The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum plans to announce a new location later this year that would double its size, a move leaders say is necessary to meet growing demand and expand access to early childhood education in Milwaukee.
The nonprofit children’s museum, which has operated for more than 30 years at a space on downtown Milwaukee’s lakefront at 929 E. Wisconsin Ave., is in the midst of a multi-year master planning process and expects to finalize a future site in 2026, according to a Thursday announcement.
Leaders say the future facility will include significantly more exhibit space, room for outdoor installations and flexible galleries for rotating exhibits.
“We’ve been averaging about 170,000 visitors annually, which is significant, and it is really a higher number of visitors than our square footage currently allows,” said CEO Tina Quealy.
The museum is working with real estate and development firm MC Group and commercial real estate brokerage firm Colliers, along with other experts, to evaluate potential sites.
When asked whether the museum would pursue an existing building or ground-up development, Quealy told BizTimes the museum is “evaluating all options,” and that the search is throughout the city of Milwaukee.
Betty Brinn previously planned to occupy about 33,000 square feet within the new Milwaukee Public Museum building that is under construction, but said in 2022 that it was no longer pursuing those plans.
“A key focus in our site selection process has been ensuring geographic and transportational accessibility, particularly for underserved communities throughout the region,” Quealy said.
Between 32% and 35% of visitors currently access the museum through free or significantly reduced admission programs, which is important as Milwaukee has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country, with roughly 32% of children under age 12 living below the federal poverty level, the announcement said.
Tina Quealy
“Remaining true to our mission of equitable access for children and families of all cultures, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds is foundational to the master plan,” Quealy said.
The museum currently operates inside Museum Center Park under a lease that expires in 2032. The current facility has about 10,500 square feet of exhibition space and 24,000 square feet in total.
By comparison, leaders say similarly sized metropolitan areas often support children’s museums with significantly larger footprints.
A new facility would allow the museum to expand its early learning and play-based experiences, create outdoor exhibit areas and introduce rotating exhibitions that could drive repeat visits and regional tourism, which Quealy described as a full reimagining of the institution.
“The new museum is being entirely reimagined to feature the United States’ newest, best-in-class children’s museum experience,” she said. “It will be a bold expression of our mission, a vibrant regional destination serving as a vital part of early childhood education.”
The relocation effort is part of a comprehensive master plan launched in 2025 and led by a New Museum Task Force composed of board members, executive leadership and outside experts in museum design and strategy, including Skyhouse Studio, Future Found and the Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Work streams include site analysis, programmatic needs, educational strategy, business and operating plan development, market research and community engagement.
Between January and June of last year, the museum gathered input from more than 700 stakeholders — including members, non-member visitors, educators, funders, civic leaders and staff — through surveys, interviews, focus groups and interactive polling.
Since opening in 1995, the museum has welcomed more than 4.9 million children and families.
“The master plan will ensure that the new museum serves as a vibrant hub for our community for decades to come,” Quealy said.
