Milwaukee Public Museum unveils first gallery for its new home. Here's what we know, including what's coming from the old museum.

Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·4 min read

On Tuesday, Milwaukee Public Museum administrators unveiled the first group of exhibits to be included in the new museum when it opens in 2026.

The exhibits will be part of the museum's Time Travel Gallery, which is focused on exploring the planet's deep past, including the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The gallery is the first to be unveiled of five permanent galleries planned for the new museum.

What current exhibits are coming over to the new museum as part of the Time Travel Gallery?

The dinosaurs: The current museum's iconic T. Rex, part of the Third Planet diorama, will be in the new museum. He'll be part of a reimagined exhibit in the new museum's Mesozoic Hall, which also will include the current museum's fossilized Torosaur skeleton.

After scientists discovered the puncture wound on the skull of the Torosaur, they theorized that it was injured by another Torosaur; that inspired the new exhibit, which will include a diorama of the Torosaur skeleton fighting with a model of a fully fleshed-out Torosaur. The T. Rex will be lurking behind a bend.

The Torosaur Clash will be featured in the Mesozoic Hall in the Time Travel gallery at the new Milwaukee Public Museum. Milwaukee Public Museum administrators unveiled on Tuesday, Time Travel, the first group of exhibits to be included in the new museum. Ground will be broken on the new museum later this year, located in the Haymarket neighborhood on 6th and McKinley, adjacent to the Deer District.

The Silurian Reef: There's a Silurian Reef diorama on the first floor of the current museum; it depicts the underwater environment that Milwaukee was a part of 425 million years ago. That reef will be reimagined in the new museum, and brought out from behind the glass so visitors can feel as if they're immersed in the environment. In addition to the more than 122,000 Silurian fossils in the museum's collection, there also will be the sounds of waves and a tabletop where visitors can touch replicas of ancient sea creatures. The reef exhibit will be part of Paleozoic Hall.

The Hebior Mammoth: In the current museum, a mammoth skeleton that was discovered in Kenosha County greets visitors when they enter on the ground floor. In the new museum, the mammoth will be part of a scene where hunters are prepared to strike it. Also in the exhibit will be a mini diorama to show how humans butchered mammoths, something scientists have theorized about based on marks left on mammoths' bones. This exhibit will be part of the Curtis L. and Jean E. Carter Cenozoic Hall.

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What new exhibits will be in the Time Travel Gallery?

Although administrators have not announced everything that will be in the new exhibit hall, they did offer a sampling of new exhibits.

In Paleozoic Hall, the Cambrian Trackway exhibit will focus on a Cambrian Diplichnites fossil, a 2,600-pound slab of sandstone discovered in central Wisconsin that contains ancient animal tracks. The fossil has helped scientists discover how animal species moved from water to land. Museum President and CEO Ellen Censky said the fossil has been in the MPM basement for years but will now be able to be seen by the public.

Ellen Censky, Milwaukee Public Museum president and CEO speaks during a press conference at the Milwaukee Public Museum on West Wells Street in Milwaukee on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, where Milwaukee Public Museum administrators unveiled, Time Travel, the first group of exhibits to be included in the new museum. Ground will be broken on the new museum later this year, located in the Haymarket neighborhood on 6th and McKinley, adjacent to the Deer District.

What about the rattlesnake button?

Although the rattlesnake button isn't part of the Time Travel Gallery, Oronde Wright, senior exhibition designer at Thinc Design, did drop a hint at the March 7 press conference, calling the button "the worst best-kept secret" and saying it likely will be making an appearance in the new museum, along with plenty of new hidden treasures.

He noted that during community focus groups, the design team learned that Milwaukeeans value the museum's immersive, object-based dioramas and the meandering pathways and sense of discovery that are part of the current museum. Wright said those elements will be incorporated into the new museum's design.

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What are the galleries that will be in the new Milwaukee Public Museum?

Ground will be broken for the new museum later this year, and Time Travel will be one of the museum's five permanent galleries. The other galleries are:

  • Wisconsin Journey, a gallery focused on the geological and cultural history of Wisconsin

  • Milwaukee Revealed, an immersive gallery focused on historical Milwaukee streetscapes and neighborhoods

  • Living in a Dynamic World, a gallery focused on areas and cultures across the world

  • Rainforest, an immersive exploration through tropical rainforests.

In addition to the five permanent galleries, there will be a live butterfly exhibit and a planetarium, as well as space for traveling exhibits and to rotate MPM collections that are usually not on display.

Museum officials plan to roll out the details of the remaining exhibits in a series of announcements over the next few months, ending on May 24.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Public Museum's new Time Travel gallery will have dinosaurs