Last updated on March 24th, 2026
Watching the Milwaukee Art Museum open its wings
It’s not every day you can watch a building take a morning stretch, unless, of course, you are in Milwaukee. Here visitors and residents alike have that opportunity almost every day when the Santiago Calatrava designed Quadracci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum opens and closes its wings.
It’s like watching an enormous bird awaking, only in really slow motion.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is located on the waterfront below downtown. The wings are scheduled to open Tuesday – Sunday at 10 a.m., close/reopen at noon, and close at 5 p.m. (8 p.m. on Fridays). They may open or close at other times (or not open at all) as dictated by the weather and maintenance needs.
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Wow, the Milwaukee Art Museum is a bird! What is the purpose of the wings? Just decorative? Or do they shade the building in some way?
The wings control the amount of light entering the building, although they can’t be out on a windy day even if it is sunny. It was one of the first of those over-the-top museum buildings that seem so ubiquitous today.