Milwaukee Post
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/537114
By TOM JOZWIK Special to the Post Summer in southeastern Wisconsin is a season for outdoor fun: fairs and festi- vals, bicycling and boating, picnics and park-staged plays. But whether it's too cool or too hot or any other rea- son, summer also affords ample opportunity for indi- viduals and families to visit museums. And, given the quality and varying content of museums in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, vis- iting should probably be regarded more as a must-see move than as a fallback activity on a rainy day. (Some of the museums, in fact, are of the outdoor vari- ety.) The granddaddy of all M i l w a u k e e - W a u k e s h a museums, established in 1882 when Chester Arthur was U.S. president, is one of the nation's top-flight natu- ral history repositories: the downtown Milwaukee Public Museum. The vener- able MPM's new permanent exhibition is profiled below; highlights of three addi- tional — and unusual — downtown Milwaukee museums, plus three based in Waukesha County, follow. (Sources for additional information, such as prices and hours of operation, are provided.) Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St., 4 1 4 - 2 2 3 - 4 6 7 6 , www.mpm.edu In recent years, tempo- rary MPM exhibits have spotlighted pirates, the ill- fated Titanic, and Vatican art treasures. The talk of the museum these days is "Crossroads of Civilization: Ancient Worlds of the Near East and Mediterranean"— the first permanent exhibi- tion to debut in over a decade. Long famous for its diora- mas, the MPM offers through "Crossroads of Civilization" such life-sized figures as King Tut, riding in a horse-drawn chariot, plus a pair of Egyptian mummies whose interiors museumgoers will be able to examine. There are scores of artifacts as well: Weaponry and pottery, jew- elry and coinage. The won- ders of interactive technolo- gy allow visitors to, among other things, explore the temple of Pharaoh Ramesses III. All of the above combine to highlight more than five millennia of Mediterranean/Near East cultural convergence involving Egyptians, Greeks, Iranians and oth- ers. Betty Brinn Children's Museum, 929 E. Wisconsin Ave., 414-390- 5437, www.bbcmkids.org Some years ago, commer- cials trumpeted a place where a kid could be a kid. Not too many museums fit that description, but Lake Michigan neighbor BBCM does. Geared to youngsters during their first 10 years or so, the BBCM encourages patrons to construct a giant insect, climb a beehive, role- play jobs in a bank, garage and TV studio and learn healthy lifestyle lessons via an outsize board game. "Word Headquarters," which Wisconsin academics helped develop, emphasizes literacy as a means to suc- cess; "Pocket Park" is tar- geted to infants and tod- dlers. There are a mini- gallery of youthful artists' efforts and a plant/flower garden as well. Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear, 839 N. 11th St., 414-273-1680, www.chudnowmuseum.o rg Steve Daily, executive director of this museum located in an erstwhile duplex in the shadow of Marquette University's campus, described the Chudnow's latest exhibit in an email to a Conley Media reporter as "a women's fashion room that features clothing, hats, shoes and accessories from the 1920s and 1930s from not only the Chudnow collection but also … the Milwaukee County Historical Society." Daily went on to explain that he thought such an exhibition "might be a good way to break into summer." The just-opened display supple- ments permanent re-cre- ations of shops, offices, a theater and even a speakeasy and supplants a yearlong exhibit highlight- ing what happened to Milwaukee's beer brewing industry during Prohibition. H a r l e y - D a v i d s o n Museum, 400 W. Canal St., 414-287-2789, w w w . h a r l e y - davidson.com A relatively new museum, H-D credits itself with pro- viding "a glimpse of American history and cul- ture like you've never seen it before —through the suc- cesses and trials of an icon- ic American company." Exhibits highlight the com- pany's motorcycle-entwined annals; opening June 13 was "Willie G. Davidson: Artist, Designer, Leader, Legend." The "Willie G." exhibit boasts unique vehicles, orig- inal designs, and items from the personal collection of its namesake, an impactful designer for the company for decades and grandson of one of its founders. A more established exhibit is "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," which includes an Arnold Schwarzenegger costume and additional props from the 1991 movie. Waukesha County Museum, 101 W. Main St., Waukesha, 262-521-2859 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.) While the century-old museum has suspended nor- mal business operations as the 1893 county courthouse edifice housing it is being reconfigured, the public is still welcome to visit from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. The museum's most promi- nent "Wizard of Waukesha" exhibit, scheduled for reloca- tion within the building, honors native son and elec- tric guitar pioneer Les Paul. Not surprisingly, the Paul display includes guitars. The focus at the Waukesha County Museum is on local history and, as curator Andrew Swanson related during a brief phone interview, "Having over 100 years of historic material in one place is a great resource for people." Swanson sees the reconfiguration as rep- resenting "kind of a new start for the museum" — an opportunity to "create new, up-to-date exhibit" areas. "We're excited," the curator said, "with the new direc- tion that our museum is headed." Old World Wisconsin, W372-S9727 Highway 67, Town of Eagle, 262-594- 6301, oldworldwiscon- sin.wisconsinhistory.org This sprawling open-air July 3, 2015 • Milwaukee County Post • 15 Even in summer there are always museums to explore Submitted photo King Tut and his horse-drawn chariot, reportedly an exact repli- ca of a chariot found in Tut's tomb, are part of the Milwaukee Public Museum's "Crossroads of Civilization" exhibition. ENTERTAINMENT While your waiting chariot in Milwaukee may be a Harley, the 'museum' could include a game of base ball in Eagle See MUSEUMS on Page 17 Our Office Will Be Closed for Independence Day on Friday, July 3 244888080 Newsstand copies will be available Thursday, mailed issues will arrive in-home Friday.