The Harley-Davidson Museum always has something going on, and that’s true for the month of October as well. Stop by the campus in Milwaukee to enjoy tours, shopping, dining, trivia, and plenty more. Enjoy the SoFar Sounds Concerts on Oct. 19, and bring your furry friend to the Bark & BBQ event on Oct. 14. Oct. 26 is Skulloween, so come show off your best costume for a chance to win prize money.
This year, the H-D Museum celebrates its 15th anniversary and is offering a four-pack of tickets for just $15, redeemable on the 15th day of any remaining month in 2023. Take advantage of this deal to check out current special exhibits including the “Mama Tried: Bringing it Together” exhibit, the “My Papi has a Motorcycle” exhibit, and others. The MOTOR bar and restaurant is also serving up a tasty menu of fall flavors.
Find more moto-events at American Rider‘s Events Calendar
For more details about H-D Museum’s October events, read the press release below.
MILWAUKEE, USA (Oct. 3, 2023) – Yes, the 2023 Bike Night season is in the books, but that doesn’t mean the amazing music at the Harley-Davidson Museum comes to a close. The H-D Museum, in partnership with Sofar Sounds, is proud to bring an intimate concert on Thursday, Oct. 19 in the Experience Gallery – yes inside the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum. Tickets are on sale now (and the bands will be revealed about 36 hours before showtime) and are sure to sell out quickly, so get yours today to be a part of this unique show.
But October offers so many more reasons to visit the crossroads of 6th & Canal – especially if you’re looking for a fun afternoon to spend with man’s or woman’s best friend. The inaugural Bark & BBQ – a first-time collaboration between OnMilwaukee and Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s B93.3 – celebrates our four-legged best friends on Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Harley-Davidson Museum campus. The event will feature more than 30 vendor booths and numerous activities for you and for Fido – and admission to the event is free. Interested attendees can purchase an upgraded experience by becoming a CBDelicacy/Tito’s VIB (Very Important Barker).
Next weekend brings another first for the H-D Museum when the LoLo Blvd. Park and Chill car & bike show comes to campus. Take a spin through the remarkable collection of classic autos and motorcycles on the H-D Museum’s park-like campus – then check out the unrivaled collection of H-D memorabilia inside the H-D Museum. It’s all happening all day (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) on Saturday, Oct. 7.
Closer to Halloween, be sure to celebrate all things black and orange during Skulloween, Thursday, Oct. 26, 5-9 p.m. With food and drink specials, giveaways, outdoor fire pits, carved pumpkins, a costume contest, live music by Wire and Nail and more – it’s the perfect way to kick off the spooky season.
And have you heard that MOTOR Bar & Restaurant is your new favorite spot for Trivia Night? Our friends at Geeks who Drink will be bringing two hours of hilarious, knowledge-based entertainment to the CAN Room every Wednesday in fall and winter. Put on your thinking caps and earn prizes like MOTOR gift cards, tickets to the H-D Museum, and more.
Finally, don’t forget: We want you to be a part of the H-D Museum’s 15th Anniversary celebration. Score a four-pack of general-admission tickets online for use on the 15th of each remaining month in 2023 (10/15/2023, 11/15/2023, or 12/15/2023) for only $15! These four-packs are on-sale now and advance online purchases are required to visit on the 15th of the month. You choose the month you wish to redeem the tickets. Same-day purchases are allowed. Visit H-DMuseum.com for details. It’s the perfect time to check out the recently opened special exhibit, “Mama Tried: Bringing it Together” and see custom builds and art fresh from the show floor.
Programming/Events
Harley-Davidson’s 15th Anniversary Celebration
In honor of the H-D Museum’s 15th anniversary, we have an exclusive offer: a four-pack of general admission tickets for only $15 will be available for use on the 15th of the month, valid for use in October, November, or December 2023. Visit H-DMuseum.com for details.
Park and Chill, Oct. 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Lolo Blvd, in partnership with the Harley-Davidson Museum, would like to invite all classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles to come park your ride and chill. It’s a chance to talk to the person behind the wheel.
Bark & BBQ, Oct. 14, noon-4 p.m.
Milwaukee dogs like festivals, too, and this one is all for them. OK, fine, humans can come, too. Bark & BBQ, a first-time collaboration between OnMilwaukee and Milwaukee Radio Alliance’s B93.3 celebrating our four-legged best friends, will take place Saturday, Oct. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Harley-Davidson Museum Campus, 400 W. Canal St. The furry fun features more than 30 vendor booths with loads of treats, shopping, and dog-related services. Plus, bring your dog dressed in their Halloween costume and participate in the costume parade at 2 p.m., hosted by Joe B from B93.3 and Molly Snyder from OnMilwaukee.
Sofar Sounds Concert, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Sofar’s unique live experiences provide a place for artist discovery, local community, and connection in non-traditional, unexpected places around the world. Discover what bands will be playing this intimate show inside the H-D Museum about 36 hours before showtime, but tickets are available now.
Skulloween, Oct. 26, 5-9 p.m.
Head on down to one of Milwaukee’s most popular haunts, MOTOR Bar & Restaurant, for a celebration of all things black and orange at Skulloween, powered by Budweiser & Bulleit Bourbon. Those who dress to impress will have a chance to win bragging rights in our costume contest. The costume with the most votes at the end of the night will win a $250 Harley-Davidson Museum Campus gift card! In the meantime, check out MOTOR’s food and drink specials, giveaways, outdoor fire pits, carved pumpkins, live music by Wire and Nail, and more as we celebrate the season with our friends.
Looking for interesting things to do and ways to fully enjoy our programs and exhibits? The Harley-Davidson Museum’s 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.
Get closer to the artifacts, exhibits, and stories with a guided tour of the H-D Museum! There are three specially designed tours in our experience portfolio. The VIP Tour is ideal for special guests and special occasions. Our Beyond the Gate Tour takes guests into the motorcycle vault. Everyone will love the Spotlight Tour, which is a perfect intro to the story of Harley-Davidson.
Group bookings are available for 2-50 guests. Call 414-287-2799 or email groups@h-dmuseum.com for reservations. Check out the tour calendar for public tour availability, too.
Engineering Merit Badge (Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. and Sundays at 2:15 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, welcome and orientation by program facilitator, 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
“Mama Tried: Bringing it Together” (on display now)
The Mama Tried Motorcycle Show and adjoining Flat Out Friday races are a bright spot in the dead of cold, Wisconsin winters. The show has amassed an army of followers and fans that give the weekend its signature style: People are the heart of the show; the bikes are the social lubrication. The Harley-Davidson Museum’s special exhibit, “Mama Tried: Bringing it Together,” focuses on the builders, the racers, and the fans that gather over a bike or a brew.
A riot of bikes await you this summer: outrageous custom bikes, lovingly restored vintage machines, and one as rare as hen’s teeth – a 1929 FHAC with FLXI Sidecar Factory Racer. Don’t come alone; bring your crew. That’s what Mama Tried is about, after all.
“My Papi Has a Motorcycle” / “Mi Papi Tiene una Moto” (on display now)
From award-winning children and YA author Isabel Quintero and illustrator Zeke Peña comes the Harley-Davidson Museum’s first-ever bilingual exhibit, “My Papi has a Motorcycle” / “Mi papi tiene una moto.” Based on the beloved children’s book of the same name, “My Papi has a Motorcycle” shares a story of family bonds strengthened by the simple act of taking a joy ride on a two-wheeled machine. With brilliant, colorful art from Peña paired with heart-warming stories from Southern Californian riding families, “My Papi has a Motorcycle” will draw smiles from kids of all ages. It’s an exhibit that focuses not only on where you can take a motorcycle, but where a two-up motorcycle ride with a loved one can take you.
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 2023 Harley-Davidson #FreedomMachine, the reinstalled and all-new Experience Gallery shows the world how United We Ride! And now you can hop in the saddle of the newest CVO Road Glide, Breakout, Road Glide Trike, Pan America Special, and Nightster motorcycles – the perfect photo op to commemorate your visit.
The H-D Museum @ 15 (on display now)
The Harley-Davidson Museum opened its doors for the first time in 2008. With 130,000 square-feet of factory-like buildings that honor Milwaukee’s industrial heritage and 20 acres of park-like space to gather, the H-D Museum was over 100 years in the making. Explore more about the construction and grand opening in a new display at the H-D Museum entrance.
Linda “Jo” Giovannoni (on display now)
In 2022, the world of motorcycling lost a prominent voice, Linda “Jo” Giovannoni. As a co-founder of Harley Women magazine, she shared her love of the sport through articles in newspapers and magazines and in national television interviews and documentaries. Learn about how Giovannoni inspired riders for over 40 years.
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 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.
“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.
Keep the 120th Anniversary celebration going with two new pieces from the Archives team on Google Arts & Culture. “120 Years of Style” showcases the instant iconic pieces and those that are just plain cool. Take the long view with this glimpse of historic Harley-Davidson apparel. And “Celebrating 120 Years of Harley-Davidson” chronicles the party that is like no other. This year, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company celebrates 120 years of uninterrupted production. The celebrations of milestone anniversaries have themselves become historic events for HDMC, the riders, and the city of Milwaukee.
Harley-Davidson Shop + H-D Factory Outlet
If you didn’t get the chance to snag some 120th Anniversary gear – or if you just need more in your closet – a special selection of merchandise sold at Veteran’s Park during the 120th is now available on campus.
MOTOR Bar & Restaurant
Chef Doug has been busy putting together this great slate of October specials! Leaning into fall flavors like pumpkin and cranberry, the perfect mix of flavors for the new season. Find our full menu here.
Salad: The Fall Harvest Cobb Salad is made with grilled chicken breast, bacon, dried cranberry, roasted butternut squash, marinated hard cooked egg, buttermilk blue cheese, pepita, baby kale, garden greens, and drizzled with lemon-balsamic vinaigrette.
Burger: This one is for the meat lovers! Try the B.L.T. Burger, a half-pound beef burger, house made very thick cut bacon, heirloom tomato, romaine lettuce, smoked tomato, and bacon aioli, on a toasted brioche bun. Served with side of French fries.
Dessert: We’re taking pumpkin to the next level! Pumpkin & Pecan Bread Pudding is made with a warm baguette bread pudding with roasted pumpkin & pecans, topped with caramel apple sauce & vanilla ice cream.
MOTOR is excited to have our first trivia night on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and every Wednesday this fall and winter from 6-8 p.m. Our trivia series in partnership with Geeks Who Drink will be hosted in CAN Room, adjacent to MOTOR. Join us for two-hour trivia sessions. A fun, engaging, and competitive trivia session will be a great way to be challenged every week! Guests can look forward to prizes from our beer partner (3 Sheeps Brewery), Harley-Davidson Museum tickets, gift certificates to MOTOR, and more!
1903 Events
The holidays are coming up, and 1903 Events is ready to help our clients make their event sparkle! We have the perfect place to host your team gathering. Our variety of spaces are ready to accommodate any event, big or small. For short-term bookings, we’ve created a special Happy Hour menu for private events that can be held in MOTOR and the adjacent bar, CAN Room. Book your event now through Oct. 31st in MOTOR or CAN room and receive special limited-time pricing, including an offer on Happy Hour cocktails.
Save the dates
Veterans Appreciation Weekend (11/10 – 11/12/23)
