Harley-Davidson Museum
Press Release

The Harley-Davidson Museum kickstarts 2017 with new displays, Gallery Night and more!

And with an eye on summer, the H-D Museum announces its special exhibit.

By - Jan 11th, 2017 10:51 am

MILWAUKEE (Jan. 11, 2017) – The new year brings new reasons to visit the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum®, located in Milwaukee, USA. In addition to new displays such as “From the Past: Archival Posters digitized for the 21st Century” that illustrate the freedom, adventure, artistry and rebellion of the Motor Company, the H-D Museum will roar with activity during special events geared to shake off the winter chill.

And if that weren’t enough to make plans to visit 6th & Canal, the H-D Museum is releasing details on its special summer exhibit. Please see below for more information and mark June 16 on your calendars.

DISPLAYS

“From the Past: Archival Posters Digitized for the 21st Century”
The Bridge
Jan. 13-Dec. 31
View vibrant selections from more than six decades of Harley-Davidson® advertising poster art in a new installation at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Learn about the H-D Museum’s digital preservation efforts undertaken by the archives staff to document these rare posters. Enthusiasts will be thrilled to learn that the recreations – which commemorate major milestones in Harley history – can be purchased through The Shop’s e-commerce website.
Please follow this link to view a video that details the preservation process. Images available upon request.

1962 AH Topper
Lobby
On display now
Debuting in 1960, the Harley-Davidson Topper was the company’s entry into that era’s booming motor scooter market. The Topper was marketed to youth, but in 1961, over twenty of the machines were acquired by the much older members of the Tripoli Shrine, Milwaukee’s local Shriner chapter. Perhaps no other participants in a parade elicit the same sense of quirky fun as the Shriners. They often shun parade floats for fleets of vehicles. Members of Tripoli Shrine rode the Toppers for over two decades. The Topper on display in the H-D Museum’s lobby acquired many of its 6,205 miles while on parade.

Milwaukee-Eight™ Engine Display
On display now
More than a century of refinement has produced a procession of iconic 45-degree Harley-Davidson V-Twins. Renowned for its unique look, sound, and the feel they create as the rider goes down the road, these engines are the heart and soul of our motorcycles. A major redesign of the large-displacement Big Twin engines that power Harley-Davidson cruiser and touring bikes is a rare occurrence. Past designs—the Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead— have taken on legendary status. The next chapter in this story, the Milwaukee-Eight, was introduced for the 2017 model year. While retaining the defining features of the classic Harley V-Twin, it introduces substantial improvements for the 21st-century rider. Now on display at the H-D Museum, the first ever Milwaukee-Eight to roll of the assembly line has come home.

“Racing Machines from the KR to the XR”
On display now
“Racing Machines from the KR to the XR” focuses on the role Harley-Davidson’s hardscrabble engineering team played in creating the legendary bikes that would dominate the race tracks of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. This exhibit shows how man and machine have combined to make Harley-Davidson Racing a king and the winner’s circle its throne.

$10 Tuesdays are back!
Don’t forget: H-D Museum admission on Tuesdays through April is just $10, no reservation required.

EVENTS

#MuseumSelfie Day
Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Grab the selfie stick and put on a happy face because #MuseumSelfie Day returns to the Harley-Davidson Museum on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Visitors are encouraged to share their best pics on the Harley-Davidson Museum’s social pages to show off the world’s largest collection of unrestored Harley-Davidson’s – well, that and their smiles. #HDMuseum

Gallery Night Free Admission
Friday, Jan. 20, 5-9 p.m.
Presented by the Historic Third Ward Association, Gallery Night & Day is the two-day premier art event in Milwaukee for both the experienced artist and beginning admirer. Free Friday night H-D Museum admission from 5 – 9 p.m.; regular H-D Museum admission applies on Saturday. Gallery hoppers can view the Museum’s newest installation, “From the Past: Archival Posters Digitized for the 21st century” (see above for more information).

Winter Blues Bike Night
Thursday, Jan. 26, 5-9 p.m.
MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant at the Harley-Davidson Museum®
It’s a time for making resolutions, and in 2017, your friends at the Harley-Davidson Museum are making it easier to resolve to ride more! Join us at MOTOR Bar & Restaurant to reconnect with friends and fellow riders as we all pledge to log more miles in the saddle. Live music by the Matt “MF” Tyner & Jeff Hamilton Duo (from The Carpetbaggers) covering songs from the Delta blues, rockabilly, honky tonk and roots rock.  In addition to MOTOR food and drink specials you’ve come to love (did someone say $2 brews with your MOTOR Bike Night koozie?), we’ll have special prizes for those iron butts who keep the odometer spinning. And it wouldn’t be Bike Night without raffles for unique Harley-Davidson merchandise.

SPECIAL SUMMER EXHIBIT:
The Race of Gentlemen
June 16-Sept. 4
At the intersection of speed and style, The Race of Gentlemen has become a must-see and must-do automotive carnival. Dedicated craftsmen and women build and restore vintage American hot rods and motorcycles to blast down the beaches of the Jersey Shore. This summer, the Harley-Davidson Museum is proud to bring together the vehicles, the artistry and the personalities that make up The Race of Gentlemen for its special exhibit. In addition to displaying portraits, bikes and roadsters pulled from past races, The Race of Gentlemen exhibit will reveal the passion and devotion TROG compatriots bring to this sandy spectacle.

About the Harley-Davidson Museum
The Harley-Davidson Museum is located at 400 W. Canal St. in Milwaukee and provides a glimpse of American history and culture like you’ve never seen it before – through the lens of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The Museum, a top destination in Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin, is open year-round and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area each year. The 20-acre campus offers abundant and free parking, and includes MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant and The Shop. For more information on the Museum’s galleries, exhibits, special events, tickets and more, visit the new and improved h-dmuseum.com.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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