An A-Z visitors guide to Milwaukee Wisconsin. Sponsored by Key Magazine Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/619875
g Cover Story The Milwaukee Public Muse- um's Streets of Old Milwau- kee, Wisconsin's most popular exhibit, reopened in December 2015 after a major renovation added new sights, sounds and scents to increase its appeal to contempo- rary viewers. This walk-through portrait of Milwaukee in the late 19th century gives visitors the magical experi- ence of going back in time. Opened in 1965, it has been expanded over the years, but the project begun last August was the first major renovation. "Most exhibits showcase history," explains Dennis Kois, president and CEO of the internationally recognized museum. "We're very excited to imple- ment changes that enhance not only the Streets themselves, but deliver the kind of visitor experience contempo- rary muse- um-goers expect." In what the museum calls a "re-imagination" of the Streets, visitors enter via a new life- sized streetcar that rumbles down tracks and appears (through a clever use of tech- nology) to travel back in time. While viewing new storefronts and businesses, visitors can drop in on conversations be- tween Streets residents and engage in hands-on activities. "Milwaukee has a history of building world-class, innova- tive exhibits," explains exhibit director Julian Jackson. "We're building on the shoulders of giants here. Carl Akeley creat- ed the very first habitat-style diorama here in 1899. The Indian Crow Bison Hunt was the largest open diorama in the world when it opened in November 1966. The re-imag- ination of Streets builds upon that level of quality." A new app enhances the Streets experience. Smart- phone users can download the free Streets of Old Milwau- kee app and pick a Streets resident to be their tour guide. The app uses innovative tech- nology to transmit where the visitor is in the exhibit, allowing the tour guide to give the visi- tor specific information. Guides highlight important issues of the day based on a theme, with themes and guides changing twice a year. With the current theme of "entertainment," visitors learn through a cakewalk dancer, socialite or vaudevillian. Vis- itors can listen to their guide via their phones through ear buds or read the tour on their smartphone screens. For additional information, visit www.mpm.edu. 06 keymilwaukee.com SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW Technology brings alive Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit D E S T I N A T I O N | m i l w a u k e e p u b l i c m u s e u m 800 W. Wells St., open 9am-5pm Mon. - Wed., 9am-8pm Thurs., 9am-5pm Fri.-Sun. Admission is free on the first Thurs. of every month (Jan. 7 ).