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March 25, 2007

Comments

Christi

I love the museum for what it is, actually for all the reasons you just described in the previous paragraphs. It really is a FASCINATING place with a plethora of information to learn from!! For anybody that has never been there, you certainly MUST go. It's worth every penny.

However, aside from the occasional special exhibits, the museum hasn't changed...in the slightest, since I began visiting the museum during class field trips beginning in the first grade.

Granny is STILL rocking away on her rocking chair, wearing the same tired old dress she wore 15 years ago. The minerals near the dinosaur exhibit are the exact same minerals, in the exact same glass cases and t-rex is still trying to finish off that tryceratops. There are only so many times you can go before you start thinking: "been there, done that".

I'd just like to see them do a little more updating. Add some interactive tools and update the exhibits a little bit. I realize there is historical significance to a lot of them...but you can update the old without changing their character. I feel as though in this day and age, you have to make learning more "fun"..more interactive, to keep people interested: like Discovery World, or the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago have done.

David Ernst

The Museum is indeed a gem. Back in the day, my two sisters and I would get on the Sherman Blvd bus, 10 cents apiece, and ride down to the museum on rainy saturdays and spend all day wandering the building. No parents, even though I was only 9 and they were 6 and 7. We knew every nook and cranny of that old building. Today it is neat to see how those old exhibits we knew so well were reordered and displayed in the new (1960) building. It is like meeting old friends.

Andre Robitaille

My only complaint about the place is that the candy store in Old Milwaukee doesn't sell gummi cherries like they did twenty-five years ago.

Other than that, I was there awhile ago and it was pretty cool. The butterfly exhibit is really good, and there's a lot of interesting stuff if you take time to read the info signs.

Sara Molnar

I am so glad you wrote about this. I am going to the Chicano event for a cultural diversity class that I'm taking right now as an experiment. Glad to hear it's worth going to!

Mark

A rattlesnake button?!?! I can't believe I've never heard of such a thing. For someone like me to not know of something like that... well, it's rare. I absolutely MUST visit again soon.

With regard to your inquiry though... I love the public museum. I go there a few times every year even though the exhibits never change (as mentioned by Christi). There is a revolving exhibit space though so yes, things do change there.. just not the permanent exhibits. Then again though, they're permanent. :)

I've got my favorites... The "underwater" portholes, the streets of Old Milwaukee, the canopy tour... there's a lot of great stuff there. And by the way, I can't believe you didn't like the butterfly wing or bugs alive. You're crazy!

But anyway... how does it measure up to MAM or Pier Wisconsin? Well, it doesn't. Not because it's boring or old, but because it's not the same kind of museum! The public museum showcases historical displays. MAM showcases art and Pier Wisconsin showcases hands-on exhibits and current or future products of human ingenuity. They all serve a unique niche and each maintain their own allure.

Glad you finally made it back ;) to the museum... and I'm especially glad that you liked it as much as you did.

Krista

Not that this is really relevant to anything, but I am terrified of butterflies, so I don't blame you on not enjoying the butterfly garden. Ick. I went to the Milwaukee County Zoo when it had the butterfly exhibit - hundreds of butterflies flying around a room - and it was traumatic. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Dave

There are actually 2 rattlesnake buttons now. If you want to know the location of the new button you'll have to send me an email with a subject line that reads "Bacon Fat Kitty Cat." That's the secret code...

Nick

It's great to go too but nothings really changed... I'd love to see what the other
%80 in storage looks like... does the water pump in the streets of old milwaukee still pump water?

Christi

No it doesn't Nick. (at least it didn't work the last time I was there) That's probably one of the only things that have changed =) Oh! And I don't think you can see movies anymore in the Old World either. Maybe you can. Erin? Can you?

Dave

Yeah you can. Not sure exactly when, but Ellen said that they still show movies there.

heidi stein

hi erin.

i go to the museum all the time, but only on Mondays - when it's FREE to milwaukee county residents. that's an important piece of information!!!! - if it's a rainy day, i'll take my baby there!

i love butterflies but too, cannot stand when they fly so close to me, or land on me - and oh my god - that bug exhibit around the corner - SCARY!!! recently i saw the biggest stick bug ever - and was itchy all over after that.

i love that candy shop - but since i only go on mondays - when it seems most school field trips are going as well - makes for a very cramped, busy store - and people have to wait to get in. that upsets me. i love me some lemon drops!!

actually, 2 weeks ago we couldn't find the rattlesnake button. it's always been in that same spot - but was missing recently. hmmm??

also - it pays to park on the street by the museum and plug the meter. because even though i go on free days, i end up paying $9 in parking for a few hours. of course that isn't much compared to what i could be paying for admission. so i should just stop complaining!

ps, i love the new sampson gorilla exhibit - w/ the HUGE scale that you can weigh yourself on - of course i covered my numbers so no one could see my exact weight, lol.

Erin

Thanks for noting that, Heidi! I forgot to mention that there's free admission for Milwaukee county residents on Mondays!

And there was no way I was stepping on the gorilla scale!!

Tracey

Hey Erin. We visited the Planetarium on Friday. Did a review in my blog.

Erin

Glad you enjoyed it, Tracey! We visited the Planetarium, too, and loved it ... I'm going to post about it soon!

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