Take a spin in the all-new Experience Gallery at the Harley-Davidson Museum
Plus, guided tours – including Beyond the Gate access – are back!
MILWAUKEE, USA (July 12, 2022) – If it seems like there’s something new popping up on the campus of the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum every month, you’re right! The 10,000-square-foot Harley-Davidson® Shop – with its eclectic collection of exclusive apparel, collectibles and accessories – has been wowing customers since opening in June. And now, the all-new Experience Gallery has been unveiled, bringing the thrill of the open road to guests from all corners of the globe.
With this new multimedia experience, guests will be able hear straight from the H-D team how Harley-Davidson® motorcycles are designed and engineered to be the most desirable in the world. Find inspiration from your fellow riders’ stories or discover how easy it is to take the first step in learning how to ride. And of course, finish off your visit by throwing a leg over one of five fresh-from-the-factory Harley-Davidson® models – including the Pan America™, a premier two-wheel multi-tool built to endure, designed to explore, and engineered for adventure.
Plus, the Harley-Davidson Museum is thrilled to announce that guided tours have made their triumphant return. And they’re all new in ’22! The guided-tour portfolio has been updated with new experiences and content. Choose from the Spotlight Tour, the Beyond the Gate Tour or the VIP Tour.
And another community event will be headed back to campus this month. The H-D Museum is partnering with WISN-TV and 102.9 The Hog to host “Coffee with the Morning Crew.” Mark your calendars for Friday, July 29 as we welcome everyone to stop down to 6th & Canal for a morning of fun, prizes and free coffee.
PROGRAMMING / EVENTS
H-D Museum™ Bike Night Concert Series powered by Budweiser® King of Beers and Bulleit® Bourbon, Thursdays, 5 – 9 p.m.
All wheels unite every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Join riders (and non-riders) for free live music from some of Milwaukee’s favorite bands, fun, drool-worthy rolling sculptures and outdoor food and beverage. The Bike Night Koozie Special is back. Enjoy $3 Busch Light all season long.
7/14 The Cactus Bros.
7/21 Milwaukee Tool Shed Band
7/28 Andrew Wayne & Mud Creek Road
Coffee with the WISN Morning Crew, Friday, July 29, 8 – 10 a.m.
Hey Milwaukee! Come and drink some free Colectivo Hillclimber Coffee with the WISN 12 News This Morning team on Friday, July 29. WISN 12 is teaming up with 102.9 The HOG and the Harley-Davidson Museum to host YOU for a morning of fun, prizes, and free coffee.
Saturday Demos powered by H-D Insurance, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Visit the Museum campus on Saturdays to experience the fun and freedom of a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. Visitors with their motorcycle endorsement/license will be able to choose from a dozen of the latest and greatest #FreedomMachines from Harley-Davidson, including Touring, Softail®, Sportster®, Adventure Touring and Electric models. A pre-determined scenic route through the Menomonee Valley will give riders the chance to explore the Museum’s surrounding neighborhoods. Sign-up is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Riders and passengers must be at least 18 years of age. All riders (and passengers) must wear proper riding gear including a helmet, eye protection, shirt / jacket, long pants and closed-toe shoes with heel strap.
Looking for interesting things to do and ways to fully enjoy our programs and exhibits? The Harley-Davidson Museum’s new Annual Pass offers individual, family and VIP levels to fit your lifestyle. Just some of the perks of the new Annual Pass include: virtual access to the H-D Museum with various Harley history topics covered in our Virtual Gallery Talk series, admission discounts, free admission for children under age 18, merchandise discounts at The Shop, dining discounts at MOTOR® Bar & Restaurant and more. Visit H-D Museum.com for details and other terms and conditions.
All new in ’22. Our guided tour portfolio has been updated with new experiences and content. Choose from the Spotlight Tour, the Beyond the Gate Tour or the VIP Tour. Some tours are available to the public; this schedule will vary. To book a private group tour, please call 414-287-2799 or email for more information. Advance reservations and prepayment required at least 2-weeks prior to tour date. Please note: Tour fee does not include General Admission.
Engineering Merit Badge (Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
All scouts are welcome to come earn their Engineering Merit Badge at the Harley-Davidson Museum! This experience will be launched by our merit badge counselor. Then, scouts will explore the history of Harley-Davidson as well as the engineering of motorcycles as they complete the nine merit badge requirements. Advance registration is required. Program registration closes one week prior to the scheduled program date. Ticket includes: downloadable activity booklet used for the program, partially facilitated program, blue card signed by the facilitator (one blue card per scout registration) and an exclusive H-D Museum™ patch.
Scout Virtual Engineering Merit Badge (Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.)
This new 90-minute online program is open to scouts from all over the country. Our program facilitator will guide the troops and explore the role an engineer plays while creating a Harley-Davidson® Motorcycle. Nine requirements for the Engineering Merit Badge will be discussed during this virtual, interactive program. Advance registration is required. Program Fee: $20 per Scout, which includes an activity booklet used during the program and a special H-D® patch upon completion of the program.
MUST-SEE EXHIBITS AND INSTALLATIONS
Experience Gallery (on display now)
With inspiring stories from riders who have turned their dream of learning to ride into reality, a look at the epic journeys you can only experience behind the bars of a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle, plus the chance to throw a leg over a new Harley-Davidson #FreedomMachine, the reinstalled and all-new Experience Gallery shows the world how United We Ride!
1977 FLH “Blackula” (on display beginning May 13)
Milwaukee man about town Freddie Franklin purchased his Electra Glide® motorcycle from its original owner, 95-year-old Wallace Brzezinski, with only 4,500 miles on its odometer. And in short order, he completely re-envisioned the bike to reflect his timeless style. The motorcycle incorporates some hallmarks of Franklin’s disparate tastes. A dash of the Coney Island-style bikes – decked out with lights and reflectors – he adored mixed in with elements of Willie G.’s seminal Knucklehead and topped off with details that harken to the 1970s blaxploitation films Franklin watched back in the day. A clear statement of Black pride via the language of vintage motorcycles, this is a bike you must see in-person.
Keith Brammer (Die Kreuzen) leather jacket (on display now)
Perhaps no other genre of music is so closely associated with the classic black leather jacket than punk rock. Keith Brammer, of Milwaukee’s hardcore punk band Die Kreuzen, has graciously lent his well-worn leather to the H-D Museum. The jacket was purchased in New York City in the 1980s and was a constant companion for Brammer throughout his touring days. Check out the Custom Culture gallery to view this piece of Milwaukee music history.
Revolution® Max Engine (on display now)
The brand-new Revolution® Max 1250cc engine powers a new generation of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles. See the liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-Twin that delivers for the Pan America™ adventure touring model and the performance cruiser Sportster® S motorcycle. On view in the Museum lobby.
Clubs & Competition (on display now)
In the early part of the 20th century, motorcycle culture was a homegrown phenomenon. It grew out of the passion of riders for their evolving sport. The camaraderie that developed around riding and attending competitive events led to the formation of motorcycle clubs that hosted destination rides, family picnics with motorcycle games and other riding competitions.
The newly reinstalled display case in the Clubs & Competition gallery highlights clothing from club members from primarily the 1930s and 1940s. The clothing selections on view include full dress uniforms, shirts, sweaters, jackets and caps, customized by the owners with their club’s name and logo, and pins or patches indicating membership in the American Motorcyclist Association. The H-D Archives collection includes Motorclothes® apparel sold in H-D® product catalogs but also non-H-D produced clothing items that have been proudly customized by riders.
Harley Fox (on display now)
Gail Anderson’s 1986 Softail® Custom motorcycle, “Harley Fox,” built by her partner Bob Burrows, took top prize at the first Ladies of Harley® (LOH) ride-in show during Daytona Beach Bike Week in 1987. With her custom bike and themed riding gear, Anderson presented a striking image that fit the growing visibility and exciting new options for women riders in the 1980s.
Alfonso Sotomayor’s 1957 Model FL (on display now)
The Harley-Davidson Museum is proud to announce its collection has recently grown with the addition of a 1957 Model FL that was ridden by famed Mexican stunt rider and racer Alfonso Sotomayor Canales.
Harley-Davidson’s history in Mexico dates back to at least 1913. In the 1920s, the brand was more frequently spotted throughout Mexico City as the motorcycles proved popular with the local traffic police who would also perform stunts with their Harley-Davidson® bikes. After racing from the 1930s into the 1960s, Sotomayor launched his own stunt riding career by performing the famed “Salto de la Muerte” or Jump of Death. Learn more about Sotomayor’s feats of derring-do and Harley-Davidson’s early entry into Mexico with this new display located in the Custom Culture area.
“Off-Road Harley-Davidson” (on display now)
In the decades before America paved its highways, early riders had to be prepared for all sorts of terrain: sand, clay or dirt – and wandering those makeshift byways were Harley-Davidson® motorcycles. Today, it’s called off-road or adventure touring; back then it was just called riding. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson® motorcycles proved their toughness by riding over wooded hills, through stone-choked creek beds and up mountain sides. “Off-Road Harley-Davidson” tells the history of motorcycles designed for rough roads, the people who rode them and the adventures they shared.
“Building a Milwaukee Icon: Harley-Davidson’s Juneau Avenue Factory” (on display now)
A recently recovered cache of architectural drawings includes plans for the original Juneau Avenue facility. The pencil drawings, along with archival photographs, demonstrate the whirlwind pace of the company’s early growth. While building an international business—going from producing just over 1,000 motorcycles in 1909 to manufacturing 27,000 motorcycles in 1920—the company’s Milwaukee factory experienced near-constant expansion. Construction through this relatively brief period created the buildings that today, a century later, are still the proud home of Harley-Davidson.
“Building a Milwaukee Icon” provides a snapshot of Harley-Davidson’s formative years and illustrates a chapter of Milwaukee history when the city was known as the “Machine Shop to the World.”
Google Arts & Culture, Bring a 1919 Window Display to Life (on display now)
We scoured the Harley-Davidson Archives to identify the colorful pamphlets used to catch the attention of those passing by this dealership window.
As Milwaukee enters the dog days of summer, it’s a good time to remember that MOTOR’s waterfront patios are pup friendly. Whether you’re hoping to try the new Sunday brunch (complete with bloody mary bar), meeting up for lunch or listening to the tunes coming from the Bike Night stage, Fido will love the scene at MOTOR.
And the July monthly specials – Teriyaki Salmon (grilled Atlantic salmon glazed with house-made teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of udon noodles, fresh vegetables and Thai chili sauce, $22.95), Turkey Cobb Wrap (smoked sliced turkey breast, avocado, applewood bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sweet corn, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and ranch dressing, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and served with French fries and pickle spear, $17.95) and Grilled Berry Shortcake (grilled sweet corn cakes, berry medley compote and vanilla ice cream, $8.95) – celebrate the season of outdoor dining. Make your reservations (for two- or four-legged friends) today.
SAVE THE DATES
Hometown Rally™ Event, Sept. 1 – 5
About the Harley-Davidson Museum
Discover culture and history through stories and interactive exhibits that celebrate expression, camaraderie, and love for the sport at the Harley-Davidson Museum. A visit to the H-D Museum is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. With an unrivaled collection of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles and memorabilia, a 20-acre, park-like campus, and a calendar full of activities, the H-D Museum is one of Milwaukee’s top tourist destinations for visitors from around the globe. Make your plans to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum at H-DMuseum.com.
