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On November 7, 2024, “The Domes Reimagined” plan was unanimously approved by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, providing $30 million in funding in support of the plan as part of a public-private campaign. The Domes Reimagined plan was developed by Friends of the Domes, in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks and Madison-based real estate developer The Alexander Company. The county's funding is contingent on the group achieving certain milestones that will be determined over the course of the next few months.

Known locally as simply “the Domes,” these iconic landmarks have been a beloved part of Milwaukee’s skyline and a center of community life for more than 50 years. However, in 2016 the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the Domes on our annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places after the facility was temporarily closed due to falling concrete, and since that time, the fate of the Domes has been in limbo. With the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, the National Trust has continued to provide advocacy support and technical assistance to County leaders as options for the Domes’ future were considered.

In September 2024, the Friends of the Domes unveiled “The Domes Reimagined,” an exciting new plan that would include a full rehabilitation of all three Domes using historic tax credits, the addition of new visitor amenities and enhanced accessibility, and additional nature-based programming and education.

The National Trust has advocated for years in support of a preservation solution for the Domes. We applaud this outcome and thank all partners, advocates, and stakeholders who have worked for so many years to ensure the future of these Midcentury marvels!

On September 3, 2024, an exciting new plan was unveiled that could lead to revitalization of Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes. The Domes are beloved community landmarks that were previously included on the 2016 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and designated a National Treasure by the National Trust, working closely with Milwaukee Preservation Alliance.

The Domes Reimagined plan is a partnership between the Friends of the Domes, Milwaukee County Parks, and Madison-based real estate developer The Alexander Company. If implemented, the plan would result in full rehabilitation of the three Domes using historic tax credits, as well as introduction of new visitor amenities like a café, children’s play area, gift shop, education and event space, and a new public garden based on a Wisconsin ecosystem. The plan would enhance accessibility, add more nature-based programming and education, and support Milwaukee County’s climate action plan and wellness goals. Friends of the Domes hopes to launch a $30 million capital campaign in 2024-5 and begin the first phase of work in 2026-7. The full plan is estimated to cost around $130 million, including philanthropic contributions, County funds, historic and new markets tax credits, and federal and state grants.

The National Trust has advocated for years in support of a preservation solution for the Domes, and we applaud Friends of the Domes, Milwaukee County Parks and The Alexander Company for their bold vision to revitalize and enhance community enjoyment of these national treasures.

The architect of Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes, Donald Grieb, has passed away at age 99. Most of Grieb’s other high-profile commissions in Milwaukee, including the Milwaukee County Courthouse Annex and Union Station, have been demolished, leaving the Domes to carry his legacy of daring Midcentury Modern design into the next generation.

In a 2016 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel interview, Grieb's son, Donald Grieb Jr., said of his father's design: "He woke up at 4 a.m. and it just kind of burst into his head. I remember him making models out of toothpicks and balsa wood at home."

Greib won an international design competition for the right to design the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory in 1958. In addition to their stunning architectural features, the Domes are marvels of modern engineering, featuring the world’s first “conoidal”—or cone-shaped—domes. They are the world’s first glass conoidal domes, and remain the only glass conoidal domes in the world being used as conservatories. Grieb’s groundbreaking “Dome Building Construction” method received a patent in 1965.

The Save Our Domes Coalition continues to advocate for the rehabilitation and reuse of all three Domes as a community resource, with programming and sustainable financial operations.