All the Best Things All Tourists Need to Do in Milwaukee

11 Best Things to Do in Milwaukee

Welcome to Milwaukee, where there’s so much more to discover than just beer and cheese! This friendly Midwest city offers amazing museums, beautiful buildings, and food from all over the world.

Market Magic

Start your day at the Historic Third Ward’s bustling Public Market, where the energy flows from morning to night. Here, you can sip Ethiopian coffee at Anodyne while watching vendors set up their stalls of fresh fish and handmade chocolates.

Don’t miss the famous Maine lobster rolls at St. Paul Fish Company, served on warm, buttery brioche bread. At Thief Wine Shop, you can try carefully selected wines from small vineyards around the world.

The Palm Garden upstairs gives you a perfect view of the busy market scene below. Stop by the Spice House for their special Lake Michigan blend of garlic, sesame seeds, and dried shallots, and catch one of their twice-weekly spice mixing demonstrations.

Art by the Lake

Look for the giant white wings rising from the shoreline – that’s the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Burke Brise Soleil. It opens like a bird spreading its wings twice each day, at 10am and 5pm, weather permitting.

Inside, you’ll find 30,000 artworks, including beautiful paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe and the biggest collection of Jules Chéret works outside of France. The museum often features exciting modern artists like Kehinde Wiley and Yayoi Kusama in their rotating shows.

Stop by on Thursday nights for free entry and local music. The museum’s Café Calatrava serves fresh Wisconsin ingredients with beautiful lake views, while the gift shop offers jewelry made by local artists.

Beer History

Take a fun tour at Lakefront Brewery, where guides mix jokes with generous samples of their creative beers like Riverwest Stein and gluten-free New Grist. While you’re exploring Milwaukee’s beer story, visit Captain Pabst’s grand mansion from the 1890s.

Built in the Flemish Renaissance Revival style on Wisconsin Avenue, this stunning home still has its original furniture and art collections. Walking through its rooms tells the story of Milwaukee’s famous beer-making families and their impact on the city.

Motorcycle Stories

The Harley-Davidson Museum spans 130,000 square feet filled with America’s motorcycle history. You’ll see Serial Number One from 1903 – the oldest Harley-Davidson ever made – among hundreds of perfectly kept motorcycles.

Try sitting on current-year bikes in the Experience Gallery, then head to the Motor Bar for Wisconsin favorites like crispy cheese curds and Friday fish fry. The museum looks especially beautiful at sunset, when its chrome walls reflect golden light by the river.

Science Adventures

At Discovery World’s 120,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits, science comes alive by the lake. Play electric guitars in the Les Paul House of Sound, or touch native Lake Michigan creatures in the aquarium’s Touch Tank.

Join weekly robot-building workshops and 3D printing shows in the Innovation Labs. From May through October, you can sail on the Denis Sullivan, a three-masted ship built just like the historic boats that once crossed the Great Lakes.

Food Discoveries

Explore Milwaukee’s food neighborhoods with expert guides who know all the best spots. On Brady Street, sample Italian treats like fresh cannoli at Glorioso’s, a market that’s been serving the community for over 100 years.

Walk down Old World Third Street to taste German specialties at Usinger’s Famous Sausage and visit the aging rooms at Wisconsin Cheese Mart. Each three-hour tour includes at least six generous tastings while you learn about the immigrant families who shaped Milwaukee’s food scene.

Garden Wonders

Three glass domes at Mitchell Park, each 85 feet high, create different worlds of plants. The Tropical Dome stays warm at 85 degrees year-round, filled with rare orchids and small banana trees.

The Desert Dome shows off cacti and succulents from the American Southwest and Africa. The Show Dome changes its display five times each year, while special events like “Music Under Glass” and monthly full moon walks make these architectural marvels even more magical.

River Explorations

The Milwaukee RiverWalk’s three-mile path connects the Historic Third Ward, Downtown, and Beerline B neighborhoods. Along the way, you’ll spot art installations including the famous Bronze Fonz statue and ever-changing murals on the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge Houses.

Enjoy rooftop views at Cafe Benelux, or rent a kayak from Milwaukee Kayak Company between April and October. Evening cruises on the Edelweiss offer wine and cheese while showing off the city’s distinctive Cream City brick buildings.

Lakefront Activities

Veterans Park spreads across 125 acres of lakefront green space, perfect for outdoor fun. The Urban Ecology Center lets you borrow kayaks, bikes, and snowshoes depending on the season.

Every June, Summerfest – the world’s largest music festival – brings 11 days of non-stop concerts on multiple stages. September’s Milwaukee Kite Festival fills the sky with hundreds of professional kite shows and public flying events.

Wildlife Encounters

The Milwaukee County Zoo runs the biggest bonobo breeding program outside the Congo, helping protect these endangered apes. At Big Cat Country, walk above Siberian tigers on the new glass-bottom observation deck.

Ride the vintage steam train that’s been circling the zoo since 1958. In winter, 500,000 LED lights sync with holiday music during the Wild Lights display.

Historic District Life

Bay View’s Kinnickinnic Avenue shows off Milwaukee’s creative spirit. Browse vintage finds at Tip Top Atomic Shop, then try Odd Duck’s globally inspired small plates made with ingredients from city farms.

The Art Deco Avalon Theater, beautifully restored with modern projection equipment, shows independent films and hosts silent movies with live organ music monthly. End your day watching the sun set over Lake Michigan from South Shore Park’s beach and beer garden.

Time Travel and Nature

The Milwaukee Public Museum recreates 1900s city life with 30 detailed building fronts and real gas lamps in the Streets of Old Milwaukee. The renovated butterfly garden houses 500 butterflies from three continents, flying freely around visitors.

Watch space shows in the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium’s state-of-the-art digital theater. Upstairs, explore a living rainforest complete with a two-story waterfall and tropical birds from Central and South America.

Milwaukee offers something special in every season, from cultural experiences to outdoor adventures. The city stays true to its roots while always trying new things, making each visit different from the last. Bring your curiosity and appetite – there’s so much to discover in Cream City.