Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum

The Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum is a geology museum in Milwaukee that displays minerals and fossils from the region. The collection contains about 75,000 specimens and operates as part of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

A pharmacist named Thomas A. Greene collected the fossils and minerals from local quarries from the 1800s into the early 1900s. The museum opened in 1913 in a building that architect Alexander C. Eschweiler designed specifically to house this collection.

The museum houses a collection assembled by local enthusiasts, showing how people in Milwaukee explored the earth around them more than a century ago. The specimens come from the region and tell the story of the geological layers beneath the city.

The museum is located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and can be visited during teaching hours. It is best to check opening times in advance since hours can vary.

The collection includes marine creatures from the Silurian and Devonian periods that came from quarries that no longer exist. These fossils preserve clues about the ancient sea that once covered Wisconsin.

Location: Milwaukee

Architects: Alexander C. Eschweiler

Operator: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Opening Hours: Monday 11:00-13:00; Tuesday 12:00-14:00, 15:00-17:00; Wednesday 11:00-13:00, 14:00-16:00; Thursday 11:00-13:00, 15:00-17:00

Website: https://uwm.edu/geosciences/research/greene-museum

GPS coordinates: 43.07627,-87.88355

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:00