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Back in April, when the Milwaukee Public Museum announced some details about the "Milwaukee Revealed" exhibit in the future museum, it said there would be a frozen custard stand display included.
On Tuesday, museum officials announced more about that display.
Among the storefront of the Milwaukee Revealed gallery – which museum officials have called "the spiritual successor to The Streets of Old Milwaukee," there will be a custard shop housing a display that explains how the state's natural resources and dairy industry fueled Cream City's passion for custard.
The stand will be one that guests can enter. According to a description from the museum, "they’ll smell the sweet scent of freshly baked waffle cones and find a mix of vibrant graphics and historic photographs that give an overview of the creation of frozen custard. They’ll even be able to take their turn operating a custard machine that serves an endless loop of faux custard."
At the same time, MPM announced that Culver's and Culver's family members have made a $1 million gift to the museum.
“We are grateful for the Culvers' generous gift to the Future Museum that will support our efforts to share more about the land-based processes used to make frozen custard – from cow to cone,” said MPM President & CEO Dr. Ellen Censky in a statement.
“Culver’s dedication to the prosperity of the state’s dairy industry and hometown hospitality exemplifies the interconnectedness of nature and culture that we aim to weave throughout all galleries in the Future Museum.”
The custard shop, MPM says, will include stories of Wisconsin dairy farmers, whose work ensures a supply of ingredients for Milwaukee’s frozen custard, as well as how flavors are created and "how local traditions and materials connect to the rest of the world."
“Milwaukee and Wisconsin have such a rich and deep history,” said Craig Culver, co-founder of Culver’s. “It is a pleasure to support the creation of a Future Museum where exhibits will celebrate and share that local history.
"It’s especially meaningful that part of the Milwaukee Revealed gallery will focus on the history of frozen custard, one of this city and state’s great contributions to the dessert palate.”
Culver’s is one of more than 150 donors to the museum's Wisconsin Wonders public-private fundraising campaign to support development and construction of the new museum, due to open in 2026 at 6th and McKinley.
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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.
