By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Jan 10, 2022 at 10:35 AM

Due to the COVID-19 surge and related staffing shortages, Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) will be temporarily closed to the public on Monday, Jan. 10 through Wednesday, Jan. 12.

The museum is normally closed on Tuesdays.

“With a few key staff members in essential operational roles currently quarantining or awaiting test results, the museum is proactively closing for a few days to accommodate for the impact of those absences,” said MPM President and CEO Ellen Censky in a statement.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of those who enter our building is paramount, and unfortunately, we cannot safely operate without certain staffing levels in critical departments.”

Those who have purchased advance tickets can receive a refund or trade for tickets for a later date.

Find details and updates at mpm.edu.

According the museum, "MPM has implemented several COVID-19 mitigation measures throughout the pandemic to ensure the museum can safely serve the public, including mask requirements for all staff and visitors ages three years and older, elevator and exhibit occupancy limits, and increased cleaning in high-traffic and high-touch areas.

"These measures align with Milwaukee County guidance on community and public spaces social restrictions, and follow CDC recommendations as best they can while keeping local orders in mind. In addition, 97 percent of MPM employees are vaccinated. Unvaccinated employees are required to receive weekly
COVID-19 testing."

The museum reopened July 22, 2021 after a long COVID-related closure.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.