Your guide to the Milwaukee Art Museum, including how to book photo shoots and weddings

Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Milwaukee Art Museum, along the Lake Michigan shoreline at 700 N. Art Museum Drive, is the largest art museum in Wisconsin. According to the art museum website, it has more than 30,000 works in its collection and is visited by more than 400,000 people every year.

The museum's history dates back to 1888 with an art gallery built near Cathedral Square. In 1957, what was then called the Milwaukee Art Center moved to the War Memorial Center. A 1975 building addition and the 2001 completion of the Quadracci Pavilion with the iconic Burke Brise Soleil "wings" have transformed the art museum into the destination it's known as today.

Here's what to know if you're planning a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The Milwaukee Art Museum sits along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee on May 9, 2024.
The Milwaukee Art Museum sits along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Milwaukee on May 9, 2024.

How much is a ticket to the Milwaukee Art Museum?

Admission to the art museum costs $27 for adults and $20 for seniors age 65 and up, students and members of the military. The art museum is free for kids 12 and under, Wisconsin K-12 teachers with school ID and members.

Does the Milwaukee Art Museum have free admission days?

The art museum works with partners to offer occasional free days, like the 2024 Free Day + Celebration events (Feb. 18, April 28 and June 6). Additionally, Bank of America cardholders receive free admission on the first full weekend of each month.

Admission to the art museum also will be free the week the Republican National Convention is in town: July 14 and 16-20.

And through the end of August 2024, Thursday nights (4-8 p.m.) are pay-what-you-wish.

What are the Milwaukee Art Museum's hours?

The art museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays. The art museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas and closes at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

The Kohl's Art Studio is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

What exhibits does the Milwaukee Art Museum have?

According to the art museum's website, its "collection is broad and diverse, with works from antiquity to the present." It includes "more than 32,000 works including paintings, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, video art, installation art and textiles."

Some notable works include paintings by famous Wisconsin artist Georgia O'Keeffe, a number of works of 20th-century Haitian art, French prints from 1600 to 1900, minimalist and neo-expressionist contemporary art, and European Baroque painting, sculpture and decorative arts.

Is there anything for kids to do at the Milwaukee Art Museum?

There are regularly scheduled activities for kids, including story times, classes and play dates.

The Kohl's Art Studio inside the museum has projects inspired by museum artworks for kids to make and take home.

Families also are invited to stop by the ArtPack station, where there are a variety of activities for kids to take with them while they explore the museum. They include:

  • Family Guides: These booklets include kid-friendly information about museum artists, exhibitions and architecture.

  • Museum Moments cards: These cards, available in English and Spanish, can be picked up or downloaded. They have ideas for young children, ages 5 and under, to do during their visit.

  • Costumes inspired by various artworks are available for kids to try on.

  • ArtPacks and SketchPacks are bags with activities and sketching supplies for kids to use while they check out the museum's works of art.

Milwaukee Art Museum event rentals and photography

The art museum has spaces that can be rented for a variety of events, from social and corporate events to nonprofit fundraisers. For weddings, guests have access to the Quadracci Pavilion, including Windhover Hall, the Lubar Auditorium, Baumgartner Terrace and both of the museum's gallerias. Weddings can take place any time between 6 p.m. and midnight, when the museum is closed to the public.

For detailed information and booking, people should call (414) 224-3287 or email rentals@mam.org.

Commercial photography and video requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. People should fill out and submit a form.

For personal photo shoots (such as for prom photos), rates for interior photo shoots are $500 for a 30-minute session and $1,000 for a two-hour session. To schedule the photo shoot, people should email rentals@mam.org.

There are no forms or fees required for exterior photo shoots, although people are not allowed to interfere with outdoor events or block entrances. Personal photo shoots are not allowed while a wedding is underway.

Is the Milwaukee Art Museum accessible?

Strollers, wheelchairs and Segways for mobility are welcome in the museum. Manually operated wheelchairs are available at the admissions desk.

Service animals are permitted in the museum.

Gender-neutral and family restrooms are located on the museum's cafe level and entrance level.

A variety of free audio guides to the museum's collections are available on the art museum's app and can be listened to via visitors' personal headphones and mobile devices.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Free days, hours and more to know about the Milwaukee Art Museum

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