RNC venues could include Marcus Center, Turner Hall. But not Rave--and art museum is iffy

With Milwaukee moving closer to hosting the Republican National Convention the picture of which venues will host RNC-related events is getting a bit clearer.

We've long known Fiserv Forum and Baird Center will play main roles, with neighboring UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena also involved. But what about such places as Milwaukee Art Museum, Turner Hall and Discovery World?

The convention, running July 15-18, could draw up to 50,000 visitors and generate an estimated $200 million economic impact for the Milwaukee area.

Here's what to know.

Fiserv Forum will be in world's focus

The arena best known for hosting the Milwaukee Bucks, the Marquette University men's basketball team and concerts will be home to the RNC's main proceedings − presumably including former President Donald Trump's acceptance speech.

The newly expanded Baird Center will host convention-related activities, including news media outlets from throughout the world. That will likely include nightly TV network news stand-ups.

UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena will provide space for radio and other broadcast and webcast news operations to conduct live interviews, while Miller High Life Theatre will host other activities involving convention delegates.

Milwaukee Art Museum might lack RNC role

Milwaukee Art Museum, one of the city's signature buildings, might not play a convention role.

The museum won't be hosting private RNC parties due to cost and "a desire not to entangle the museum with politics," according to a recent New York Times story. It cited unnamed "convention and Milwaukee officials."

The museum "does not currently have event bookings for the week of the RNC. The Museum has conducted tours and received inquiries, but nothing has transpired to date," said Lindsey Wurz, museum communications manager, in an email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The museum is open to booking events, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Discovery World, Pabst Mansion, others vying to host

Discovery World, Pabst Mansion and Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum are among the venues seeking to host events during the convention.

"Discovery World is excited to showcase the beauty of Milwaukee's lakefront and host events that will ultimately help increase the reach of our mission to inspire generations to discover the wonders of science," said Paul Fladten, Discovery World director of marketing and communications.

Pabst Mansion has received inquiries and is hoping to be booked during the convention, said Jocelyn Slocum, museum director.

Also, the nonprofit group which operates the county-owned Charles Allis Art Museum and Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum hopes to land events.

"Our programs, exhibitions, and investment in our community speak to our values, and when we have said all are invited, we mean it," said Jaymee Harvey Willms, executive director of the museums.

The RNC is "an opportunity to promote the arts and culture of our city to the rest of the world," Willms said.

Another county-affiliated facility, Marcus Performing Arts Center, has booked an RNC-related event that will be announced in the coming months, said Jennifer Han, senior manager of development and media relations.

Meanwhile, the Bradley Symphony Center, home to the Milwaukee Symphony Center, has booked convention week events, according to the New York Times.

Milwaukee Public Museum, Turner Hall also in the running

The county-affiliated Milwaukee Public Museum "intends to host events for groups associated with the RNC," a museum statement said.

"Similarly, MPM was planning to rent out the Museum for groups attending the 2020 Democratic National Convention before the Convention was changed to a mostly remote event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," it said.

Turner Hall in 2020 was to be booked by CNN as its DNC headquarters before the pandemic changed those plans. There's no word yet from Turner Hall operator Pabst Theater Group about whether the venue will be booked for the RNC.

So far the group, which also operates the Pabst Theater, the Riverside Theater, Vivarium and the Fitzgerald, has announced no other RNC-related bookings − other than a serendipitous tour stop by political comedian and commentator Bill Maher at the Riverside Theater the night before the RNC begins.

Ann Lennart, the group's director of private events, said Pabst is in "constant communication" with the RNC, with dozens of walk-throughs of its venues the past few months.

"We'd all like to be done of course by now with booking everything, and it's sad that we're not," Pabst Chief Executive Officer Gary Witt told the Journal Sentinel. But he also praised the RNC's responsiveness.

"The way we operate, we are prepared to do things at the last minute if needed," Lennart said.

The Rave is moving on from the RNC

The Rave's operators, on the other hand, are moving on.

The Rave features multiple stages, including the Eagles Ballroom, and is included in the official RNC venue guide.

Co-owner Leslie West said with no news from the RNC the Rave is placing holds with bands for possible tour stops during the convention.

By February 2020, before the pandemic derailed the DNC in Milwaukee, multiple bookings at the Rave had been set, West said. This time with the RNC, she said, "it's just silence."

Peter Jest, owner of Shank Hall, said he's heard nothing from the RNC after filling out an online form to be considered for bookings. If no bookings materialize, he anticipates keeping the club dark for the week.

However, it appears Potawatomi Casino Hotel's outdoor summer events venue might be playing a role.

Its planned event dates include July 18 − the last night of the convention, according to new permit applications submitted to the city Department of Neighborhood Services. Those documents don't provide event details, and Potawatomi representatives declined to comment.

Betty Brinn Children's Museum and Summerfest operator Milwaukee World Festival Inc. also wouldn't discuss what roles they might play in the RNC.

There are no convention-related events planned within the seating bowl at American Family Field, said Tyler Barnes, Milwaukee Brewers senior vice president − communications and affiliate operations.

More than 250 potential local venues have been toured, said Rachel Reisner, director of communications for the Committee on Arrangements, the party organization tasked with staging the convention.

An influx of bookings are anticipated following a late spring deadline for requests from delegates, media outlets and outside groups, she said.

"We encourage venues to remain open to the public as much as possible if/when they are not booked by a private group," Reisner wrote via email. "With an expected 50,000+ visitors during convention week, we hope this provides businesses with scores of patrons looking for a taste of Milwaukee!"

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's which Milwaukee venues will play key roles in hosting the RNC