Walk north on 9th Street, crossing Wells Street. On your right is the Milwaukee Public Museum.

With origins dating back to 1882, the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) is a natural and human history museum with more than 4.5 million objects and specimens. The museum has three and a half floors of exhibit space, so you could easily spend a full day here!

Popular permanent exhibits include the Hebior Mammoth in the museum's atrium, Streets of Old Milwaukee, the Puelicher Butterfly Garden (with free-flying butterflies!) and The Third Planet, which features the Museum’s dinosaurs. Other popular exhibits include a Costa Rican Rain Forest and Exploring Life on Earth, which gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at a scientist’s lab.


The musuem is also home to The Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium, with three unique visual experiences in one venue: an awe-inspiring planetarium program, a thrilling 3D show and a magnificent giant screen show. The crystal clear images on a six-story-tall screen and wraparound digital surround sound transports you into the center of the action. The MPM's planetarium is Wisconsin's largest and most modern, with stunning 3D animations that create an immersive astronomy experience. You'll see breathtaking vistas of the night sky, planets, the Milky Way and distant wonders of the universe.

As mentioned earlier, you could spend hours at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Decide if you'd like to explore now, or stop back at another time.

When you're ready to proceed on the tour, continue walking north on 9th Street.