About this episode

This episode discusses the Milwaukee Public Museum's decision not to move the beloved exhibit 'The Streets of Old Milwaukee' to a new location, featuring insights from Dr. Ellen Censky.

I remember visiting – and loving – The Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) as a child. Opened in 1965, it’s an immersive space with cobblestone streets and perfect lighting that evokes a fall evening in turn-of-the-20th-century Milwaukee. The visitor experience isn’t peering into a diorama, it’s moving through a diorama, complete with lifelike human figures. And I’m not the only one with fond memories. When the museum announced that the exhibit would not move over to the planned new museum down the street, the public reacted negatively. Dr. Ellen Censky, president and CEO of the MPM, describes the reasons why the museum can’t – and most interestingly shouldn’t – move The Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibit. It’s a story involving cherished memories, the distinction between collections and exhibits which isn’t always at the top of visitors’ minds, and public trust. In this episode, we explore why the Milwaukee Public Museum decided to move (it’s the fourth relocation in its history) and Milwaukee Revealed , the planned new immersive gallery that will be the spiritual successor to The Streets of Old Milwaukee , which will cover a much larger swath of…

People in this episode

Host: Ian Elsner

Guest: Dr. Ellen Censky

Topics covered

• museum exhibits
• Milwaukee history
• public reaction
• cultural memory
• museum relocation
• immersive experiences

Keywords

• Milwaukee Public Museum
• The Streets of Old Milwaukee
• Dr. Ellen Censky
• museum relocation
• cultural exhibits
• public trust
• immersive galleries

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Milwaukee Public Museum

Books & works: The Streets of Old Milwaukee, Milwaukee Revealed

Places: Milwaukee

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