Harley-Davidson Museum

The campus is a three-building complex of about 130,000 square feet. Construction began on June 1, 2006, at a reported cost of $75 million; instead of a ceremonial shovel, dirt-track racer Scott Parker reportedly started the groundbreaking with a burnout on a Sportster. James Biber of Pentagram led the architectural design, with designs unveiled in February 2006, and Pentagram's Abbott Miller designed the permanent exhibitions.

Pentagram describes the concept as a factory building set into the urban fabric, with exposed structure, large open spaces, mezzanines and four large towers. Its platforms, railings and display cases borrow from the industrial look of garages and factories. The outdoor areas were inspired by motorcycle rallies such as Sturgis and Laconia, so that visitors' own bikes parked outside form a changing street display. A 17-foot steel Harley-Davidson sign marks the facade.

The land lies in a historically industrial part of the city and was previously used by Milwaukee's Public Works department, Lakeshore Sand Company and Morton Salt. To deal with contaminated soil, Wikipedia reports that a four-foot layer of imported soil was added and riparian vegetation was planted along the river. The campus provides parking for about 1,000 motorcycles and 500 cars.

According to Wikipedia, William S. Harley designed a small engine for a bicycle frame in 1901 with his friend Arthur Davidson, and the first motor-bicycle was finished in 1903 with Walter Davidson. That first machine struggled with Milwaukee's hills, so a larger engine and loop frame followed, built in a backyard shed in the Davidson family yard. The company built its first factory in 1906 on what was then Chestnut Street (now Juneau Avenue), at the site of today's headquarters, and incorporated in 1907. Its motorcycles later served the U.S. military; Wikipedia says the military bought more than 20,000 during World War I.

The museum holds more than 450 motorcycles and artifacts spanning about 120 years, and the company's corporate archives, housed on the grounds, supplied more than 85 percent of the displayed items. The centerpiece is Serial Number One, the oldest known Harley-Davidson, encased in glass within an illuminated outline of the shed where the company began. The Harley-Davidson Journey galleries follow the company from a 10-by-15-foot wooden shack to a leading American motorcycle maker.

The Custom Culture gallery looks at the motorcycle's influence on American and global culture, with King Kong, a 13-foot, two-engine bike customized by Felix Predko, as its centerpiece; the gallery also has replicas of the bikes from the film Easy Rider, including Captain America. An Experience Gallery lets visitors sit on bikes for photos, and Wikipedia counts ten such motorcycles. Other displays include an Engine Room on the second floor, where a Knucklehead engine is shown disassembled and touch screens explain Panhead and Shovelhead engines (Pentagram says the room shows 30 engines), a replica section of board-track racing course hung at a 45-degree angle with 1920s racers, and a Gas Tank Gallery of 100 tank graphics spanning 70 years. One displayed motorcycle, according to Wikipedia, was recovered on a British Columbia beach after drifting more than 4,000 miles following the 2011 Japan tsunami. Official information also describes temporary exhibits on custom builds, art and design, and guided tours that can include the archives' Motorcycle Vault.

The campus has a restaurant, Motor Bar and Restaurant, and museum admission is reportedly not required to dine there. Check the operator for current details.

The site sits just outside downtown, so a private vehicle and driver make it easy to include with other Milwaukee stops, with door-to-door pickup. Check the museum for current hours, tickets, exhibits and tour availability.