Next Saturday, the Milwaukee Public Museum is giving its iconic Milwaukee-style dioramas top billing with a month-long celebration called Diorama-RAMA, part of the museum’s year-long Greatest Hits series. The run mixes behind-the-scenes tours, family workshops and a mini-diorama contest that showcases local artists. The timing lines up with MPM using 2026 as its final full year in the Wells Street building before moving to the new Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin.
What to Expect at Diorama-RAMA
According to Milwaukee Public Museum, Diorama-RAMA runs March 14 through April 17, with interactive stations spread across the museum floors that highlight taxidermy, Silurian fossils and the small design touches that make a diorama feel real. Adult-only "MPM Exposed" tours, one-hour sessions that call out hidden exhibit "Easter eggs," will be offered on select evenings and cost $10 per person. Weekday education stations and storytimes are also on the schedule for families during the event.
Contest, Workshops and Local Artists
The schedule includes a Diorama-RAMA contest on Tuesday, March 31, marking the 10th anniversary of the national event, where mini-dioramas created by local artists will be displayed and guests can vote for their favorites. Half of every contest ticket sale will benefit the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, and spring-break diorama workshops run March 30 through April 3 in the Steigleder Special Exhibits Gallery. Those community details are noted by Walker’s Point Center for the Arts.
Milwaukee Style Origins
MPM traces the convention back to taxidermist Carl Akeley, whose 1890 Muskrat Family Group helped cement the immersive diorama and what became known as the "Milwaukee style," according to Milwaukee Public Museum. "MPM’s immersive and highly realistic dioramas are not only visitor favorites, they’re part of our legacy as a groundbreaking institution," MPM President and CEO Dr. Ellen Censky said in a museum statement. The display is being used to teach conservation, exhibit craft and regional natural history to new generations of visitors.
Tickets, Tours and Practicals
Contest tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 13 and under, with contest dioramas staying on view through April 5 and general viewing free with museum admission. The adult "MPM Exposed" tours are one hour long, recommended for ages 18 and up, and cost $10 per person. Coverage by OnMilwaukee lays out the schedule and ticket details.
For Milwaukeeans, Diorama-RAMA is a last chance to see many of the museum’s distinctive exhibits before the institution relocates to a newly built Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. The current Wells Street building will remain open through January 3, 2027, as reported by CBS58. Crowds are likely on weekends, so consider a weekday visit or booking in advance if you plan to go.
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