Packed with many tiny neighbourhoods is this big city that’s growing with each passing day. Located in Midwest USA, Milwaukee occupies the western shore of Lake Michigan and is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin. Thanks to its rich European immigrant history, picturesque lakefront views, some of the country’s best breweries, and phenomenal architecture, the city is not only a popular weekend getaway spot for Chicago dwellers, but for many across the country. Outdoor adventures, museum excursions, and culinary sojourns–you name it and you’ll have it here. For your next trip to the city to be packed with enjoyment, go on and scroll down for the best things to do in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1. Taste the best of Milwaukee on a walking tasting tour with Secret Food Tours (from USD 99.0)
Milwaukee, a city in the Midwest, is popular for its cheese and beer. This walking culinary tour lets you sample the finest local delicacies and beers. You can indulge your palate while learning from your local professional guide about the region’s 19th-century Germanic immigrant community and how it inspired regional fare today.
Some lip-smacking food you will savor include fried cheese curds with dipping sauces, German chocolate cake with pecans and coconut, and a hometown sausage made with a classic 19th-century recipe. Apart from this, you’ll also enjoy a delectable secret dish that’ll be revealed on the day.
Milwaukee Small-Group Walking Food Tour
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
2. Grab a beer at Lakefront Brewery
The large Lakefront Brewery is a brewpub that serves bar snacks and a variety of beers, including gluten-free and organic options. You can participate in a 45-minute brewery tour, organized every day. Enjoy a few laughs, lore, facts, and beer with your friends for 12-13 USD.
Besides beer, there is a variety of meats, cheeses, chocolate, fruits, and coffee on this expert tour. All in all, it’s a worthwhile tour that allows you to experience everything you need to know about the brewing process.
Lakefront Brewery
Address: 1872 North Commerce St, Milwaukee, WI 53212, United States
Website: Lakefront Brewery
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 4pm - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 9pm; Sun: 11am ‐ 5pm
3. Peek into the city's history at the North Point Lighthouse Museum (from USD 8.0)
Displaying a variety of important artefacts giving us a peek into Milwaukee’s past is the carefully restored North Point Lighthouse Museum. An erstwhile keepers’ quarter, the exhibits here speak volumes about Milwaukee’s crucial role in the regional maritime activities at the Great Lakes along with heritage and culture of the city. Not only the museum, you can also visit the 23 m (74 ft) high iconic lighthouse tower in the picturesque park where the museum is located. Although the lighthouse and park is accessible all days of the week, you’ll only be able to tour the museum on weekends. Book yourself on one of the fantastic guided tours the museum offers and you’ll not be disappointed.
Skip the Line: North Point Lighthouse Admission Ticket
Duration: 1 to 3 hours
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4. Spend a day amid plants and animals at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
Step into Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park for an amazing experience that’ll delight every bit of the plant and animal lover in you– the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory. Popularly known as The Domes, these are three themed displays of varied plant and animal species, protected inside glasshouses. The Tropical Dome is one where you’ll find some birds and an array of plant species, such as cacao, avocado, African mahogany, and the gigantic kapok tree. The Arid Dome, as the name suggests, is reminiscent of desert landscape. Strewn with African and American flora, here’s where you’ll find the distinctive plants you’d see in a desert. Last but not the least is the Show Dome that hosts five spectacular floral shows through the year. Not only do these domes make for an interesting botanical attraction, but they are also an architectural marvel. Head here and lose yourself in a calming world amid plants and animals.
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
Address: 524 S Layton Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53215-1236
Website: Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm; Sat & Sun: 9am - 4pm
Price: 6 - 8 USD
5. Explore one of USA's best museums – the Milwaukee Public Museum
Ignite your minds and excite your curiosity at the Milwaukee Public Museum, a celebration of cultural and natural diversity of the world. Collections, research, educational programs, exhibitions–you name it and they have it. There’s more than 4.5 million objects across the various exhibits here, making it one of USA’s best natural history museums. The excellent collection of the museum attracts adults and kids alike. The interactive exhibits, planetarium, and the dome theatre are especially a hit with the young ones. Dinosaurs, Africa’s history, Milwaukee’s founding, butterfly exhibits, geology–the range here is just phenomenal. You could spend an entire day here and not get bored.
Milwaukee Public Museum
Address: 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
Website: Milwaukee Public Museum
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm; Sat: 9am - 5pm; Sun: 11am - 5pm
Price: 8 - 27 USD (Varies according to package)
6. Learn about human evolution at the Grohmann Museum
Posted by Grohmann Museum on Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Boasting a collection of more than 1,400 sculptures, paintings, and works on human evolution is the Grohmann Museum, which you just shouldn’t miss while in Milwaukee. Spread across three floors and a terrace, the museum’s collection encapsulates some 400 years of the evolution process in its works. It showcases the 16th-century toils of mankind and their foils against modern-day machinery through the works of art. Also, not just the artworks indoors but the large rooftop garden with some beautiful sculptures is equally great. You’ll receive a guide booklet with your ticket, which will help fill in the gaps. Since the museum’s located in the Milwaukee School of Engineering campus, there are even some classrooms where you’ll see students studying. The tour of the museum may get slightly noisy at times, but it is a completely informative session nonetheless.
Grohmann Museum
Address: 1000 N Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202
Website: Grohmann Museum
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm; Sat: 12pm - 6pm; Sun: 1pm - 4pm
Price: 3-5 USD
7. Stargaze at Manfred Olson Planetarium
See galaxies before your eyes while attending one of the many fabulous shows at the Manfred Olson Planetarium. Located in the Physics department’s building of the University of the Wisconsin-Milwaukee, this place is a hidden gem in the city. Every month or two they change the theme of their shows, so it doesn’t get boring. The programs are fun and super informative. While the themed shows are phenomenal here, the seating is limited, so we strongly recommend you get here well in time to lay your hands at good seats. The place is a blockbuster, especially with kids.
Manfred Olson Planetarium
Address: 1900 E Kenwood Blvd #139, Milwaukee, WI 53211
Website: Manfred Olson Planetarium
Opening hours: Varies according to show
Price: Varies according to show
8. Pack your day with activities at the Milwaukee RiverWalk
Put on comfy shoes and clothes and head to the Milwaukee RiverWalk for the best selection of shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants, and nightlife as well as scenic beauty. Located in the heart of the city, the RiverWalk ties Milwaukee’s three main neighbourhoods–Downtown, Beerline B, and the Third Ward–together. Here, you’ll not only be in for a fantastic shopping and culinary experience, but also get to participate in some fabulous art exhibitions held regularly in the many art galleries here. These exhibitions keep changing periodically, so no matter how regularly you visit Milwaukee, you’re likely to find something new each time. If you’re a music lover, we’re pretty sure you’d have heard of the annual music festival, Summerfest, which also happens on the lakefront in the Third Ward here. The RiverWalk is also home to the Milwaukee Public Market, also covered in this list. There’s a whole bunch of things you can do here, so do keep it on your must-visit list.
Milwaukee RiverWalk
Address: Milwaukee River, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Website: Milwaukee RiverWalk
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
9. Get your hands on the city's freshest at the Milwaukee Public Market
Located in the famous Third Ward district of the city is the Milwaukee Public Market which was set up as an endeavour to encourage local and small food businesses to take the leap. Poultry, dairy, veggies, bakery items–here, you’ll get the best of them all. Not just edible produce, you’ll even be able to get your hands on some fantastic flowers, apparels, and artisanal gifts as well. Alongside selling raw produce, there’s also a host of cafes and restaurants that offer some lip-smacking food prepared using the very produce sold at the market. There are also cooking demonstrations by local and international chefs that you can attend. The indoor market is spread across two floors, with the vendors spread across the ground floor and ample seating space on the second floor. Get to this market and experience the true essence of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Public Market
Address: 400 N. Water Street Milwaukee, WI 53202
Website: Milwaukee Public Market
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10am - 8pm; Sat: 8am - 8pm; Sun: 9am - 6pm
10. Catch the best view of Lake Michigan at the Lakeshore State Park
Want to spend some quiet time, away from the hustle bustle of Milwaukee’s downtown? Head to the Lakeshore State Park. Not only will the park infuse a sense of calm in you, but also expose you to some stunning views of the Milwaukee skyline, the expansive Lake Michigan, and the bustling Milwaukee Marina. Most locals as well as tourists head here for the enviable views of the lake and the North Point lighthouse it offers. Others head there to indulge in recreational activities, such as biking, fishing, jogging, etc. You can saunter along the designated trails or have a comfortable time sitting and soaking in the Midwestern airs and the thriving foliage around. It’s clean, serene, and refreshing here. Definitely one of the best things to do in Milwaukee downtown.
Lakeshore State Park
Address: 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202-5601
Website: Lakeshore State Park
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
11. Wander around in Brady Street
Among the most popular commercial districts of Milwaukee, Brady Street is an eclectic mix of the shops and establishments you might just be looking for. Right from everyday essentials to gift shops, quick coffee to extraordinary cafes, basic meals to sumptuous culinary delights, there’s everything here. If you’re one who enjoys a rocking nightlife, Brady Street is the place to be. Walking down the street, you’ll also realise the quirky contrasts between the buildings here. Each building speaks distinctly of the different communities that have inhabited this neighbourhood since the 18th century. The vibrant street makes makes for an interesting destination to explore throughout the day, and once you’re done, there’s always the many restaurants you can hit up.
Brady Street
Address: Brady Street, Lower East Side, Milwaukee, WI
Website: Brady Street
12. Straddle the waters and rent a tandem kayak (from USD 89.0)
Ditch the city and have a unique as well as exciting experience kayaking in the Milwaukee River. Easy to navigate and well-equipped, tandem kayaks are provided to ensure that you’re not only able to catch the best of Milwaukee’s views from the waters, but also stay safe. Whether you are an experienced kayaker or a newbie, fret not, the instructors assist you through the way. The river’s waters are usually calm, so you can pace yourself and take as much time as you need. Regardless of fitness level, age, or experience, kayaking will give a sense of thrill to your Milwaukee getaway like nothing else.
MilwaukeeTandem Kayak Rental
Duration: 4 hours
Hidden gems in Downtown Milwaukee
Known mainly for its stunning landscape, a trip to Milwaukee can be quite rewarding in many ways. With its delicious dairy products, refreshing brewed beers, and lush foliage, the city will definitely not disappoint. Whether you’re one who prefers exploring the city on foot or in a vehicle, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy, just follow this list of best things to do in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and you’re good to go.
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