exhibits and events which also come and go, there's always a good reason to visit this fine Milwaukee attraction time after time. If you are an art lover then make sure you have a whole day, as there is so much that will take your interest here.
The Milwaukee Art Museum collects and preserves art, presenting it to the community as a vital source of inspiration and education. From its roots in Milwaukee’s first art gallery in 1888, the Museum has grown today to be an icon for Milwaukee and a resource for the entire state, with 30,000 works of art and 400,000+ visitors a year. The 341,000-square-foot Museum includes the War Memorial Center (1957) designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, the Kahler Building (1975) by David Kahler, and the Quadracci Pavilion (2001) created by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Central to the Museum’s mission is its role as a premier educational resource, with educational programs that are among the largest in the nation, involving classes, tours, and a full calendar of events for all ages.
With excellent ratings and reviews, it's generally agreed that this museum is very much worth a visit. On tripadvisor.com, for example, here are a few comments which are typical of many: "This is always an interesting place to visit. The museum itself is amazing to behold from the inside and outside"; "The Quadracci Pavilion by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, alone is worth the visit. The building is breath taking and could easily be the most memorable object that you'll see here"; "The Milwaukee Art Museum is a must-see when visiting Milwaukee. Even if you don't have time (or interest) in seeing the actual exhibits, you must come inside the building to see the unique architecture and views of the lake. However, there is a nice collection and traveling exhibits, so I definitely recommend sticking around." The positive sentiment is overwhelming for the Milwaukee Art Museum, and for good reason.
Four floors of over forty galleries of art are rotated regularly with works from antiquity to the present in the Museum’s far-reaching Collection. Included in the Collection are 15th– to 20th–century European and 17th– to 20th–century American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, decorative arts, photographs, and folk and self-taught art. Among the best in the nation are the Museum’s holding of American decorative arts, German Expressionism, folk and Haitian art, and American art after 1960. The Museum also holds one of the largest collections of works by Wisconsin native Georgia O’Keeffe. Important artists represented include Nardo di Cione, Francisco de Zurbarán, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Winslow Homer, Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Jóan Miro, Mark Rothko, Robert Gober, and Andy Warhol.
With various traveling exhibits and events which also come and go, there's always a good reason to visit this fine Milwaukee attraction time after time. If you are an art lover then make sure you have a whole day, as there is so much that will take your interest here.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Milwaukee Attractions
Interesting and fun things to do and see around the Milwaukee area and surrounding communities this fall and winter
Whether you like to party or stroll along the river, Milwaukee is just the place for you. Much of the big city’s fame comes from its breweries, as it should, but that is far from all it has to offer. Events throughout the summer months have shifted Milwaukee’s identity to the "City of Festivals". That is largely due to one huge festival, Summerfest, which has been recognized as the World's Largest Music Festival by the Guinness Book of World Records since 1999. Outside of the music and beer, Milwaukee is also home to fantastic food, a richly diverse community, a vast number of great museums, and so much more. When setting off on your Milwaukee adventure, be sure to check out some of these places to see and things to do.
Henry Maier Festival Park
Often referred to as the Summerfest Grounds, this is where Summerfest and other festivals happen just about every weekend all summer long. Ethnic and cultural festivals comprise most of the events aside from Summerfest, and include Irish Fest, Pride Fest, Polish Fest, German Fest, Mexican Fiesta, and many, many more. Races and charity events are also common. The big concerts take place in the Marcus Amphitheater, which holds 23,000 people. The park sits on prime real estate being that it sits on the outskirts of the city and rests on the Milwaukee Bay, steps away from Lakeshore state park and the historic Third Ward. If you are in town during any prolonged intervals of sunshine, make your way over; there's sure to be a great event worth your precious leisure time.
Brew Pubs
I mentioned there is more to Milwaukee than its local beer scene. I wouldn't think of leaving out this formidable force, however. Local brewing is abound in this town, and the competition is fierce. There are plenty of different styles of pubs, as well as styles of brews around every corner, it seems, between Kilbourn Town and Juneau Town, along with a sporadic brewery or brewpub elsewhere around town. You can take tours of a lot of them, and most are cheap. These pubs won't be hard to find, but might make your hotel difficult to find afterwards, so take the necessary precautions and don't overdo it. It's hard to enjoy any city with a hangover.
Riverwalk
There are several miles of waterfront walkways that combine the thrill of being in a big city with the aesthetic advantage of having a central waterway. The project began in 1988 and is ever expanding to combine local business opportunities with the chance to get some recess for the residents and visitors to the city. The vendors along the way will offer plenty to snack on or to bring home as a souvenir or gift. A stroll on the Riverwalk is a great way to experience Milwaukee. Look for the Fonz statue along the way. If you spot it, make sure to say "HEEEY" for me.
Harley-Davidson Museum
The only one of its kind, be sure to check out this special attraction with a complete collection of the world famous bikes. Artifacts from the very first Harley motorcycle ever built to the concept bikes of the future are here, along with everything in between. You don't ride? No problem. Anyone can enjoy the museum with all that it has to offer. There are extremely well-put-together exhibits that are as artful as they are informative. There are interactive exhibits as well for all ages. Go for a loved one who has interest, and find yourself being drawn into the wonderful history of Harley-Davidson.
Basilica of St. Josaphat
There aren't many like this in the world. There certainly aren't many like it in the United States. A beautiful structure that was built for worship in 1901 can be visited today no matter your faith. Sporting one of the largest copper domes in the world, the structure has charming details top to bottom. Even if you have been to Europe and visited the basilicas there, you'll find that this one has some credibility and stature all its own. This is not the kind of place you can let your kids run around; you should either make it a quick destination with the younger ones, or you can leave the little ones with a sitter and enjoy a peaceful afternoon wandering around and through the Basilica.
Safe House
It's no secret that this place is more for the novel experience than it is for the food. Not that the food is bad (far from it), but you won't run into Wolfgang Puck in the kitchen. You may, however, run into a list of other celebrities, as they are known for stopping in from time to time. The spy theme is fun for kids and adults alike. For the kids, there is plenty to look at and play with. For the grown-ups, there is a dance floor in the basement. There are a lot of surprises here, and I don't want to ruin them. I will say that you better know the password. So, go looking for some fun - you'll be sure to leave with a big smile.
Whether you like to party or stroll along the river, Milwaukee is just the place for you. Much of the big city’s fame comes from its breweries, as it should, but that is far from all it has to offer. Events throughout the summer months have shifted Milwaukee’s identity to the "City of Festivals". That is largely due to one huge festival, Summerfest, which has been recognized as the World's Largest Music Festival by the Guinness Book of World Records since 1999. Outside of the music and beer, Milwaukee is also home to fantastic food, a richly diverse community, a vast number of great museums, and so much more. When setting off on your Milwaukee adventure, be sure to check out some of these places to see and things to do.
Henry Maier Festival Park
Often referred to as the Summerfest Grounds, this is where Summerfest and other festivals happen just about every weekend all summer long. Ethnic and cultural festivals comprise most of the events aside from Summerfest, and include Irish Fest, Pride Fest, Polish Fest, German Fest, Mexican Fiesta, and many, many more. Races and charity events are also common. The big concerts take place in the Marcus Amphitheater, which holds 23,000 people. The park sits on prime real estate being that it sits on the outskirts of the city and rests on the Milwaukee Bay, steps away from Lakeshore state park and the historic Third Ward. If you are in town during any prolonged intervals of sunshine, make your way over; there's sure to be a great event worth your precious leisure time.
Brew Pubs
I mentioned there is more to Milwaukee than its local beer scene. I wouldn't think of leaving out this formidable force, however. Local brewing is abound in this town, and the competition is fierce. There are plenty of different styles of pubs, as well as styles of brews around every corner, it seems, between Kilbourn Town and Juneau Town, along with a sporadic brewery or brewpub elsewhere around town. You can take tours of a lot of them, and most are cheap. These pubs won't be hard to find, but might make your hotel difficult to find afterwards, so take the necessary precautions and don't overdo it. It's hard to enjoy any city with a hangover.
Riverwalk
There are several miles of waterfront walkways that combine the thrill of being in a big city with the aesthetic advantage of having a central waterway. The project began in 1988 and is ever expanding to combine local business opportunities with the chance to get some recess for the residents and visitors to the city. The vendors along the way will offer plenty to snack on or to bring home as a souvenir or gift. A stroll on the Riverwalk is a great way to experience Milwaukee. Look for the Fonz statue along the way. If you spot it, make sure to say "HEEEY" for me.
Harley-Davidson Museum
The only one of its kind, be sure to check out this special attraction with a complete collection of the world famous bikes. Artifacts from the very first Harley motorcycle ever built to the concept bikes of the future are here, along with everything in between. You don't ride? No problem. Anyone can enjoy the museum with all that it has to offer. There are extremely well-put-together exhibits that are as artful as they are informative. There are interactive exhibits as well for all ages. Go for a loved one who has interest, and find yourself being drawn into the wonderful history of Harley-Davidson.
Basilica of St. Josaphat
There aren't many like this in the world. There certainly aren't many like it in the United States. A beautiful structure that was built for worship in 1901 can be visited today no matter your faith. Sporting one of the largest copper domes in the world, the structure has charming details top to bottom. Even if you have been to Europe and visited the basilicas there, you'll find that this one has some credibility and stature all its own. This is not the kind of place you can let your kids run around; you should either make it a quick destination with the younger ones, or you can leave the little ones with a sitter and enjoy a peaceful afternoon wandering around and through the Basilica.
Safe House
It's no secret that this place is more for the novel experience than it is for the food. Not that the food is bad (far from it), but you won't run into Wolfgang Puck in the kitchen. You may, however, run into a list of other celebrities, as they are known for stopping in from time to time. The spy theme is fun for kids and adults alike. For the kids, there is plenty to look at and play with. For the grown-ups, there is a dance floor in the basement. There are a lot of surprises here, and I don't want to ruin them. I will say that you better know the password. So, go looking for some fun - you'll be sure to leave with a big smile.
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