Wisconsin’s Museums Attracting More Visitors

Wisconsin Museums have been seeing increased attendance for the past few years. That’s been especially true this summer.

Museum officials are reporting what they call “gangbuster” attendance this summer, especially in the month of June. President of the Wisconsin Federation of Museums, JoAnn Klussendorf, says the fact that many families are taking more “staycations” and looking for things to do that are close to home is helping revenue streams.

“I think that they’re looking for things that they can do and, and good experiences they can have, but that, don’t cost a lot but have high quality,” she says.

Jay Williams of the Milwaukee Public Museum says admissions this summer are up. He says that’s welcome news after they lost money on a few traveling exhibits earlier this year.Williams says he thinks the record setting heat this summer helped.

“When it’s 100 degrees outside, it’s nice to come into an air-conditioned place, and especially an air-conditioned place where you can experience all the wonderful things you can at our museum,” he says.

Some museums DID see a decrease in attendance in July compared to June. But JoAnn Klussendorf says overall, more people are visiting this summer than last.