MPM offers unique events, programs, and resources throughout the year.
Upcoming Events: Visitors and members enjoy unique events hosted by the Museum throughout the year. Explore ↓
Planetarium: Take a tour of the universe with an awe-inspiring Planetarium program or learn about the wonders of our world with a giant screen film. Explore ↓
Ongoing Programs and Initiatives: Together with our partners, MPM's programs and initiatives make learning about the wonders of the world accessible, engaging, and fun for the community. Explore ↓
Online Resources: Want to learn more about your favorite MPM topics? Check out our educational videos, virtual exhibit tours, and partner links. Explore ↓
Upcoming Events
Saturday Storytime Series: Celebrating Black History
February 15 & 22, March 1
10 a.m. - noon and 1-3 p.m.
Families with young children (recommended for ages 3-6) are welcome to stop into our Early Learning classroom for hands-on activities and story times about Black history!
Saturday Exhibit Tour Series: Celebrating Black History
February 15 & 22, March 1
11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Join us for a special collaboration with America's Black Holocaust Museum as their docents, or “griots,” highlight African and African American history throughout MPM's exhibit galleries. Tour is 50 minutes. Recommended for 15 years and up.
Crossing the Line: The Milwaukee Fair Housing Marches of 1967-1968 Traveling Display
February 19-March 6
Learn about the practices and prejudices that led to segregation in Milwaukee from a special traveling display from the Wisconsin Historical Society. MPM Educators will also be on hand to explain how historians use primary resources to learn about Milwaukee's civil rights history. Located on the Ground Floor Garden Galleries. Recommended for 10 years and up.
Mystery at MPM: Adult Edition
Friday, February 21, 2025
Test your MPM knowledge at this interactive scavenger hunt game. Solve a series of clues that will take you around all three exhibit floors, searching for objects that you have likely passed by without noticing.
This event is sold out.
Food & Froth
Saturday, March 8, 2025
7 - 9:30 p.m.
Cheers with Granny at Food & Froth! This annual event invites guests to an after-hours party at the Museum where they have the rare opportunity to wander the exhibit floors while sampling delicious brews and bites from dozens of local vendors. The evening also includes live music on the First Floor.
Tickets on sale now.
Spring Break Programming
March 23-27
10 a.m.-Noon, 1-3 p.m.
Fly on by to MPM for a breath of fresh spring (break) air! MPM Educators will be on the exhibit floors with hands-on activities about birds, butterflies, bees, and all things spring.
Creepy-Crawly Day
Saturday, March 29
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Learn about the wonderful world of bugs as we cap off our spring break programming! Handle live critters, examine specimens under microscopes, nibble on edible insects, and much more. There's fun for entomologists of every age!
Mystery at MPM: Family Edition
Saturday, April 5, 2025 and Saturday, May 31, 2025
Join us for a family version of our after-hours mystery caper! Solve a series of clues that will take you around all three exhibit floors, searching for objects that you have likely passed by without noticing. Recommended for children age 6 and up.
Science on Tap
"Seeding Resilience: Haudenosaunee Corn & History"
Thursday, April 10, 2025
With a focus on the Oneida people of Wisconsin, corn has played an integral role in both their daily and ceremonial lives throughout their often-turbulent history. Learn about current efforts to grow and celebrate corn on the Oneida Reservation with Dr. Rebecca M. Webster.
Spring Break Programming
March 23-27
10 a.m.-Noon, 1-3 p.m.
Fly on by to MPM for a breath of fresh spring (break) air! MPM Educators will be on the exhibit floors with hands-on activities about birds, butterflies, bees, and all things spring.
Arbor Day Celebration
Friday, April 25
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Let's hear it for the trees! In celebration of Arbor Day, MPM Educators will be on the exhibit floors with interactive learning opportunities about the science of maple sugaring, the importance of materials like birch bark, and why and how a museum collects and studies plants.
Streets Alive!
Saturday, April 26, 2025
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Streets of Old Milwaukee will bring history to life as docents interpret this beloved exhibit in period attire! Visitors can chat with a maid from the Pfister Hotel, a pharmacist, a toy store owner, and others from the early 1900s who will inhabit the exhibit, answering questions, telling stories, and providing insights about life here more than a century ago.
Science on Tap
"Amphibian and Reptile Conservation in Wisconsin"
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Amphibians and reptiles are interesting components of Wisconsin's natural communities. Joshua M. Kapfer invites you to review some of the factors that impact these species in the Upper Midwest and learn more about the challenges these animals present.
Planetarium
Now Showing at the Daniel M. Soref Theater and Planetarium
Check out the Planetarium programs and giant films playing daily.
January 1, 2025 through April 4, 2025
| 10:15 a.m. | Wisconsin Stargazing |
| 11 a.m. | Cities of the Future |
| Noon | Constellations! |
| 12:45 p.m. | Cities of the Future |
| 2 p.m. | Wisconsin Stargazing |
| 2:45 p.m. | T. REX |
| 3:45 p.m. | Constellations! |
| 4:30 p.m. | Cities of the Future |
Ongoing Programs and Initiatives
Kohl's Thank You Thursdays
First Thursday of every month
All visitors enjoy free admission to MPM thanks to generous support from Kohl's.
Science on Tap
Grab a brew (or root-brew!) and meet us at the Museum or online to listen to a lecture from some of the best minds in natural and cultural sciences. Lectures are scheduled every couple of months.
Docent Tours
Explore the hidden wonders of our exhibits and galleries with free half-hour docent tours every Saturday at 1 p.m.
Summer Connections
MPM's annual summer initiative provides free, educational programming and access to the Museum for K-8 students throughout Milwaukee in coordination with community partners.
Wisconsin Statewide Community Science Project
This community-based initiative seeks to make science accessible to a broader audience throughout Wisconsin, even nationally, so the public can feel trust towards science by participating directly in it. The data is then used for future research.
MPM Book Club
A volunteer-led monthly program that invites interested adults to join lively monthly discussions about nonfiction books of a scientific nature that relate to Museum exhibits, research, or programs.
360 Virtual Exhibit Tours
Native American Heritage
Black History Month
Hispanic Heritage Month