Milwaukee Museums and Galleries

We couldn’t put together any sort of Milwaukee itinerary without mentioning the Art Museum, which has works dating back to the fifteenth century into the present-day. The Georgia O’Keefe collection here is one of the largest (O’Keefe grew up in Wisconsin). The Quadracci Pavilion, which was added to the museum in 2001 is a stunning 142,050-square-foot design by Santiago Calatrava that is simultaneously reminiscent of a grand Gothic cathedral and an imposing ship. Its “wings” close and open in response to changes in wind speed, which is very cool to watch. Art buff or not, this is simply a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. (Even the parking garage—a frequent site of car commercials—is ridiculously pleasant.)

MPM (est. 1882) is home to four million specimens; collection highlights include: the most complete mammoth skeleton, rare butterflies, an upper-floor herbarium, plus pieces of Milwaukee’s history, like photographs taken by museum anthropologists who were working among Wisconsin Indian tribes in the 1900s. It’s kid- and adult-friendly—if you have littles in tow, though, check out the planetarium’s line-up of 3-D shows while you’re there.

One of the oldest active theaters in the country, the Pabst was designed in 1895. The grand European-style opera house has undergone three major rounds of renovations/restorations and has remarkably stayed true to its original baroque look (with updates, of course). Today, it hosts around 150 music, dance, and theater performances annually.

In the 1800’s, Nine Mile Farm—located nine miles from the Schlitz Brewery—was used as a resting spot for the Schlitz draft horses. In the 1970’s it became home to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, 185 acres with six miles of trails that winds from forest to wetland to bluff to views of Lake Michigan. The center, which is near a migratory flyway, has particular appeal for birders. There’s also regular programming geared towards kids, and in the winter, you can snowshoe/cross country ski on the trails.

One of the most interesting glimpses into Frank Lloyd Wright’s work can be caught from the 2700 block of West Burnham Street in Milwaukee. Here, there are several duplexes and bungalows from circa 1915 made with pre-cut factory lumber, designed by Wright with affordability in mind, and built by Arthur Richards, which are now known as the American System-Built Homes. This stretch of rare prefabs makes the best stroll in town.

Next-level-kitschy, this family-run bar (think PBR in a bottle) has been open since 1908, headed up by the ninety-plus-year-old matriarch, Marcy Skowronski. The tavern is covered in memorabilia (including autographed bras from past visitors), and downstairs you’ll find its two-lane bowling alley (known as the oldest in the States).