The Harley-Davidson Museum Is Heating Up This June

Mark Thursday, June 9 on your calendars. That’s when the all-new, 10,000-square-foot Harley-Davidson® Shop opens its doors to the public. In addition to the outstanding lineup of H-D Museum-branded merchandise, authentic reproductions, accessories and gifts guests have come to love, more than 150 new products will line the shelves. With more room comes even more options to customize your gear and create one-of-a-kind items that display the uniqueness that has been a hallmark of Harley-Davidson. Come down for the opening day and be sure to enjoy extended hours during Bike Night.

And on Saturday, June 25, the timeless Wild Ones Vintage Motorcycle Rally makes its triumphant return after a two-year hiatus. Celebrate Harley-Davidson’s unrivaled motorcycle heritage with a vintage 1940s-style motorcycle rally at the H-D Museum complete with vintage bike show, authentic motorcycle field games, boonie bike races, poker run launch and a new addition with the Badger Boneyard Swap Meet (with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin) and so much more moto-culture fun.

If you need that vintage fix a little sooner, help launch the inaugural Chix on 66 ride on Saturday, June 11. Chix on 66 Powered by Harley-Davidson is a women’s two-week motorcycle journey across Route 66. Harley-Davidson will be hosting the 40 Chix on 66 riders as special guests at the Harley-Davidson Museum to kick off this historic event. The Chix on 66 ride will proceed to Chicago, where they will set forth, following the “Mother Road” to Santa Monica, California. Some women will be riding antique motorcycles — the classic American journey on classic machines — while others will ride modern mounts.

Finally, don’t forget about celebrating the dads and grandads in your life on Father’s Day. Make a weekend of it by kicking it off a day early at MOTOR Bar & Restaurant for the always-sizzling BBQ & Blues presented by Bulleit Bourbon on Saturday, June 18. And admission to the H-D Museum is a hot ticket to celebrate pops, but don’t forget the 20-acre, park-like campus is an ideal spot to have a catch, play some lawn games or sprawl out with the family. After your tour, come spoil the No. 1 Dad in your life and shop our newest arrivals at the Harley-Davidson Shop, including a special gift with purchase.

Programming/Events

The Harley-Davidson Shop grand opening: Thursday, June 9, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

More than 150 new products. More than triple its former space. New experiences and new ways to customize your Harley-Davidson look. Plus, all the Harley-Davidson Museum-branded merchandise, authentic reproductions, accessories and gifts you’ve come to love. Be a part of Harley-Davidson history or take some home with you when the all-new Harley-Davidson Shop opens its doors to the public.

H-D Museum Bike Night Concert Series powered by Budweiser King of Beers and Bulleit Bourbon: Thursdays, 5 to 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.

June 9: The WhiskeyBelles
June 16: 11. One Louder
June 23: Local Legends
June 30: Jackie Brown Band

Chix on 66 ride launch, Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The classic American journey on classic machines. The public is invited to meet the women of Chix on 66 Powered by Harley-Davidson as they stage for the ride’s start on Saturday, June 11. Find out what motivated these women to make this 2,500-mile journey, learn how they prepared for this iconic ride, and check out the antique and modern motorcycles that cover every decade from the 1930s through the 2020s — from noted author and moto-journalist Cris Sommer Simmons’s 1934 Harley-Davidson VD model progressing to the current era with ride co-leader Chris Bailey’s 2022 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic motorcycle. The riders and their motorcycles will be staged directly in front of the Harley-Davidson Museum. Kickstands up at 1 p.m.

Father’s Day at the Harley-Davidson Museum, Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19

Make Father’s Day an unforgettable experience with a trip to the Harley-Davidson Museum. Start your day by taking a self-guided audio tour at the H-D Museum and experience art, history and culture that is sure to leave a lasting impression. If you bring the kids, be sure to show them the newly reopened Imagination Station as well! After your tour, come spoil the No. 1 Dad in your life and shop our newest arrivals at the Harley-Davidson Shop, including a special gift with purchase.

Feeling hungry? Enjoy a special Father’s Day Sunday brunch menu at MOTOR Bar & Restaurant that consists of breakfast entrees, beers, burgers, a Bloody Mary bar and lawn games to enjoy with your family. For reservations, head to Motorrestaurant.com or call (414) 287-2778.

Looking for a Father’s Day gift that he will be sure to love? The Annual Pass offers Individual, Family and VIP options to fit his lifestyle. End your visit by taking in the sights of our beautiful 20-acre, park-like campus on our walking tour.

Wild Ones: Vintage Motorcycle Rally, Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come celebrate Harley-Davidson’s unrivaled motorcycle heritage with a vintage 1940s-style motorcycle rally at the H-D Museum. In partnership with The Knucklehead Company’s Annual Reunion, the day will feature an antique motorcycle ride-in show, authentic motorcycle field games hosted by the Antique Motorcycle Club of America Badger Heritage Chapter, the High Voltage Milwaukee Shovelhead Reunion poker run, boonie bike races from the Mama Tried and Flat Out Friday crew, and the Badger Boneyard Swap Meet with 100% of proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin. After a two-year hiatus, there’s a lot packed into this fan favorite.

Must-See Exhibits and Installations

1977 FLH “Blackula”(on display beginning May 13)

Milwaukee man about town Freddie Franklin purchased his Electra Glide 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 1,250cc 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 clubs’ names and logos as well as 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.

MOTOR Bar & Restaurant

One of Milwaukee’s best patios has been unwrapped for the season. It’s the perfect backdrop to enjoy new monthly specials, Sunday Brunch & Bloodys or celebrate Dad on Father’s Day. Start his fête early on Saturday, June 18 with a special BBQ & Blues night featuring cigar and bourbon tastings to pair with the tunes from Steve Cohen with Eric Noden. Come Sunday, June 19, check out the special Father’s Day brunch menu full of his favorite breakfast entrees, beers, burgers, a Bloody Mary bar and lawn games to enjoy with your family.

The seasonal specials are cooking too! During June, enjoy the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich (hand-breaded, seasoned pork tenderloin fried golden brown, topped with Swiss cheese, grilled onions and creamy horseradish sauce, served on a toasted French roll with French fries and pickle spear, $16.95), the Pit Master (slow-smoked pork shoulder, beef brisket, BBQ rubbed chicken thigh and sliced hot links topped with BBQ sauce, jicama slaw and spicy pickles, served with French fries and pickle spear, $20.95) or the Peach Cobbler (fresh, sweet peaches, baked in a spiced, brown-sugar mixture, topped with brown sugar and cinnamon crumble and vanilla ice cream, $8.95).