Wisconsin’s Contribution to Diorama History

MPM’s iconic muskrat diorama sparked modern taxidermy, and the museum is celebrating with Diorama Month events.

Published On: March 13, 2026

The year was 1890. An up-and-coming taxidermist named Carl Akeley was asked to build a display for the fledgling Milwaukee Public Museum, and he had some crazy ideas for the project that were about to shake the taxidermy establishment to its very core.

The muskrat colony he created, with its lifelike poses, elements from the animals’ natural habitat, and its painted background, changed the diorama game entirely and set Akeley on a path to becoming the Father of Modern Taxidermy.

The display, known as “Muskrat Family Group,” is still exhibited today. And the method he pioneered, known as the “Milwaukee-style” diorama, has influenced curators and taxidermists worldwide since.

As you certainly know, March is National Diorama Month. And what better way to celebrate Wisconsin’s contribution to the craft than by visiting the MPM to see the muskrat colony that started it all or for one of the many diorama-related events on their calendar?

And there are a lot of them. Too many to fit into one humble email newsletter. The signature event (as far as the Drink Wisconsinbly Week in Review is concerned) is the Diorama-Rama competition. It’s another Milwaukee original that will be held at the MPM this year.

The seeds were planted for it in 2011 after a local woman named Danelle “D” Kirschling visited the MPM around the time she got a new pair of shoes. Inspired by what she saw, she made a diorama of her own. Before long, she launched a competition among dioramists that follows a different theme annually.

In a full-circle moment, this year’s 10th anniversary motif is the Milwaukee-style diorama, with local artists competing to revisit, reinvent, and reimagine the form. It’s happening on March 31st, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 13 and under, with half of the sales benefiting the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts.

In addition to Diorama-Rama, the MPM has some other major programs coming up in 2026 during the final year in their current building. Check out their website for more details and to learn about the move to their new location in 2027.