Museum Days Returns to Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE – (January 17, 2024) VISIT Milwaukee is excited to announce the return of Museum Days, a campaign designed to drive increased attendance and awareness of 30 of Milwaukee’s museums from January 18 to 28. This campaign encourages visitors from the region to partake in the full spectrum of the city’s cultural offerings at discounted rates, urging them to immerse themselves in new-to-them museums or special exhibitions. Throughout Museum Days, entry fees at participating museums range from free to $15 admission.

“Our museums create a rich sense of identity and pride for our community while enhancing the quality of life for residents and providing a wonderful experience for our visitors,” says Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “We are always proud to invite visitors from around the world to explore these institutions and make them a regular part of their travels to Milwaukee.”

This year’s Museum Days promotion builds on the success of last year’s campaign, which drove increased visitation to museums throughout the area. The Bucyrus Museum reported a visitation increase of three times over the same 10-day span in 2022. Museum Days also generated 73% of ticket sales for America’s Black Holocaust Museum, and Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum reported over 400 visitors from their Museum Days campaign.

Participating museums include:

• America’s Black Holocaust Museum
• Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center
• Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
• Bucyrus Museum
• Cedarburg Art Museum
• Charles Allis Art Museum
• Discovery World
• Grohmann Museum
• Haggerty Museum of Art
• Harley-Davidson Museum
• IPAMA Institute for the Preservation of African American Music and Arts
• Jewish Museum Milwaukee
• John Michael Kohler Arts Center
• Lynden Sculpture Garden
• Milwaukee Art Museum
• Milwaukee County Historical Society
• Milwaukee Public Museum
• Milwaukee War Memorial Center
• Mitchell Gallery of Flight 
• Mitchell Park Domes – Horticultural Conservatory
• Museum of Wisconsin Art
• National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum
• Pabst Mansion
• Racine Art Museum
• RAM’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
• Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel
• Selfie Hop
• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery
• Villa Terrace Decorative Art Museum
• War Memorial Center
• Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum
• Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Art

VISIT Milwaukee is promoting Museum Days through blogs, paid search, digital advertising, out-of-market geofencing, and social media campaigns and influencer marketing. This year, VISIT Milwaukee collaborated with popular Chicago-area social media influencers @es.juandavid, @thewindycitymama and @kayleejochicago to promote the event to their audiences.

On January 19, Museum Days will kick off with “On the Issues: Museum and Arts Funding in Wisconsin,” a discussion on the opportunities available in our area and how business leaders and community activists can bring more attention to the numerous museums in the city. Panelists include Derek Mosley, director of the Marquette University Lubar Center; Adam Braatz, executive director of Imagine MKE; Ellen Censky, president/CEO of the Milwaukee Public Museum; Clayborn Benson, executive director of Wisconsin Black Historical Society; Laurie Winters, executive director/CEO of the Museum of Wisconsin Art; Polly Morris, executive director of the Lynden Sculpture Garden; and Rob Henken, president of the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

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.