Milwaukee, May 10—That rumble in the distance can mean only one thing: Outdoor Bike Nights are set to return to the Harley-Davidson 
Museum this Thursday! But that’s not the only reason to come down to 6th & Canal this month. With extended hours (9 a.m.–6 p.m., daily; 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Thursdays), freebies for Mom and the annual Armed Forces Day Celebration, the H-D Museum campus provides the perfect backdrop to welcome back warm, sunny days and riding season for motorcycles enthusiasts from around the world. And for those who are more attached to the water, MOTOR Bar & Restaurant welcomes riverboat pub crawls beginning May 20.
Plus, the countdown is on for the opening of the special summer exhibit, “The Race of Gentlemen,” which opens to the public June 16. (Media previews are slated for June 15; members of the press interested in scheduling a tour should email Tim McCormick for more details.)
Outdoor Bike Nights
Return May 11 and run all summer long
5 p.m.–9 p.m. every Thursday
All bikes unite at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Grab your bike. Join other riders for live music, fun and plenty of eye candy. Enjoy food and drink specials inside and outside MOTOR Bar & Restaurant, including $3 Miller High Life beers with your MOTOR Bike Night koozie (koozies available at The Shop on the H-D Museum campus).
New this season, area Harley-Davidson dealers are powering live music for each and every Bike Night. Plus, the Bike Night Loyalty Program give attendees, even more, chances to win great prizes and merchandise from Harley-Davidson. Upcoming highlights include:
May 11—Bike Night Kick-Off—Start the season on the right note with live music from Highway 4.1.4.
May 18—The salute to female riders features music from Saving Savannah for our Ladies Bike Night.
May 25—The Riding Academy Bike Night will give new riders—and those who want to be new riders—a chance to learn more about Riding Academy as BoxKar provides the soundtrack.
June 1—The U.S. Open Trophy Tour, powered by Lexus, makes a stop at 6th & Canal prior to its grand entrance at Erin Hills. Win tickets to the U.S. Open as you rock to the sounds of Katie Mack and the Moan.
June 9—Rockerbox Motorfest pre-party & ticket giveaway
Mother’s Day – Free H-D Museum Admission
Sunday, May 14, 2017
9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Moms get in free at the Harley-Davidson Museum all day on Mother’s Day. Celebrate the most important woman in your life—MOM. Your mother has always been there for you, now it’s your turn to return the favor. Give her an unforgettable day at the Harley-Davidson Museum with free Museum admission.*
* Free admission for mothers with the purchase of an adult admission.
Armed Forces Day Celebration
May 20, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
H-D Museum
Support our troops. Join the Milwaukee Armed Services Committee, Hal’s Harley-Davidson and the Harley-Davidson Museum for Armed Forces Day Celebration and the 14th Annual Support the Troops Ride. Gather at Hal’s Harley-Davidson for a free pancake breakfast before riding down to the Harley-Davidson Museum. At the H-D Museum, enjoy military displays from all branches, a performance by the American Legion Band, Military gallery talks, and a special Armed Forces ceremony. The H-D Museum offers a Military ticket every day for $14 for all active, reserve, retired or discharged military service members.
Schedule of Events:
9 a.m. —Free pancake breakfast at Hal’s Harley-Davidson
9 a.m.–3 p.m.—Military displays at the H-D Museum
11 a.m.—Ride leaves Hal’s H-D
11 a.m.—Military Gallery Talk inside the H-D Museum*
11:30 a.m.—Performance by the American Legion Band on H-D Museum grounds
Noon—Ride lands at H-D Museum
12:15 p.m.—Military ceremony featuring laying of wreath on water, 21-gun salute and Echo Taps begins on H-D Museum grounds with keynote speakers to follow ceremony
2:30 p.m.—Military Gallery Talk inside the H-D Museum*
*Museum admission required.
Saturday 3 Pub Cruise
Launching May 20
MOTOR Bar & Restaurant
Beginning Saturday, May 20 and running all-summer long, Riverwalk Boat Tours & Rentals will offer an afternoon pub cruise by boat as guests enjoy sample drinks from three great riverside locations on one of two captained vessels, either the Brew City Queen II or Milwaukee Maiden II. The Saturday stops include MOTOR Bar & Restaurant at the Harley-Davidson Museum, The Twisted Fisherman, and The Hotwater Wherehouse. Your ticket gets you a 4.5-hour cruise between all three locales and drink tickets. For more information on times and how to purchase your seat, click here.
Special summer exhibit opening June 16, “The Race of Gentlemen”
At the intersection of speed and style, The Race of Gentlemen has become a must-see and must-do automotive carnival. Dedicated craftsmen and women build and restore vintage American hot rods and motorcycles to blast down the beaches of the Jersey Shore. This summer, the Harley-Davidson Museum is proud to bring together the vehicles, the artistry and the personalities that make up The Race of Gentlemen for its special exhibit.
“The Race of Gentlemen” will take over The Garage, a 10,000-square-foot special event space located on the H-D Museum campus, beginning June 16 and running through Labor Day (Sept. 4). In addition to displaying portraits, bikes and roadsters pulled from past races, “The Race of Gentlemen” exhibit will reveal the passion and devotion TROG compatriots bring to this sandy spectacle.
More than a dozen motorcycles and automobiles will be on display – machines restored and resurrected for the sole purpose of redlining down the shore. Some highlights include:
1923 Ford T Roadster owned by Ray Evernham, former NASCAR crew chief for Jeff Gordon
1946 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead owned and raced by Jeff “Hollywood” Baer
1947 Harley-Davidson UL owned and raced by Tom Rowe, a former flat tracker
Click here for more information on the Harley-Davidson Museum.
