Stroll along the river past great shops, cafes and unique restaurants, tour the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, and visit the trendy Historic Third Ward on your weekend trip to Milwaukee, one of the best places you can visit in Wisconsin. Best things to do in Milwaukee with kids include the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Manfred Olson Planetarium, Discovery World and the Betty Brinn Children's Museum.

Milwaukee events:
- Summerfest, The World's Largest Music Festival - from Noon to midnight, June 19-21, June 26-28, and July 3-5, 2025
- Milwaukee German Fest - July 25, 26 & 27, 2025
- Milwaukee Irish Fest - Every third weekend in August
- Milwaukee Film Festival - April 24 - May 8, 2025

Stroll along the Milwaukee RiverWalk

Stroll along the Milwaukee RiverWalk

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Best Free Thing to Do in Milwaukee: Stroll along the two-mile long Milwaukee RiverWalk by the Milwaukee River is an excellent and unique way to get to know Milwaukee. You can stop at one of many great restaurants or brewpubs along the way. The Riverwalk area is also a venue for annual city events like the Milwaukee River Challenge.

Admire the beautiful Domes

Admire the beautiful Domes

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You might think you’ve somehow left Milwaukee when you enter the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes). Once inside, you can choose from several Domes, each one offering a unique experience.

Find it at this Address: Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes), 524 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53215, Phone: 414-257-5611

Enjoy lively Historic Third Ward


Historic Third Ward is a fun, lively neighborhood to visit to do some shopping, see a show, or just stroll around.

Find it at this Address: Historic Third Ward, 219 N Milwaukee St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-273-1173

Take the kids to the Milwaukee County Zoo

Take the kids to the Milwaukee County Zoo

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Take the kids to the Milwaukee County Zoo, a fun wooded park spread across 200 acres that provides a home and natural habitat for 3,122 animals belonging to 377 different species.

Find it at this Address: Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 West Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, Phone: 414-256-5412

See an IMAX Theater show at the Milwaukee Public Museum


The Milwaukee Public Museum showcases permanent and temporary traveling exhibits and houses the first IMAX Theater in Wisconsin.

Find it at this Address: Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 West Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, Phone: 888-700-9069

Take your date to Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery

Take your date to Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery

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Take your date to Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, a tavern, event center, and a gift shop located in the old Historic Pabst Brewery.

Find it at this Address: Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, 917 W Juneau Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233, Phone: 414-630-1609, Facebook

Get a snack at the Milwaukee Public Market

Get a snack at the Milwaukee Public Market

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Get a snack at the Milwaukee Public Market where the locals, farmers, artisans, and tourists all get together to get some delicious fresh local food, load up on supplies, do some people-watching, or just stroll around.

Find it at this Address: Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-336-1111, Milwaukee Public Market Facebook

Go kayaking in Lakeshore State Park

Go kayaking in Lakeshore State Park

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When the lake is calling your name, feel free to go kayaking or canoeing on the lagoons at Lakeshore State Park.

Find it at this Address: Lakeshore State Park, 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-274-4281

Have with science and technology at Discovery World

Have with science and technology at Discovery World

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Discovery World focuses on science and technology, making these normally challenging and intimidating fields fun and accessible.

Find it at this Address: Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Dr., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-765-9966

Check out the Grohmann Museum


Check out the Grohmann Museum which features a unique collection of paintings and sculptures that date from 1580 to the present day.

Find it at this Address: Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-277-2300

Manfred Olson Planetarium

Manfred Olson Planetarium

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Astronomical items of interest are on display throughout the Manfred Olson Planetarium, and on the outside deck, you’ll find an observatory.

Find it at this Address: Manfred Olson Planetarium, 1900 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211, Phone: 414-229-4961, Manfred Olson Planetarium Facebook

Take your date to Blu Bar & Lounge

Take your date to Blu Bar & Lounge

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Blu Bar & Lounge, located on the 23rd floor of the Wisconsin venerated Pfister Hotel with its spectacular view of the Lake Michigan, is a true gem.

Find it at this Address: Blu Bar & Lounge, 424 East Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-298-3196

Go on a Milwaukee Food and City Tour


A great way to really see what Milwaukee is all about is with the help of an insider. Milwaukee Food and City Tours will take you to the city’s nooks and crannies that many locals do not even know about.

Find it at this Address: Milwaukee Food and City Tours, 2419 N 62nd St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Phone: 800-979-3370

Admire European and American art at the Milwaukee Art Museum


Housing a collection of more than 30,000 works of art, the Milwaukee Art Museum is rich in European and American art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, American decorative arts, and contemporary art.

Find it at this Address: Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414-224-3200

Treat yourself to a sweet treat at Purple Door Ice Cream


Only in Milwaukee does a beer-flavored ice cream make sense. And at Purple Door Ice Cream, their frozen desserts are adults-only treats and contain 1-3 percent of alcohol.

Find it at this Address: Purple Door Ice Cream, 205 S. 2nd Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204, Phone: 414-988-2521

Spend an afternoon at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum with your kids


The Betty Brinn Children's Museum is an interactive museum and features an array of activities and exhibits that help develop fundamental skills, boost children’s self esteem, and helps young people recognize the importance of teamwork.

Find it at this Address: Betty Brinn Children's Museum, 929 E Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-390-5437

Take a pleasant stroll around the Brady Street


Take a pleasant stroll around the Brady Street area and admire beautifully designed buildings dating from the 1860s to the 1930s.

Find it at this Address: Brady Street, 1224 LR E. Brady St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Learn about local history at the North Point Lighthouse Museum

Learn about local history at the North Point Lighthouse Museum

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The North Point Lighthouse Museum is your ticket to understanding the role that Milwaukee played in the regional maritime activities of the Great Lakes.

Find it at this Address: North Point Lighthouse Museum, 2650 N. Wahl Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, Phone: 414-332-6754, North Point Lighthouse Museum Facebook

Sample amazing Midwestern comfort food, pies, and desserts at Honeypie


Honeypie is a diner-style restaurant to which locals and tourists flock for amazing Midwestern comfort food, pies, and desserts.

Find it at this Address: Honeypie, 2569 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207, Phone: 414-489-7437

Have a romantic dinner at Braise

Have a romantic dinner at Braise


The Braise dining room overlooks the kitchen, giving you a great view of the action. The menu changes daily and depends on what ingredients are in season.

Find it at this Address: Braise, 1101 S. 2nd Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204, Phone: 414-212-8843

Shop at MOD GEN

Shop at MOD GEN


MOD GEN is a modern-day twist on the classic concept of a general store, located within Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward neighborhood.

Find it at this Address: MOD GEN, 211 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202, Phone: 414-963-1657

Grab a delicious pizza slice from Streetza


You will find a Streetza truck anywhere where there is a street party, summer concert, or any other fun public gathering. Streetza serves good old traditional pizza slices, but they always include a special on their menu.

Find it at this Address: Streetza, 2201 S 84th St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53227, Phone: 414-215-0021

Stroll through Lynden Sculpture Garden


Best Thing to Do in Milwaukee for couples: The lovely lakeside Lynden Sculpture Garden is studded with intriguing sculptures, while the inside galleries hold contemporary exhibits that contain thought-provoking paintings and other works on paper.

Find it at this Address: Lynden Sculpture Garden, 2145 West Brown Deer Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53217, Phone: 414-446-8794

Have dinner at Ardent

Have dinner at Ardent


Ardent redefines simplicity. This restaurant in Milwaukee’s Lower East Side manages to pull off an effortless upscale elegance.

Find it at this Address: Ardent, 1751 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, Phone: 414-897-7022