You might not think of Milwaukee as a place full of fun activities. But this city will surprise you with the variety of activities it can offer you.
Whether you have lived there your whole life or are new to the area, you should check out these fun things to do in Milwaukee.
FUN FACTS ABOUT WISCONSIN
Wisconsin is a very interesting state. For example, it’s famous for its 14,000 lakes, the Milwaukee Music Festival, House on the Rock, and snowmobiling.
It’s the home of the NFL team Green Bay Packers and the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks.
STATE FACTS
FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM WISCONSIN
FUN FACTS ABOUT MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee, on its own, has some interesting facts as well. For example, it was known by different names as explorers found it. It was known as Milwacky, Mahn-a-waukie, Melleorkie, and Milwack. These came from Native American words meaning “good land” or “rich and beautiful land.”
The reason Milwaukee is known for being a beer city is because of all the German immigrants that came to the city in the 19th century. They were looking for cheap land and they started showing off their brewing skills.
In 1856, there were more than 24 breweries, including Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, and Miller.
The modern typewriter was invented in Milwaukee. There is a Bronze statue of the “The Fonz” from the show Happy Days.
There are so many other odd facts or places to go in this city.
10 FUN THINGS TO DO IN MILWAUKEE
These activities range from outdoors to museums. They also range in price from free to somewhat expensive. Hopefully there is something here that catches your interest.
1
AMERICAN SCIENCE & SURPLUS
This is kind of an odd destination. It’s a store full of difficult to find industrial, military, educational, and novelty items. It’s a good store for hobbyists, tinkerers,
artists, experimenters, and more.
Some people say it’s a store where you can find some hidden treasures.
The reason it’s an exciting thing to do in Milwaukee is because there are only 3 physical stores in the country. The stores are in Chicago, Geneva, and in Milwaukee.
It’s a fun place to kill time and look through all the odd objects they have. Even if you don’t buy anything, it should still be a fun time.
2
SAFE HOUSE
If you want to squeeze fun into everything, you should eat at the Safe House. It’s a themed restaurant for people who love spies.
It’s hidden in a Milwaukee alleyway, and behind a door for International Exports LTD. You go into that door and see another door. Someone behind that door will ask you for a password. If you don’t know it, which most don’t, you will be asked to do a funny dance.
The spy theme doesn’t stop at the door. You can play blackjack games, if you win, you get free drinks. There are 2-way mirrors, fake bathroom doors, a peep hole with a surprise, a secret passageway, and a bunch of tubes going throughout the restaurant.
3
SHAKER’S CIGAR BAR
If you are looking for something spookier, you should check out Shaker’s Cigar Bar. Not only does it have good food, but it has a rather dark past. Ask any of the employees and they will tell you that the restaurant is haunted.
It has this history because of the many illegals deals that happened there. This includes grave digging, rape, murder, prostitutions, drugs, and other such activities. The bar was once owned by Al Capone.
People who love history or ghosts should come and listen to the employees’ tales.
4
SWING PARK
This is a fun, kid friendly place to go to. It’s kind of a local hidden spot. It’s actually underneath Milwaukee’s Holton Street Bridge.
There are 5 swings made of halved tires, 2 tire swings, and a plastic blue swing for kids. The ground is covered in soft sand that will cushion any falls.
You can walk along bridge and check out the surroundings, pack a picnic to have lunch there, and just have a relaxing time.
5
HARLEY DAVIDSON MUSEUM
Any bikers out there? One of the most suggested things to do in Milwaukee is going to the Harley Davidson Museum. The company started in Milwaukee around 115 years ago.
You can see over 450 different motorcycles, even dating back to the oldest known Harley Davidson motorcycle. You’ll read stories about the people, history, and culture of the company.
There’s even an experience gallery where you get to sit on or touch any of the bikes in the gallery. A video will even play so you can pretend to be riding out on the open road.
There’s so much more you can do here, you can spend a whole day and not get bored.
6
HISTORIC THIRD WARD
This is a revitalized warehouse district filled with galleries, restaurants, boutique
shops, and more. You can spend the day going in and out of all the buildings.
For shopping, there are known companies like Anthropologie, Francesca’s, and more. If you want something a little more unique, there are specialty shops like 3rd Ward Jewelry, Broadway Paper, and MOD Gen: A Modern General Store.
There are plenty of places to eat there as well. You can go to cafes, markets, pubs, and restaurants. It won’t be hard to find something that interests you.
If you are more interested in art, then that’s not a problem. There are a ton of galleries, and performing entertainment venues.
This is another great way to spend a day out and control how much money you spend.
7
BEER TOURS
Milwaukee is known for being one of the brewery capitals in the U.S. It would be foolish to not mention brewery tours on a “things to do in Milwaukee” list. There are so many brewery options.
Thrillist actually took the time to compile a list of some of the best brewery tours in the city. It may be hard to choose which ones you will do.
Just remember to be careful, it’s no fun getting sick on vacation.
8
MITCHELL PARK
DOMES
This may be one of the more unique places to go in Milwaukee. You can go into a desert oasis, a tropical jungle, and floral gardens all in a day. They have individual domes for the desert, flowers, and tropical jungle. You will get to see
thousands of different plants and weather in each of these domes. It’s open all
year round. Tickets for adults are $8, teens are $6, and kids under 5 are free for non-residents.
9
MILWAUKEE
ART MUSEUM
This museum has 30,000 works of art that they have gotten from 125 years of collecting. The art they are exhibiting is always changing. They do their best to be diverse in what they display, so that nobody gets bored.
They even offer Learn+Play for kids. There are discussions about art, activities kids can do, and different classes so that kids can learn. This is great for if and when your kids get bored.
10
CAPTAIN FREDERICK PABST MANSION
This is a bit of history that you can walk through. The building of the mansion started in June 1890. Its construction took 2 years and cost $254,000 at the time.
Captain Frederick and Maria Pabst, the people living in the house, then became leading figures in Milwaukee society. They filled their home with priceless treasures.
It was almost torn down in 1975, to make room for a parking lot for a hotel.
Luckily, it was saved.
The reason this home is so important is because Frederick created the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery company.
You can go on a variety of tours to learn more about the house and the people who lived there. There are also lectures you can attend, as well.
SO MANY THINGS TO DO IN MILWAUKEE, SO LITTLE TIME
We are just scratching the surface of fun activities to do in this city. It seems like the city offers something for everyone – history, art, shopping, dining, ghosts – Milwaukee has it all.
It doesn’t matter if you are with kids or not.
It doesn’t matter if you are on a budget or not.
Milwaukee will give you plenty of options for things to do.
If any of these don’t strike your fancy, feel free to do some of your own research. For every activity mentioned, there are 10 more that weren’t talked about.
Last update on 2024-04-19 at 10:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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