Historic Milwaukee Announces 16th Annual Doors Open Milwaukee, Presented by UW-Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — From historic landmarks and iconic civic buildings to hidden gems, Doors Open Milwaukee invites visitors to step inside the places that shape the city. Returning Sept. 26–27, 2026, Historic Milwaukee’s 16th annual free citywide open house event offer tours of more than 180 sites across Milwaukee, providing a unique opportunity to explore the architecture, design, and history throughout downtown and our neighborhoods.
This year’s program will once again feature beloved Doors Open destinations, including the Grain Exchange Room, Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, Jones Island Water Reclamation Plant, and Tripoli Shrine Center, while introducing exciting new sites such as The Laughing Tap, Martin Luther King Library, and Pink Umbrella Theater Company. The complete list of participating sites will be announced in early September.
As Historic Milwaukee celebrates the event’s 16th year, the organization is proud to announce the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as the 2026 presenting sponsor. A longtime participant in Doors Open Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee has consistently showcased some of the event’s most popular destinations, including the Manfred Olson Planetarium, the UWM Panther Arena, and the School of Freshwater Sciences. This year, the university will offer its most expansive Doors Open experience to date, welcoming visitors to more than 30 locations.
Highlights will include rare opportunities to explore athletics facilities, exciting high-tech science labs, and intriguing architectural, artistic, and creative spaces. You can also explore the UWM Makers Market, featuring alumni and student artists, crafters, and entrepreneurs. Visitors who register and participate at UW-Milwaukee locations will also have the chance to receive a commemorative tote bag and prizes.
“UW-Milwaukee is proud to serve as the presenting sponsor of Doors Open Milwaukee, a one-of-a-kind event that brings our community together,” says UWM Chancellor Thomas Gibson. “We are excited to welcome visitors to campus, and our alumni back home, to experience firsthand some of the great work happening every day at UWM. I believe we have an obligation to be stewards of place, and events like Doors Open allow us to deepen our ties to the community we serve.”
Historic Milwaukee is also honored to announce that Doors Open Milwaukee has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts in the Design category as part of the nation’s America 250 celebration. This support will expand the 2026 event through a special kids activity booklet celebrating Milwaukee’s creative community. The booklet will feature artwork by acclaimed Milwaukee artists Emma Daisy, Evelyn Patricia Terry, and Adam Carr, encouraging participants to engage with the city’s art, architecture, and history in new ways.
The NEA grant will also support special programming throughout the weekend, including a performance by True Skool in the Grain Exchange Room on Sunday and a hands-on art activity led by Artists Working in Education, offering more engaging activities for visitors with kids.
In advance of Doors Open weekend, Historic Milwaukee will once again host the popular Key to the City Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, September Sept. 12. Following the success of last year’s inaugural hunt — which drew hundreds of participants searching for hidden keys throughout Milwaukee to unlock exclusive Doors Open prizes — the 2026 edition will feature new challenges, new prizes, and even more opportunities to explore the city before the main event.
Historic Milwaukee is currently recruiting volunteers to welcome visitors, assist at participating sites, and help count attendance throughout the weekend. Volunteers receive an exclusive Doors Open badge, priority access at participating sites, and other special perks.
Historic Milwaukee thanks its generous sponsors and partners for making this event possible, including UW-Milwaukee, National Endowment for the Arts, Johnson Controls Foundation, Zilber Family Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Veolia, Herzfeld Foundation, We Energies Foundation, Fund for Lake Michigan, Davidson Park, MGIC, Greenfire, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Saint John’s On The Lake, Visit Milwaukee, Zimmerman, Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation, Historic Third Ward Association, New History, and the Maihaugen Foundation, with in-kind support from Bublr Bikes, and Milwaukee County Parks. Historic Milwaukee also thanks the Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin, for their support.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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