FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Madeline Anderson
414-278-2784
andersonm@mpm.edu
MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM KICKS OFF FINAL YEAR WITH FIRST OF FIVE “GREATEST HITS” EXHIBIT CELEBRATIONS: ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
January 10-February 14, 2026
MILWAUKEE — From mummies to Maya temples, the ancient world will come to life January 10-February 14 during Milwaukee Public Museum’s (MPM) Ancient Civilizations Greatest Hit—the first of five exhibit celebrations in 2026 in honor of MPM’s final year open before moving to the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. The month-long tribute will highlight the Ancient Egypt exhibit, Crossroads of Civilization, as well as other ancient peoples that are represented throughout the Museum, with new visitor experiences, including hands-on mummification demonstrations and samples and stories of cuisine from cultures around the world.
“MPM’s Third Floor takes visitors on a whirlwind journey to different regions and periods in history, including the exhibit Crossroads of Civilization, which explores the rise of the earliest civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Featuring real mummies, a life-size recreation of King Tut and his chariot, and scale models of ancient infrastructure, Crossroads has been a fan-favorite since it opened in 2015—making it the last permanent exhibit to be created in the current building,” said MPM President & CEO Dr. Ellen Censky. “Now, as our first Greatest Hit celebration, we’re excited to kick off our farewell year with an homage to Crossroads and our other global exhibits and immerse visitors in the diverse peoples of the past.”
Visitors will enjoy two Saturday family theme days bookending the four weeks, an after-hours, adults-only food- and wine-tasting event, bonus learning stations and activities on the exhibit floors during the week plus programs and resources for school groups. Greatest Hits-themed patches, stickers, T-shirts and tote bags will also be available for purchase at the MPM Marketplace. More details are below and at mpm.edu/greatest-hits/ancient-civilizations.
The Intro: Ancient Civilizations
Saturday, January 10, 2026
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
During this kickoff celebration of MPM's Ancient Civilizations Greatest Hit, visitors can attend a hands-on demonstration of ancient Egyptian mummification that uses life-size models. Other education stations will focus on the Maya and the many things this Mesoamerican civilization mastered—from hieroglyphs and architecture to math and astronomy. Ancient civilization-themed storytimes and activities for young children will be available throughout the day as well.
Ancient Appetites
Thursday, January 29, 2026
7-9:30 p.m.
Tickets are still available for this after-hours, adults-only event that takes guests on a global culinary exploration of the past. The evening includes a series of table stops throughout the Second and Third Floor galleries that focus on a different region and its flavors and food traditions. A curated selection of bites and alcoholic beverage samples at each station will help bring these stories, and their ingredients, to life. This is a 21+ event. For more details and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.mpm.edu/greatest-hits/ancient-civilizations#ancientappetites.
The Finale: Ancient Civilizations
Saturday, February 14, 2026
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
During our closeout celebration of the Ancient Civilizations Greatest Hit, visitors will get to know MPM's two Egyptian mummies on display and learn never-before-shared details about the Ancient Egypt exhibit planned for the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. Visitors will also discover the fundamental foods—some familiar and some surprising—that fueled ancient civilizations. Ancient civilization-themed storytimes and activities for young children will be available throughout the day as well.
Education Stations
Weekdays, January 12-February 13, 2026 (MPM is closed Tuesdays)
During the week, Museum Educators will be on the exhibit floors to engage visitors in learning opportunities about a variety of topics, including Egyptian mummification, King Tut, the history of tea and Maya tools and building techniques.
Stop Spots: Trade of the Ancient Crossroads
January 10-February 14, 2026
Visitors can go on a scavenger hunt through the Museum to learn about the ancient trade routes that helped spread goods and ideas and connected people and cultures thousands of miles apart.
School Programs and Resources
January 22 and 30, and February 12, 2026
School groups can schedule Ancient Egypt-themed programming when they book a field trip on these dates. Two topics are available: a guided tour of the Crossroads of Civilizations exhibit and a hands-on mummification demonstration.
MPM’s Greatest Hits features a lineup of five different month-long celebrations of special events and programs highlighting MPM's most popular and impactful exhibits—or “greatest hits.” Check out the schedule: mpm.edu/greatest-hits.
In 2027, MPM will move into a new, world-class building in downtown Milwaukee and change its name to the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. An official opening date for the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin is still being determined. Updates on this monumental project can be found at mpm.edu/future.
About the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is Wisconsin’s natural history museum, welcoming over half a million visitors annually. Located in downtown Milwaukee, the Museum was chartered in 1882, opened to the public in 1884, and currently houses more than 4 million objects in its collections. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rainforest, and a live butterfly garden, as well as the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater and Planetarium. MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
About the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Public Museum, Wisconsin’s natural history museum, is relocating from its current location on Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee to a newly constructed building, set to open in early 2027. At that time, the Museum will also change its name from Milwaukee Public Museum to the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. The Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin will be owned and operated by a private nonprofit, with collections items that are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
The Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin reflects its role as a statewide institution and identifies it as a museum that explores the relationship between humans and their natural environment throughout time. The nearly 145-year-old institution will carry on its mission to inspire curiosity, excite minds, and increase desire to preserve and protect our world's natural and cultural diversity through exhibitions, educational programs, collections, and research.
Heavily influenced by the ecological histories of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, the new Museum’s design will be reminiscent of the geological formations in Mill Bluff State Park, emblematic of the region’s diverse landscapes formed by the movements of water through time. The building spans approximately 200,000 square feet, including five stories. An additional 50,000-square-foot collections storage building is located offsite.
To learn more about the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin, visit mpm.edu/future.
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