Milwaukee Public Museum

The life-sized replica of Tyrannosaurus rex located in The Third Planet exhibit.

The Milwaukee Public Museum, one of the largest in the United States, is a museum of human and natural history providing a dynamic and stimulating environment for learning, with something to excite and challenge visitors with a diversity of interests.

The Museum Center hosts over 500,000 visitors per year and is conveniently located in downtown Milwaukee, just minutes from the interstate.

From its modest beginnings in 1882, the Milwaukee Public Museum currently houses over 6 million specimens. Permanent exhibits are contained in three and a half floors of exhibit area, with additional space for traveling and temporary exhibits. Tour the Museum's 150,000 square feet of exhibit space to visit Africa, Asia, Europe, the Arctic, South and Middle America, the Pacific Islands and a Costa Rican Rainforest.

Take a small step back in time to the turn-of-the-century Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village and to ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Or, take a giant leap back more than 65 million years to The Third Planet, see the world's largest-known dinosaur skull and a life-sized replica of Tyrannosaurus rex. Stroll amid free-flying butterflies from around the world in The Puelicher Butterfly Wing.

Planning your visit

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• Gift Shops
• Floor Maps
• Accessibility

Rules of Decorum for the Milwaukee Public Museum

The Milwaukee Public Museum welcomes all visitors. To maximize everyone’s benefit and enjoyment of the museum, we have established expected rules of behavior during your visit. Failure to observe the rules may result in the violator being asked to leave the Museum Complex. The following Rules of Decorum apply to all persons while at the museum:

• No food or drink is permitted outside designated food service areas.
• Youth 12 years of age and under are not permitted in the Museum Complex without a chaperone at least 16 years of age.
• Smoking is not permitted in the Museum Complex.
• Portable electronic devices for listening are not permitted without the use of headphones.
• Security Officers and staff may restrict parcels that, in their sole opinion, are oversized or dangerous. No parcel larger than 11 inches by 15 inches in either dimension may be carried into the Museum without pre-arrangement. This policy complies with a national standard for all Museums in the North America and exceptions are rarely granted. Folding oversized parcels to reduce their size may not result in an exception being made.
• All parcels are subject to search at any time. This is a condition of entry into the Museum Complex. If you do not agree to this condition please do not enter. Officers do not discriminate in enforcing this policy. Expect your parcels to be examined by an officer or an employee upon leaving the Museum Complex. This policy complies with a national standard for security in all Museums in North America.
• Running, pushing, shoving, or similar activity that is deemed dangerous by an officer or staff member is not permitted.
• There is to be no loitering or assembly of groups who are not using the Museum for its intended purpose.
• Disorderly, disruptive, abusive, or offensive language or actions are prohibited. Individuals who approach others for the purpose of solicitation of any type or in an offensive manner are considered to be disorderly and will be asked to leave the Museum Complex.
• All photography is for noncommercial purposes. Officers and staff may restrict the use of cameras for any reason at their sole discretion.
• Visitors must be properly attired including shoes and shirts.
• Littering is not permitted.
• Touching of collection objects in not permitted. Leaning on exhibit display cases could damage the collections or cause alarms to activate and is also prohibited.
• Fire exits that are not obviously available for public use are not to be used except in an evacuation. Doors that are not attended by an officer are alarmed and secured.
• Galleries close five minutes prior to Museum closing. Officers will direct visitors to the exits at that time.
• Backpacks and rigid baby carriers may not be carried on the back in the galleries. Soft, non-ridged carriers may be carried on the front only if the baby is inside.
• Officers and staff have the authority to close exhibit areas for any reason.
• Weapons of any kind are not permitted in the Museum Complex. Weapons include, but are not limited to, a knife, fixed or folded, and all firearms and any other potential lethal device.