Milwaukee's history lives on and downtown is filled with beautifully preserved historic buildings. Milwaukee is known as "Brew City" because the city has been home to some of America's largest brewers such as Pabst, Schlitz, Miller, Blatz, it's also known as the “City of Festivals” for the summer-long line-up of festivals at Summerfest, and it's also known as the "Cream City?" because high concentration of lime and sulfur in the clay found in the Menomonee Valley created the creamy hue. Locally-produced, it became the least expensive building material of its day, making it a primary building component for churches, homes, factories, and businesses for the next 70 years and these buildings around Milwaukee have been beautifully preserved. Below are 20 fun places to visit while in Milwaukee.
Riverwalk
The Milwaukee Riverwalk winds through the heart of the city, tying together three distinct riverfront neighborhoods — the Historic Third Ward, Downtown, and Beer line Row and bringing you to the doorstep of some of the city’s best restaurants, brewpubs, shops, and nightlife.
Bronze Fonz
N Riverwalk Way, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Say “ayyy” to the Bronze Fonz! Located on Milwaukee’s Riverwalk just south of Wells Street. Shooting his trademark double thumbs up in downtown Milwaukee since 2008, the statue pays homage to Arthur Fonzarelli aka “Fonzie,” the tough guy king of cool from “Happy Days,” the popular sitcom set in 1950's Milwaukee.
Pabst Brewery Tour
901 W Juneau Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233 (414) 630-1609
The Pabst Brewing Company was the first of the great Milwaukee brewers. Quality, pride, tradition, and hops were the ingredients in the legacy left by German immigrant Jacob Best Sr., (left) who established the brewery in 1844. Under the guidance of his son Phillip Best (middle) and Phillip’s son-in-law, Captain Frederick Pabst (right), a small local producer became America’s largest brewer from the late 1800s until 1946.
Miller Brewery Tour
4251 W State St, Milwaukee, WI 53208 (414) 931-3880
Miller Brewing Company was founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller after his emigration from Hohenzollern, Germany in 1854 with a unique brewer's yeast. The brewery's location in the Miller Valley in Milwaukee provided easy access to raw materials produced on nearby farms. In 1855, Miller changed its name to Miller Brewing Company, Inc. The enterprise remained in the family until 1966.
Historic Third Ward
400 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
The Historic Third Ward is a historic warehouse district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Third Ward is home to many specialty shops, restaurants, art galleries and theater groups, creative businesses and condos. The Milwaukee Public Market offers year-round indoor gourmet and specialty food and shopping. Irish immigrants were the early settlers of the area. The Irish settlers in the Third ward went through two major fires that nearly destroyed the Ward. Prominent local architects stepped in to design many of the commercial structures after the 1892 fire and gave the buildings an interesting continuity that unifies the neighborhood
Summerfest
639 E. Summerfest Place Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 273-2680
Summerfest was conceived in the 1960's Mayor Henry W. Maier. He was inspired by his visit to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, and he envisioned a similar ethnic-themed festival in Milwaukee. By the middle of the decade, a 10-day multi-event festival with the proposed name of "Milwaukee World Festival," which was changed to "Summerfest". Summerfest is held at the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront and is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 800 acts and over 1000 performances.
Lakefront
2400 N Lincoln Memorial Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53211
This is where summer happens in Milwaukee. Veterans Park hosts dozens of special events throughout the summer, including the Air & Water Show, Brewfest and kite festivals. Bradford is the main beach and the only beach guarded by lifeguards. Lake Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, he also designed New York Central Park. The park is near the North Point Lighthouse and offer beautiful views of the lake, city and there are beautiful Lion Bridges. McKinley Beach is a small beach next to the Marina. And is near the Community Sailing Center that offer sailing lessons.
North Point Lighthouse
2650 N. Wahl Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53211 (414) 332-6754
Original North Point Lighthouse is built with Cream City brick and officially begins operation on November 2, 1855. The 28-foot tower built on the bluff put the elevation of the beacon 107 feet above the water, the highest on the Great Lakes. Shore erosion caused 16 feet of the Lighthouse’s land to break loose and drop to the beach, the government decided to build a new lighthouse 100 feet inland. On August 4, 1886, Congress approved to build the present Lighthouse and frame the Keeper’s Quarters.
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 N. Art Museum Drive Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 224-3200
In 1888, Frederick Layton built an art gallery near Cathedral Square. He and other like minded individuals formed the Milwaukee Art Institute. In 1957, the Layton Art Gallery moved into the Eero Saarinen–designed War Memorial Center. Then, the Milwaukee Art Center started to grow and in 2001, architect Santiago Calatrava designed the Quadracci Pavilion with a 90-foot-high glass ceiling and a movable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily at 12 PM and 5 PM.
The Harp
113 E. Juneau Avenue. Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414)-289-0700
Josephine Dolan, the original owner of The Harp, opened its first location in 1945 at 933 N. Broadway. She had to move locations because of redevelopment of the community so she found a new location downtown. On June 13, 1965, Josephine held an Irish wake for the old pub and then, along with bagpipers and 200 customers, she paraded to the current home of The Harp on the river at 113 E. Juneau Avenue. Over the years, amenities were added such as the legendary deck overlooking the Milwaukee River which has made it a Milwaukee favorite.
Seven Bridges Park
Seven Bridges Trail Wisconsin 53172
The Seven Bridges Hiking Trail, in Grant Park, is famous for the sign which you walk beneath at the trailhead reading: "Enter this wild wood and view the haunts of nature." Local teenagers have interpreted this phrase as a warning of paranormal activity; however, the word 'haunt' in this context means 'the place nature inhabits'. Seven Bridges Trail offers serenity, meandering trails through a wooded ravine, and seven bridges which cross a babbling brook that spills out into Lake Michigan at a pristine natural beach. The trail system was developed from paths originally created in the early 1900’s by the park systems first Superintendent of Horticulture, Frederic C. Wulff. In the 1930’s, the bridges that are now the park’s namesake were added.
Pabst Theater
144 E. Wells Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 286-3663
This splendid theater was built in the tradition of the grand European opera houses in 1895 by brewing magnate Captain Frederick Pabst. One of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the U.S., the Pabst features an opulent Baroque interior, including an Austrian crystal chandelier, a staircase crafted from white Italian Carrara marble, and a proscenium arch, highlighted in gold leaf that frames the stage.
The Pfister Hotel
424 E. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 273-8222
Built in 1893 in the style of the grand hotels of Europe, this historic hotel is truly a Milwaukee icon. Featuring Romanesque Revival design, the hotel is also home to the world’s largest hotel collection of Victorian art and continues to support the arts through its Artist- in-Residence program. BLU Bar and Lounge, on the 23rd floor boasts a breathtaking view of the eastern-end of Downtown and the lake.
Pabst Mansion
2000 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53233 (414) 931-0808
Once home of beer baron Captain Frederick Pabst and his family, this mansion is the epitome of Gilded Age splendor. The house has been lovingly restored to its original grandeur and features fine period furniture and architectural details. It’s an especially enchanting sight fully decked out for a Victorian Christmas.
St. Joan of Arc Chapel
1442 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53233 (414) 288-6873
Believed to be the oldest medieval structure in the Western Hemisphere dedicated to its original purpose, this chapel stood for more than 500 years as part of a French estate and was moved to the U.S. stone- by-stone in the 1920s and to the Marquette University campus in the 1960's. Legend has it that Joan of Arc prayed before the early Gothic altar and kissed the stone where she stood, and that stone has forever remained colder than those that surround it.
Mitchell and Mackie Buildings
Mitchell Building 207 E Michigan St Milwaukee , WI 53202
Mackie Building 225 E Michigan St Milwaukee , WI 53202
The Mitchell and Mackie Buildings are one of the country’s finest examples of French Second Empire architecture, a style based upon Parisian buildings designed during the reign of Napoleon. They was built in 1876 by Alexander Mitchell, a banker and railroad and lumber businessman.
City Hall
200 E. Wells Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 286-2221
Milwaukee City Hall is a National Historic Landmark and an excellent example of classic Flemish Renaissance architecture. Upon its completion in 1895, City Hall was the second tallest building in America, exceeded only by the Philadelphia City Hall. Inside, an expansive atrium rises up eight stories. The bell tower stands 353 feet, inhabited by a 22,500-pound bell named Solomon Juneau, after Milwaukee’s first mayor.
Frank Lloyd Wright Houses
2714 W. Burnham St. Milwaukee, WI 53125 (414) 368-0060
Six of 13 known American System-Built Homes by Wisconsin-native Frank Lloyd Wright line West Burnham Street. Guided interior tours are available two Saturdays each month, and architecture buffs should note that one of the other homes is available as a vacation rental.
Allen Bradley Clock Tower
1201 S. 2nd Street Milwaukee, WI 53204 (414) 382-2000
This local landmark holds the record for the largest four-faced clock in the Western Hemisphere. The glowing clock faces shine down over Milwaukee’s once heavily Polish south side, earning it the nickname “The Polish Moon.” The locals say that Allen Bradley had the clock dedicated on October 31, 1962 so that his employees would never be late.
Milwaukee Food and City Tours
(414) 255- 0534
Inspired by Guiseppi and Rosa, who immigrated to Milwaukee from Sicily 100 years ago, Milwaukee Food and City Tours combine their love for Milwaukee and great food to create a memorable experience. Their tours provide a combination of food, culture and history. Milwaukee Food & City Tours offers delicious tours exploring neighborhoods originally settled by Italian, Irish, Polish and German immigrants. They point out architectural highlights, cultural hot spots, and great restaurants and shops while sampling flavors from restaurants along the way.
