Did you miss Harley-Davidson Museum’s Bike Night Concert Series as much as we did? Have you spent countless hours shining the chrome on your bike as you counted down the days until the first Thursday of May? Your patience is rewarded this week when Bella Cain kicks off the season on May 5. All wheels are welcome to roll down to campus every Thursday to enjoy free live music from some of Milwaukee’s favorite bands, drool-worthy rolling sculptures and tasty treats hot off the grill and ice-cold beverages.
And if you’re looking to throw a leg over the latest Harley-Davidson (H-D) motorcycle to experience the fun and freedom that only H-D can deliver, mark your calendars for May 7 (and nearly every Saturday this summer) for the H-D Museum’s Saturday Demo Rides powered by Harley-Davidson Insurance. Choose from a dozen of the newest models and take a cruise through the neighboring Menomonee Valley, Wisconsin. And yes, it’s offered for free at the H-D Museum.
Plus, make sure you show mom some love on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8. Roll two-up or bring down the whole family and take advantage of our Annual Pass perks for discounted admission, gifts at The Shop and meals at MOTOR Bar & Restaurant. On Mother’s Day, spend $150 or more at The Shop and receive a free bracelet. And make sure you fuel up at MOTOR’s Mother’s Day Brunch. Raise a glass to mom with Bottomless Mimosa’s for $14.95 or our Bloody Mary Bar for $12.95. Be sure to look out for complimentary carnations for moms and temporary tattoos for kids (while supplies last). Reservations are highly encouraged by calling MOTOR at (414) 287-2778.
And the annual Armed Forces Day Celebration lands at the Harley-Davidson Museum on Saturday, May 21. Join the Harley-Davidson Museum and active military and veterans as we honor the brave individuals serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Together with the Milwaukee Armed Services Committee, the H-D Museum invites everyone to show your support for our troops on Armed Forces Day.
Programming/Events
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.
- May 5: Bella Cain
- May 12: Big Al Wetzel Band
- May 19: Ten Feet Tall
- May 26: Mighty Miss Erica
Saturday Demos powered by H-D Insurance, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit the Museum campus on Saturdays to experience the fun and freedom of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Visitors with their motorcycle endorsement/license will be able to choose from a dozen of the latest and greatest #FreedomMachines from Harley-Davidson, including Touring, Softail and Sportster models. A predetermined scenic route through the Menomonee Valley will give riders the chance to explore the museum’s surrounding neighborhoods. Sign-up is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Riders and passengers must be at least 18 years of age. All riders (and passengers) must wear a helmet, eye protection, shirt, long pants and closed-toe shoes with heel strap. All riders and passengers must bring their own riding gear.
Mother’s Day at the Harley-Davidson Museum, Sunday, May 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrate the most important woman in your life by giving her an unforgettable experience at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Spend the day touring the collection and campus, including The Shop, where you can find a special gift just for her. Bonus: Spend $150 or more at The Shop and receive a free bracelet. Take a self-guided audio tour of the H-D Museum, and if you bring the kids, make sure to check out the newly reopened Imagination Station! Enjoy brunch at MOTOR Bar & Restaurant, and raise a glass to mom with Bottomless Mimosas for $14.95 or the Bloody Mary Bar for $12.95. Don’t forget to score a complimentary carnation for mom and a temporary tattoo for the kids (while supplies last). Reservations are highly encouraged by calling MOTOR at (414) 287-2778. Looking for a Mother’s Day gift that keeps on giving? The Annual Pass offers individual, family and VIP options to fit her lifestyle. End your visit by taking in the sights of the museum’s beautiful 20-acre, park-like campus on a walking tour. It’s the mother of all Mother’s Day celebrations and it’s only found at the crossroads of 6th and Canal.
Armed Forces Day Celebration, Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join the Harley-Davidson Museum and active military and veterans in honoring the brave individuals serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Together with the Milwaukee Armed Services Committee, the H-D Museum invites everyone to show your support for our troops on Armed Forces Day. Military equipment and interactive displays are available for attendees to see and experience. This free event offers a unique experience to talk with all branches of the military to learn about their experiences and the challenges they face maintaining our freedom. Please note that military discounts are found throughout campus. New this year: the Wisconsin Warrior Challenge. Open to kids and young adults ages 7 to 18, participants will join one of six teams and compete in a series of activities for the title of Wisconsin Warrior Champions. Activities will include obstacle courses, survival skills, drills and marching, and more! Sign up to participate in advance on the Milwaukee Armed Forces Week website.
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: virtual access to the H-D Museum with various Harley history topics covered in the 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.
Engineering Merit Badge (Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1:30 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, partially facilitated program, 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. The H-D Museum’s 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
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.
The Shop
The Shop at the Harley-Davidson Museum is the place to find exclusive apparel, collectibles and accessories inspired by the H-D Archives. Check out new items that are arriving daily! Check the H-D Museum website and social channels for updates related to The Shop hours and upcoming closures as it moves from its current location the new location.
MOTOR Bar & Restaurant
Mother’s Day Brunch. May monthly specials. A revamped kids menu that includes a take-home flying disc. Expanded hours — on Bike Nights and weekends, no less (Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.). Maybe it’s time to take all your meals at MOTOR and find a new use for your kitchen.
All month long, enjoy the Balsamic Chicken entrée (marinated and grilled balsamic chicken on a bed of ancient grain salad with tomatoes, onions, spinach, asparagus and olives: $20.95), the Brew City Burger (8-ounce, hand-packed ground chuck stacked with sliced bratwurst, Clock Shadow Creamery cheese curds, grilled onions and ranch dressing on a pretzel bun. Served with French fries and pickle spear: $20.95) or the Tres Leches Cake dessert (an ultra-light sponge cake soaked in a sweet-milk mixture, topped with whipped cream, strawberries and toasted coconut: $8.95).
And who wants to make mom cook on her special day? Bring her down for the Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday, May 8 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Selecting one item from our mouthwatering lineup of brunch entrees includes access to our chef’s carving station, featuring juicy, slow-cooked pit ham and 14-hour slow-smoked brisket as well as a bountiful buffet of fresh fruit and desserts. Toast to mom with Bottomless Mimosas for $14.95 or our Bloody Mary Bar for $12.95. Complimentary carnations for moms and temporary tattoos for kids (while supplies last). Call (414) 287-2778 to reserve your table.
And shaking what your momma gave you at the Bike Night Concert Series works up a thirst. MOTOR’s got you covered all season long with the Bike Night Koozie Special ($3 for Busch Light). Mark your calendars for the May 12 Bike Night when MOTOR partners with VISIT Milwaukee to launch its Cheese Curd Pass with promos, prizes and more.
Finally, don’t forget about the fun to be found every Saturday at BBQ & Blues from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
MOTOR Bar & Restaurant will be hosting a job fair on Wednesday, May 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Come and apply for positions like banquet bartenders, servers and managers as well as marketing manager, sales coordinator and client-experience positions. Can’t make it in? You can also apply online!
