When the Milwaukee Public Museum moves into its new building in 2027 it will also get a new name: the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
The name change, along with a new logo inspired by the future museum’s architecture, will take place when MPM moves into its new home at the corner of Sixth and McKinley streets in downtown Milwaukee in 2027, MPM announced on Tuesday.
The rebrand will not affect the current museum at 800 W. Wells St., which will continue to be called the Milwaukee Public Museum until it closes in late 2026.
“Our new museum’s name, the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin, honors the work we’ve been doing for nearly 150 years — sharing the intertwined stories of our natural world and the diverse cultures that shape it,” MPM president and CEO Ellen Censky said. “Our longstanding mission will continue to ring true through the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin’s galleries as we invite in guests from across Wisconsin and beyond to celebrate and spark curiosity about our shared history, all in one space.”
Because MPM has been and will continue to be a natural history museum, the future museum will adopt both “nature” and “culture” into its name. The museum will also swap out “Milwaukee” for “Wisconsin” to better reflect its role as a statewide institution. MPM is the most visited museum in the state and its collections feature items from all 72 Wisconsin counties. The State of Wisconsin chartered the museum in 1882.
“Public” will not be part of the future museum’s name because it will not be owned or operated by Milwaukee County. MPM has been managed by the nonprofit Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc. since the 1990s. The nonprofit also owns the future museum building. The county still maintains ownership of collections items.
“Calling ourselves a public museum implies that we are still a government entity or get most of our annual operating support from the government,” MPM said on its website. “Neither case is true.”
The $240 million future museum project is receiving $45 million in public funding from Milwaukee County and another $40 million from the State of Wisconsin. MPM is responsible for raising the remaining $150 million from private donors. As of a February announcement, MPM had raised $105 million in private donations.
“This new name and our future museum reflect the stories that connect us all, and the new logo reminds us of the museum’s nature-inspired architecture that will elevate Milwaukee’s skyline,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said. “I am proud that Milwaukee County is a partner on this project and look forward to watching families and children be inspired by the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin for many years to come.”
