Photo Courtesy of Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is stepping into a new chapter with a new identity. When the museum relocates to its future home at the corner of North Sixth Street and West McKinley Avenue in 2027, it will reopen as the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
The new name reflects the institution’s long-standing mission of exploring the deep connections between the natural world and human cultures. The updated identity also highlights the museum’s commitment to serving not just Milwaukee, but communities throughout the entire state.
“This is a very exciting time for our institution,” said MPM President and CEO Dr. Ellen Censky. “Our new name honors nearly 150 years of work sharing the intertwined stories of nature and diverse cultures.”
The Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin will continue to house and interpret the Milwaukee County collections, which include over four million artifacts and specimens representing both natural history and global cultures. These collections tell the evolving story of how people and the natural world have shaped one another throughout time.
Visitors can expect to see that story come to life across five permanent exhibit galleries: Time Travel, Wisconsin Journey (Winifred & Spencer Kellogg Gallery), Milwaukee Revealed, Living in a Dynamic World, and the Rainforest exhibit (We Energies Foundation Gallery). Additional attractions will include the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium, the Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium, a rooftop terrace, café, and public outdoor plaza. All of these will be part of the larger Milwaukee Museum Center, the name for the entire downtown complex.
Alongside the name change, the museum revealed a new logo inspired by the rock formations at Mill Bluff State Park—shapes that also influenced the new building's architecture. The visual identity incorporates a color palette rooted in Wisconsin’s natural beauty and the museum’s diverse collections, with shades such as red ocher, Northwoods green, spring green, limestone, and Wisconsin waters.
Originally chartered by the State of Wisconsin in 1882, the museum is the most visited in the state and will continue to serve as a destination for discovery, education, and inspiration for generations to come.
More details about the rebranding can be found at mpm.edu/future/brand.
