Groundbreaking for new, year-round event space at the Harley-Davidson museum slated for July 15.
MILWAUKEE, USA (July 12, 2021) – Media and select members of the public, including Peggy Williams-Smith, President and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee, will join Bill Davidson, Vice President of the Harley-Davidson Museum, for a special groundbreaking on Thursday, July 15.
The Harley-Davidson Museum team is thrilled to announce a new addition to its lineup of incredible event spaces on the bucolic, 20-acre campus. When complete, the all-new Garage will boast more than 8,000-square-feet of event space, floor-to-ceiling views of the Menomonee Valley, state-of-the-art audio/visual components and more. The team at 1903 Events is looking forward to booking special occasions, weddings, corporate events and more. The new space is expected to be complete in spring of 2022.
With the recent return of Bike Nights (including Ladies’ Bike Night on July 22), weekend demos and so much more popping up on campus, no summer is complete without a visit to 6th & Canal.
MUST-SEE EXHIBITS AND INSTALLATIONS
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 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.
Experience Gallery: Model Year 2021 Harley-Davidson motorcycles (on display July 20)
Always a favorite photo opportunity for riders and non-riders alike, the H-D Museum’s Experience Gallery has been refreshed with five 2021 Harley-Davidson motorcycles –including the all-new Pan America!
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” (open 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” (open 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, “Not Just a Knucklehead” (available now)
The first new motorcycle of the Great Depression was a bit of a gamble for Harley-Davidson. Introducing what would eventually be known as the “knucklehead” engine, the 1936 EL was a pivotal model that continues to influence H-D motorcycles today.
PROGRAMMING / EVENTS
All-New Garage Groundbreaking, Thursday, July 15, 4 – 5 p.m.
Help celebrate and break ground on the H-D Museum’s new private events building, The Garage! Harley-Davidson Museum Vice President Bill Davidson will share a few remarks and give the official groundbreaking toast for the new event space. Keep your eyes peeled for an on-site surprise!
Bike Night Concert Series, Thursday, 5 – 9 p.m., through Sept. 16
All bikes unite every Thursday at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Grab your bike. Join your fellow 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. Bike Night Koozie Special all-season long. All wheels welcome.
On July 22, the H-D Museum will serve as the landing spot for the Women’s Empowerment Ride before rolling into Ladies’ Bike Night.
Powered by Budweiser King of Beers and Bulleit Bourbon.
- Thursday, July 15: Bruce Humphries & the Rockabilly Rebels
- Thursday, July 22: Wire and Nail
- Thursday, July 29: Robert Allen Jr Band
Saturday Demos, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., through Sept. 25
Demo Rides available at the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum! Visit the H-D Museum campus Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and throw a leg over a 2021 motorcycle to experience the fun and freedom of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Visitors with their motorcycle endorsement (and who bring their own helmet and riding gear) will be able to choose from a dozen of the latest and greatest #FreedomMachines from Harley-Davidson, including Touring, Softail and Sportster models. Plus, the all-new Pan America motorcycle will be available on a limited basis. A pre-determined scenic route through the Menomonee Valley will give riders the chance to explore the Museum’s surrounding neighborhoods.
Sunday H-D IRONe Demos, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., through Aug. 29
Head down to the Harley-Davidson Museum for Sundays Fundays with H-D IRONe demos. Designed for the pint-sized set, these electric balance bikes are a great introduction to two-wheeled freedom. Kids ages 3-7 (under 75 lbs. and under 42 inches tall) are invited to take a few laps at the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum in the Motorcycle Plaza. Visit the H-D Museum campus Sundays* from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and take a spin on an electric-powered balance bike for kids with parents who want to share their love for riding. See website for complete details.
Annual Pass
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: admission discounts, free admission for children under age 18, merchandise discounts at The Shop, dining discounts at MOTOR Bar & Restaurant and more.
Plus, if you purchase an Annual Pass in 2021, those passholder perks can be enjoyed all of 2021 and 2022. Visit H-D Museum.com to see complete ticket details for exclusions and other terms and conditions.
Engines 101 (Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
Study the heart of Harley-Davidson motorcycles: the engine! Join us for a classroom experience covering the gritty details of how Harley-Davidson engines roar to life. No mechanical skills necessary! Leave with an exclusive Engines 101 pin, a $5 coupon for The Shop and a newfound knowledge of how Harley-Davidson engines are created.
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.
MOTOR BAR & RESTAURANT
MOTOR Bar and Restaurant is now open seven days a week – including dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays! It’s the ideal time to check out new menu items or just enjoy the vibes on our waterfront patios. Carry-out, delivery and contact-less payment options are available. Stay tuned for details and a date for BBQ & Blues triumphant return.
SAVE THE DATES
Hometown Rally, Sept. 2-5
The Hometown Rally weekend will take over the 20-acre campus of the Harley-Davidson Museum and will host the party of the summer, with free live concerts on three consecutive nights, food-and-beverage sites, stunt exhibitions and skills demonstrations, 2021 Harley-Davidson motorcycle demos, and motorcycle showcases hosted by Born Free and V-Twin Visionary. The Museum will remain open for general admission during the event.
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.
