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
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
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, 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, 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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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