The building's design incorporates Moorish and Indian elements, somewhat resembling the Taj Mahal in India, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Tripoli Temple.

The Tripoli Shrine was founded in 1885 by nobles from the Medinah Temple in Chicago, a fraternal order that traces its lineage to a Masonic lodge established in 1843 by early settlers of Milwaukee.

[4] The building is one of the best of examples of Moorish Revival architecture in the United States, a style that was particularly popular for synagogues and movie theaters.

The Temple's design is loosely based on the Taj Mahal, with the addition of Mudéjar style polychrome stone coursing.

Sculptures depicting a pair of kneeling camels grace the entrance, while the interior is decorated with ceramic tile of intricate floral designs and plaster lattice work.