feature article - july 2008

World’s only Harley-Davidson Museum opens July 12 in heart of Milwaukee

HARLEY-DAVIDSON, a name that has symbolized Milwaukee for more than a century, begins a new tradition this month with the much-anticipated opening of the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum.

Opening Saturday, July 12, the 130,000-square-foot museum will celebrate the company’s roots and traditions at Sixth and Canal Streets in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley. Opening-day festivities will begin with a Harley-Davidson-style ceremony at 10 a.m. July 12, and continue throughout the weekend.

The new museum will allow visitors to walk through exhibits that tell the stories of the people, products, history and culture of the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer.

Among exhibits sure to attract crowds is a chronological procession of legendary motorcycles. Items from company archives on display, including paperwork proving that Elvis Presley purchased a Harley-Davidson motorcycle (pictured in this story) just days before gaining fame with his hit single, “Heartbreak Hotel.”

Evidence that a “ride home” to Milwaukee is not a new idea can be seen in the scrapbook (pictured in this story) of Vivian Bales, who rode solo from Albany, Ga., to Milwaukee in 1929 and wrote about her experiences in Harley-Davidson’s magazine, The Enthusiast. The avid motorcycle rider, who bought her first Harley-Davidson at age 17 with money saved from teaching dance classes, said she “always wanted to do something that most girls wouldn’t do.”

Located on a 20-acre site, the new museum anchors the east end of Canal Street, adding strength to a major entertainment district that extends along Canal to Potawatomi Bingo Casino and to Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Expected to become a major, year-round destination for Harley-Davidson owners and those who appreciate the company’s tradition of quality, the new museum includes an outdoor area accessible to the public at no charge, 24-hours-a-day.

The museum’s architecture adds another highlight to the ranks of internationally known Milwaukee landmarks like the Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, the Milwaukee Intermodal Station and the delightful Sixth Street bridge, which takes visitors to the Harley-Davidson Museum.

The new museum contains several major urban design elements:

• Exposed glass and steel reflecting the industrial history of the city and of Harley-Davidson.

• An impressive 80-foot tower bearing the Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield.

• A west wall made completely of glass, exposing some of the more than 1,200 tons of galvanized beams and allowing visitors to see inside.

In addition to exhibits and company archives, the museum includes a café and restaurant, along with meeting and special event space. Inside and outside event spaces can be customized for special occasions, accommodating gatherings from 10 people to 15,000.

General admission tickets to the museum are $16 for adults, $12 for students and seniors and $10 for children (5-17). Children under five will be admitted free with accompanying adults. The museum will be open 365 days a year with summer hours from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, except 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends. Winter hours from November through April will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends.

Museum tickets for the Grand Opening Weekend, July 12-13, are being sold in advance online at www.h-dmuseum.com. The remaining tickets will be available at the museum during the Grand Opening Weekend when visitors will be treated to a bike-build, a tattoo artist at work and live music.

Museum tickets are no longer available during the Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration, Aug. 28-31.