MPM to Close Temporarily Due to COVID-19-related Staffing Shortage

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) will be temporarily closed to the public on Monday, January 10 through Wednesday, January 12 due to staffing shortages amid the ongoing surge in regional COVID-19 cases. MPM will provide updates on reopening plans at mpm.edu and on MPM’s social media channels.

“With a few key staff members in essential operational roles currently quarantining or awaiting test results, the Museum is proactively closing for a few days to accommodate for the impact of those absences,” said MPM President and CEO Ellen Censky. “The health, safety and wellbeing of those who enter our building is paramount, and unfortunately, we cannot safely operate without certain staffing levels in critical departments.”

MPM has implemented several COVID-19 mitigation measures throughout the pandemic to ensure the Museum can safely serve the public, including mask requirements for all staff and visitors ages three years and older, elevator and exhibit occupancy limits, and increased cleaning in high-traffic and high-touch areas. These measures align with Milwaukee County guidance on community and public spaces social restrictions, and follow CDC recommendations as best they can while keeping local orders in mind. In addition, 97 percent of MPM employees are vaccinated. Unvaccinated employees are required to receive weekly COVID-19 testing.

People who have already purchased tickets online for the affected dates will be able to receive a refund or transfer their tickets to an alternate future date.

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 & 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.