What Milwaukee Public Museum does

Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is a private non-profit natural history institution chartered in 1882 and operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., with collections held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County. The museum serves the Wisconsin and broader Midwest community through immersive exhibits spanning three and a half floors, including world-famous 'Milwaukee-style' habitat dioramas pioneered in 1890, life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, a Costa Rican rainforest replica, a live butterfly vivarium, and the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium. Its research collections house more than 4 million objects used by scientists worldwide, and the institution welcomes over 500,000 visitors annually.

The business model is diversified across admissions, annual memberships (portable to the successor institution), facility rentals for weddings and corporate events (80,000 sq ft indoor / 9,500 sq ft outdoor, accommodating 10–3,500 guests), educational programming for K-12 schools, merchandise through MPM Marketplace, and fundraising events such as Food & Froth. Digital distribution includes 360 Virtual Exhibit Tours covering eight gallery areas. Core technology is a self-led virtual tour platform with interactive map navigation, audio, and downloadable research resources; the institution operates no app, no public API, and no disclosed AI capabilities.

Strategically, MPM is executing a major 2027 relocation and rebranding to the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin, backed by a $212 million capital campaign. The current building at 800 West Wells Street will cease operations on January 3, 2027, with the final year (2026) anchored by a year-long 'Greatest Hits' farewell celebration. Leadership under President & CEO Dr. Ellen Censky includes new VP-level appointments in marketing/visitor experience and academic affairs, signaling organizational preparation for the transition.

Name

Milwaukee Public Museum

Legal name

Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc.

Website

https://mpm.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Milwaukee Public Museum is a Wisconsin non-profit natural history museum (founded 1882) serving 500,000+ annual visitors with 4 million collection objects, 200+ dioramas, planetarium shows, school programs, and event rentals, transitioning to a new 200,000 sq ft facility in 2027.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), History Museums (THAJADAB), Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Museum education programs
• Cultural heritage exhibits
• Planetarium and dome theater
• Museum facility rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Ticket sales for museum admission to general public and visitors
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships providing free admission and exclusive perks. Members receive benefits at both Milwaukee Public Museum and the new Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
3. Facility Rentals: Venue rental for weddings, corporate events, conferences, and private gatherings. Top-ten largest meeting and event venue in Milwaukee with 80,000 sq ft indoor and 9,500 sq ft outdoor space.
4. Gift Shop/Merchandise: MPM Marketplace sells Greatest Hits limited-edition merchandise including apparel, accessories, and collectibles. New items released every other month throughout 2026.
5. Special Events & Fundraisers: Annual fundraising events including Food & Froth beer-tasting event and Annual Gala. Food & Froth generates approximately $100 per general admission ticket and $200 for VIP.
6. Capital Campaign Donations: Fundraising campaign for new museum facility (Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin) has reached $212 million. Campaign supports construction costs for new building opening 2027.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Milwaukee Public Museum operates a natural history museum featuring immersive permanent and temporary exhibits across three and a half floors, including over 200 life-size habitat dioramas, a live butterfly vivarium, a rainforest replica, dinosaur displays, and walk-through villages. The museum sells general admission tickets, annual memberships, planetarium and dome theater tickets, school field-trip programming, outreach visits, private-event facility rentals, and limited-edition merchandise, complemented by fundraising events (Food & Froth, Annual Gala) and capital campaign donations supporting the new Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin slated for 2027.

Product overview

Milwaukee Public Museum operates as a natural history museum institution with two facilities: its current location at 800 West Wells Street (open through January 2027) and the forthcoming Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin (opening 2027). The museum offers core educational experiences through permanent and special exhibits, 360 Virtual Exhibit Tours for remote access, and the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium for giant films and astronomy programming. Additional services include Event Rentals for private functions, School Field Trips with educational programs, MPM on the Move outreach services, and membership programs providing reciprocal access to both museum facilities. The institution also operates MPM Marketplace for merchandise, Summer Connections for youth programming, Science on Tap lectures, an MPM Book Club, and the Wisconsin Statewide Community Science Project for public participation in research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milwaukee Public Museum (general museum admission and exhibits) Wisconsin's natural history museum featuring three and a half floors of immersive exhibits (dioramas, dinosaurs, rainforest, walk-through villages), the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium, and more than 4 million objects in the research collection. Open to the general public at 800 West Wells Street, Milwaukee, until January 3, 2027.
• Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin The new natural history museum facility replacing Milwaukee Public Museum in downtown Milwaukee, opening in 2027, where MPM will rebrand as the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. Approximately 200,000 sq ft across five stories with an additional 50,000 sq ft offsite collections storage building.
• 360 Virtual Exhibit Tours Self-led virtual tours of museum exhibits providing immersive exploration with behind-the-scenes access to collections, videos, and research links. Includes tours of Asia Gallery, Bugs Alive!, Crossroads of Civilization (mummies), Pre-Columbian America, Rainforest, The Third Planet, A Tribute to Survival, and Wisconsin Woodlands.
• Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium Giant dome theater featuring planetarium shows, giant films, and special presentations including Wisconsin Stargazing, Sea Otters: A Wild Family Adventure, Up in the Air!, Wild Rescue, and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
• Event Rentals Private event venue rental for weddings, corporate events, conferences, and conventions. Offers 80,000 sq ft of indoor event space and 9,500 sq ft of outdoor space, accommodating 10 to 3,500 guests, with an exclusive in-house caterer.
• School Field Trips & Educational Programs Educational programming for K-12 students including guided exhibit tours, early learning programs, museum academies, and Reserve an Educator sessions covering topics such as dinosaurs, insects, Wisconsin tribes, and ancient civilizations.
• MPM on the Move Outreach Outreach program in which museum educators travel to schools and community locations to deliver hands-on programming on natural history topics. Virtual programming options are also available via video meeting software.
• MPM Membership Annual membership program providing free admission and exclusive perks. Membership includes access to both Milwaukee Public Museum and the new Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin, with current membership months carrying over to the new museum.
• MPM Marketplace Online and on-site merchandise store featuring Greatest Hits collection apparel, accessories, and collectibles celebrating iconic exhibits, with new items released every other month throughout 2026.
• Summer Connections Annual summer initiative providing free, educational programming and museum access for K-8 students throughout Milwaukee in coordination with community partners.
• Science on Tap Adult-oriented lecture series featuring scientists and experts discussing natural and cultural science topics, held at the museum with a social hour and beverages, typically monthly.
• MPM Book Club Volunteer-led monthly program inviting adults to discuss nonfiction books of a scientific nature related to museum exhibits, research, or programs.
• Wisconsin Statewide Community Science Project Community-based initiative making science accessible to a broader Wisconsin audience by allowing public participation directly in scientific research, with data used for future research studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wehr Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Host venue for MPM's 11th annual BioBlitz, a 24-hour biodiversity survey and celebration event. 220-acre nature preserve in Franklin, Wisconsin provides diverse habitat for species documentation.
• Wisconsin DNRminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026State agency collaborating on BioBlitz events, bat monitoring programs, and wildlife conservation education initiatives.
• America's Black Holocaust MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2021Partnership for Mandela: The Official Exhibition U.S. debut. Collaborated on programming, advisory council, and community engagement around the exhibition exploring Nelson Mandela's life and legacy.
• Round Room LiveminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2021Producer of Mandela: The Official Exhibition. Brought the immersive exhibition to MPM for its U.S. debut, featuring 150+ historical artifacts.
• Kohl's / Kohl's CarescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate sponsor providing free admission on first Thursday of each month (Kohl's Thank You Thursday). Kohl's Cares merchandise program has committed over $2 million to MPM since 2009. Support enables free programming and community access initiatives.
• Potawatomi Casino HotelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Native American Heritage Month programming including the 3 Rivers Powwow. Generous support enables special events and cultural programming celebrating Indigenous communities.
• National Diorama Month Diorama-RamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host the 10th anniversary of the Diorama-RAMA contest, celebrating Milwaukee-style dioramas with local artist participation and community engagement.
• We EnergiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wisconsin Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program. Power plant facilities provide ideal nesting sites for falcons. Live camera streams of falcon nests support conservation education.
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partnering for Rainforest & Butterflies programming to educate visitors about protecting invertebrates and pollinators.
• International Crane FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrane conservation organization founded in Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1973. MPM highlights their work in Bird Hall exhibit celebrating sandhill crane recovery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Field Museum: Chicago-based natural history museum and one of the largest in the U.S., directly comparable to MPM as a Midwest natural history institution with dioramas, research collections, and educational programming. Same category of dinosaur/zoology/anthropology exhibits and similar membership/event business model.
• Cleveland Museum of Natural History: Regional natural history museum in another Midwestern city; similar collections, research, and educational programming orientation with comparable visitor scale.
• Cincinnati Museum Center: Multi-museum complex in a Midwestern metro area of comparable scale to MPM; operates history, natural history, and children's museums under one nonprofit with similar education and event-rental focus.
• Minnesota Children's Museum: Midwest children's museum operating under the same non-profit, member-supported model, with similar emphasis on K-12 field trips, family memberships, and community programming.
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Pittsburgh-based natural history museum that pioneered the first BioBlitz with public participation — a format MPM's CEO helped organize. Directly comparable mission, collections scale, and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• American Museum of Natural History: The flagship U.S. natural history museum in NYC, comparably focused on dioramas, scientific research, and K-12 education, though operating at a much larger scale across multiple buildings.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Federal natural history museum with similarly sized collections and research programs; comparably positioned as a national cultural and educational destination, though federally funded rather than donor- and admission-supported.

Regional players

• Madison Children's Museum: Wisconsin-based children's museum with overlapping family/education audiences and a hands-on exhibit philosophy, providing a relevant in-state comparable for visitor and member programming.
• Shedd Aquarium: Chicago aquarium and aquatic science institution with overlapping audiences and a comparable mix of immersive exhibits, memberships, and field-trip programming — directly relevant given MPM's butterfly vivarium and aquatic collections.
• Brookfield Zoo (Chicago Zoological Society): Major Midwest zoological park that overlaps with MPM's animal-collection and conservation-education programming, including the Wehr Nature Center / Wisconsin DNR biodiversity work MPM leads.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mkepublicmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/MKEPublicMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/milwaukeepublicmuseum
• TikToktiktok.com/@MKEPublicMuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Milwaukee Public Museum