Culver’s Donates $1 Million for Frozen Custard Exhibit
Owners donation will fund custard shop exhibit at new Milwaukee Public Museum.
Milwaukee Revealed sketch.
The owners of Culver’s donated $1 million to the new Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) project for a frozen custard exhibit.
In April, MPM officials announced a new gallery called “Milwaukee Revealed” that will give visitors an immersive tour of a Milwaukee streetscape. Included in the new gallery will be a frozen custard shop explaining the historic connection between Wisconsin’s dairy industry and the popular custard shops of Milwaukee.
“Visitors will be able to enter the exhibit, where they’ll smell the sweet scent of freshly baked waffle cones and find a mix of vibrant graphics and historic photographs that give an overview of the creation of frozen custard,” the museum said in a statement. “They’ll even be able to take their turn operating a custard machine that serves an endless loop of faux custard.”
The exhibit was made possible by donation from the Culver’s and the Culver’s family, according to MPM. Theirs is the latest donation announced by MPM, which is attempting to raise approximately $150 million in private donations for the new $240 million, 200,000-square-foot museum planned for the corner of N. 6th Street and W. McKinley Avenue in Downtown. Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin have already contributed $45 and $40 million to the project, respectively.
“We are grateful for the Culvers’ generous gift to the Future Museum that will support our efforts to share more about the land-based processes used to make frozen custard—from cow to cone,” said Ellen Censky, MPM president and CEO. “Culver’s dedication to the prosperity of the state’s dairy industry and hometown hospitality exemplifies the interconnectedness of nature and culture that we aim to weave throughout all galleries in the Future Museum.”
The Milwaukee Revealed gallery will be similar to the popular “Streets of Old Milwaukee” exhibit at the current public museum, 800 W. Wells St. Visitors will be able to walk through and interact with the exhibits. It will include a commercial district featuring a mix of modern and historic city landmarks and a section on the neighborhoods of Milwaukee.
“Milwaukee and Wisconsin have such a rich and deep history,” said Craig Culver, co-founder of Culver’s “It is a pleasure to support the creation of a Future Museum where exhibits will celebrate and share that local history. It’s especially meaningful that part of the Milwaukee Revealed gallery will focus on the history of frozen custard, one of this city and state’s great contributions to the dessert palate.”
Construction of the new museum is expected to begin in 2024 on a 2.4-acre site on the southwest corner of N. 6th Street and W. McKinley Avenue. It’s expected to be open by late 2026 or early 2027.
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20,000 SF?