Milwaukee Preservation Alliance Announces New Ways to Explore the Milwaukee Soldiers Home

MILWAUKEE (May 23, 2022) – The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance has relaunched its free downloadable walking tour app and announced in-person guided tours of the Milwaukee Soldiers Home.

“It’s hard to believe, but the walking tour app was launched nearly a decade ago,” said Jeremy Ebersole, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, the organization behind the “Save the Soldiers Home” effort. “We have made such significant progress toward our goal of rehabilitating and reusing the District’s vacant buildings, that it was time for an update.”

Since the tour’s launch, Old Main – the District’s most notable historic building, as well as five additional buildings, have been restored and now provide housing for homeless and at-risk veterans and their families.

The walking tour app, originally launched in 2013, includes audio narration, historical photos and facts as well as fresh, new photos and videos.

“While we’ve made great progress toward raising awareness of this incredible historic District right in our backyard, we know there are still many people who have never been out to the grounds to experience it for themselves,” said Ebersole. “We hope the refreshed walking tour app will encourage more people to visit the grounds and bring awareness to our continued efforts to find new uses for the vacant Chapel, Theater, and Governor’s Mansion.”

The app is available for free download on the App Store for iPhone users and Google Play for Android users. To download the app, visit the store on your mobile device and search Milwaukee Soldiers Home. 

Additionally, the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance announced a limited number of guided in-person tours to take place this summer. Tours include entry into the restored Old Main. Anyone interested in participating can visit savethesoldiershome.com/tour to register for an upcoming tour.

About the Soldiers Home
Established just after the Civil War, the Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home is a 90-plus acre district that rests on the grounds of the Clement J. Zablocki Medical Center. One of only 43 National Historic Landmarks in Wisconsin, it contains some of the oldest and most historic buildings in the VA system. Though many of its buildings remain in use, three of the District’s most visible buildings – the Chapel, Ward Theater, and Governor’s Mansion – are unoccupied and endangered. To learn more, visit http://www.SavetheSoldiersHome.com.

About Milwaukee Preservation Alliance
Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, Inc. is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting stewardship and awareness of the historic, cultural, and economic value of Milwaukee’s built heritage. MPA aims to strengthen Milwaukee’s neighborhoods by advocating for and promoting their unique cultural spaces and architectural assets to foster a strong and vibrant community as well as demonstrating the link between historic preservation and viable economic development. Learn more at https://www.milwaukeepreservationalliance.org/.

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.