Ultimate Milwaukee Bucket List: 25 Best Things To Do!
This is the ULTIMATE Milwaukee bucket list! We’ve listed the best things to do in Milwaukee including popular tourist attractions, unusual things to do, best food and drink establishments, and even day trip idea's that you can take from Milwaukee.
TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee Public Market
The Milwaukee Public Market is where you’ll find the best specialty and Wisconsin-made items ranging from cured meats and cheeses to fresh baked bread and artisan olive oils. All of the food you’ll find here is fresh and of high quality which you can choose to eat upstairs in the Palm Garden or take home to enjoy.
If you love seafood be sure to stop in at the St. Paul Fish Company which is the home of Milwaukee’s most affordable lobster dinner and best lobster roll outside of Boston.
There are also a variety of culinary classes hosted in The Madame Kuony Demonstration Kitchen which features instructors from vendors at the market to local chefs and nationally known cookbook authors. You can see upcoming cooking classes here.
The Bronze Fonze
Photo by Visit Milwaukee
Don’t miss this photo opportunity of getting a selfie with you and ‘The Fonze’ during your trip to Milwaukee!
The 5.6 foot bronze sculpture of Arthur Fonzarelli from the popular 1950’s TV show Happy Days can be found along the Riverwalk just south of Wells Street.
Harley Davidson Museum
Did you know the Harley Davidson was invented, or rather built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? If you didn’t now you do!
And you can visit the Harley Davidson museum in downtown Milwaukee to learn about the history of Harley Davidson through a gallery of bikes from 1903 to the present.
There are a number of exhibits that look into the lifestyle and culture of the Harley Davidson community, along with monthly events that include concerts, rally’s, and demo rides.
Next door to the museum you’ll find The Garage, a fun and lively restaurant and bar that serves burgers, BBQ, and beer!
Best Place At Historic Pabst Brewery
Sitting in the middle of downtown Milwaukee is a historic gem that celebrates the history of Pabst beer.
The Pabst Brewing Company which was first established in 1844 by German immigrant Jacob Best Senior with the assistance of his son and son-in-law, was the first of the great Milwaukee brewers.
From the late 1800’s until 1946, the Pabst company was actually America’s largest brewer! You can experience this small piece of American history in the original brewery building where you will instantly be transported back in time.
Daily beer history tours are conducted here that come with a free Pabst. There is also a tap room and two beautiful courtyards where Wisconsin brewed beer is served in an authentic German atmosphere. The gift shop features the largest selection of beer related merchandise in the Midwest.
Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse
Photo by Ken Lane
The Milwaukee Pierhead Light was established in 1872 as a sister light to the Kenosha North Pier Light. It is located where the Milwaukee River flows out into Lake Michigan and marks the mouth of the river to traveling ships.
The distinctive red lighthouse is a favorite subject among photographers and especially photogenic in the winter.
While the tower is not open to the public, you are permitted to walk around the buildings exterior.
Wisconsin Cheese Mart
You were probably wondering when this list was going to get to the cheese. Cheese is probably the number one thing most associated with Wisconsin so naturally you can not leave without sampling what they do best here.
The first place to start your cheese exploration in Milwaukee is the Wisconsin Cheese Mart which you can find on Old World Third Street. This historical store was founded in 1938 growing from a small cheese shop to a leading cheese retailer.
They carry over 150 varieties of cheese all of which are sourced from the state of Wisconsin. One of the most interesting things about shopping for cheese here is that you can shop by cheese type, cheese flavor (eg. drunken, spicy, earthy, pungent, smoked), and milk type.
Usinger’s Famous Sausage
The Usinger's story began in Germany where young Fred Usinger, an apprentice sausage maker, learned from the best wurstmachers. He came to Milwaukee in the late 1870's with a pocketful of recipes and not too long after arriving he was running his own business and making a name for himself. Today, fourth generation Usinger’s lead the firm ever-mindful of their heritage of quality.
Usinger’s which has been committed to the craft of sausage making for over 130 years is now nationally recognized. The original store is still located on Milwaukee's Old World Third Street where they adhere strictly to the original family recipes. Unchanged since 1880, these recipes are never altered in order to meet a competitive price.
At the Usinger sausage shop you will find over 70 varieties of old world sausage from bratwurst to authentic beerwurst along with daily specials and unique items on a limited-time basis.
Historic Marker 43: Invention Of The Typewriter
Photo by Wisconsin Historical Markers
Did you know that the typewriter was invented in Milwaukee? No? Well now you do. You can walk over to the historical marker pictured above on the corner of 4th and State streets, on the grounds of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee.
Pabst Mansion
The Pabst Mansion is a grand Flemish Renaissance Revival-styled house built in 1892 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for Captain Frederick Pabst, founder of the Pabst Brewing Company. The Pabst family lived at the mansion from 1892 until 1908 when the Archdiocese of Milwaukee purchased the mansion.
For the next 67 years, five Archbishops as well as many priests and sisters lived at the Pabst mansion until it was eventually put up for sale with the hope that a historic preservation group would purchase it and restore it to its former glory.
The Pabst Mansion is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers tours to the public. On the tours visitors can learn about the Pabst family and details about the architecture and furnishings of the home while exploring the first through third floors.
Be sure not to miss seeing this impressive Milwaukee landmark even if you don’t end up touring the house.
Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the most impressive art museums in the United States. Not only is it one of the largest museums in the world with a collection that contains nearly 30,000 works of art, but the architecture of the building is itself a work of art.
The landmark building is actually comprised of three buildings designed by three legendary architects: Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava.
The Quadracci Pavilion is the iconic sculptural addition that is most recognizable for the magnificent cathedral-like spire of Windhover Hall which has a vaulted 90-foot-high glass ceiling.
Included in the museums collection are 15th to 20th century European and 17th to 20th century American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, decorative arts, and photographs. Among the best in the collection are the museum's holding of American decorative arts, German Expressionism, folk and Haitian art, and American art after 1960.
Even if you are not fond of art, it is still worth the walk over to see the museums exterior and beautiful setting beside Lake Michigan.
Historic Third Ward
The Historic Third Ward is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Milwaukee's oldest center of commerce and warehousing. The area is now one of the city’s creative hubs and home to art galleries, studios in former warehouses, and performing arts venues like the Broadway Theater Center.
There are also a variety of upscale and trendy restaurants here along with indie boutique stores selling everything from fashion to homeware.
You will want to spend at least half a day exploring this neighborhood of Milwaukee not only for the great shopping and eateries, but also because this is where you’ll find some of the city’s top attractions such as the Riverwalk and Milwaukee Public Market.
St. Joan of Arc Chapel
The St. Joan of Arc Chapel is a Roman Catholic chapel located on the campus of Marquette University in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. It was dedicated to St. Joan of Arc on 26th May 1966 after it had been moved from its previous location on Long Island in New York.
Originally named "Chapelle de St. Martin de Seyssuel", the chapel was built over several generations in the French village of Chasse-sur-Rhône, south of Lyon. It is estimated that the building was erected around the 15th century but abandoned after the French Revolution when it then fell into ruin.
According to a sign on display at the original site in France, St. Joan may have visited and prayed at the chapel on 9 March 1429 after meeting King Charles VII of France. Legend claims that St. Joan prayed to a statue of the Virgin Mary while standing on a flat stone which is now behind the altar. Afterwards, she knelt down and kissed the stone, and ever since, the temperature of the stone has been colder than those that surround it.
After World War I, a young architect rediscovered the chapel and negotiated its transfer to the Brookville (New York) home of Gertrude Hill Gavin, the daughter of James J. Hill, best known as the founder of the Great Northern Railway. After Gavin died, her estate passed to Marc B. Rojtman and his wife, Lillian who decided to present the chapel to Marquette University in 1964.
With fascinating history like this, how could you miss this stop right?
Lakeshore State Park
Photo by Visit Milwaukie
Lakeshore State Park is a 22 acre park located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee. This park offers a nice place to stretch your legs and take a moment to relax from city life.
There is a 12 mile path that starts at the Discovery Center and leads to the Milwaukee County Zoo. Along the path you will see great views of the lake, Summerfest grounds and Milwaukee’s picturesque skyline.
Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is a natural and human history museum in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are over 15 permanent exhibits that include ‘The Arctic’ (a set of dioramas of both animal and humans of the Arctic) and ‘European Village’ (a recreation of homes and shops from 33 European cultures as they might have appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries).
Other exhibits include a herbarium, an invertebrate collection containing approximately 800,000 specimens, an extensive collection of Lower Paleozoic fossils from Wisconsin and adjacent states, and so much more!
Milwaukee Four Season Skate Park
FOOD & DRINKS IN MILWAUKEE
Smoke Shack
The Smoke Shack are obsessed with the craft of smoked meat and their meats are dry-rubbed and slow smoked in small batches to ensure perfection.
This place has all the goods for the meat lover; brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, pulled ham, and baby back ribs. Check out their BBQ menu here. On the weekends it gets even better as they serve brew city biscuits for brunch, colossal sized biscuits which are baked fresh and piled high with your choice of pulled ham, fried chicken, or fried green tomatoes. See the full biscuit menu here.
Twisted Fishermen
For a taste of the coast in Milwaukee, head to the Twisted Fishermen! This casual restaurant serves seafood, steaks, ribs, and tropical cocktails. You can tie up or walk up, grab a bucket of beer, and wriggle your toes into the sand and relax by the Menomonee River.
They’ve got all sorts of seafood on the menu from Prince Edward Island mussel’s to fried Perch, blackened Tilapia, Snow crab, Halibut, and Walleye.
Sundays are ‘Smoked Sunday Funday’ and they’ve got live reggae on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mecca Sports Bar & Grill
The Mecca is Milwaukee’s best sports bar offering draft brews, cocktails, and American pub fare amid a spacious modern sports bar. It’s one of the best places to catch a Buck’s game if you can’t get tickets on game day.
They’ve got great happy hour deals from Tuesday to Friday between 4pm to 6pm and from 9pm until close on Saturday’s with $3 rail cocktails, Miller Lite/Coors Light, and red or white wine.
Great Lakes Distillery & Tasting Room
The Great Lakes Distillery was the first distillery to open in the state of Wisconsin since Prohibition making them trailblazers for the state’s craft spirits industry.
This establishment is committed to fermenting and distilling high quality spirits by sourcing the finest ingredients locally whether it is Wisconsin grown grain, locally harvested honey, Door County cherries, or Marathon County ginseng.
They offer tours of the distillery seven days a week which includes an informative discussion on the distillation process as well as a full tasting of their award winning spirits.
Central Standard Craft Distillery
Another distillery you need to stop by if you enjoy spirits is the Central Standard Craft Distillery. This distillery produces all of their liquor in small batches to ensure a high quality end product.
You can sip on their award winning cocktails in the tasting room or on the rooftop patio which offers wonderful views of the downtown Milwaukee skyline.
Lakefront Brewery
Lakefront Brewery is a very special brewery because they have been pioneers in the brewing industry since their beginning in 1987.
These guys were the first certified organic brewery, the first to create a government certified gluten free beer, and possibly the first to bottle a fruit beer in the country since Prohibition. In fact, they were even the second brewery in the country to make a Pumpkin Beer and it is now a popular staple on their beer menu.
Not only is this brewing company pioneers in the industry, but they also offer one of the most in demand brewery tours in America with over 80,000 people touring the premises every year.
Be sure to stop by and sample the staples and seasonal beers during your trip because you are in Wisconsin after all, and sampling beer and cheese in the state is a must!
Indeed Brewing Co.
Originally from Minneapolis, Indeed Brewing have made a second home for themselves in the Walker’s Point neighborhood of Milwaukee. This brewery knows how to get creative with ales that include the LSD (honey ale with lavender, sunflower honey, and dates), a strawberry vanilla milkshake IPA, a melon lemon wheat ale, and many other tempting concoctions that include sours and kombucha.
WHERE TO STAY IN MILWAUKEE
Kimpton Journeyman
The Kimpton Journeyman is a boutique hotel located in the historic district of Milwaukee. The rooms here offer a simple and clean design with large windows to view the city. They have a popular rooftop bar, ‘The Outsider’ which sits on the 9th floor serving elegant cocktails which you can enjoy with incredible city skyline views.
One of the bonuses of staying here is that it is within two blocks of the most popular attractions in town such as the Milwaukee Public Market, the Riverwalk, and many top restaurants and bars.
Saint Kate Art Hotel
The Saint Kate Arts Hotel is another great boutique hotel located in downtown Milwaukee which is close to all the action. What sets this hotel apart from the rest is that all the rooms have been uniquely designed and incorporate artwork by local artists.
The luxurious modern room’s comes with a record player and a small selection of classic vinyl’s, a ukulele, and plush bathrobes.
The property has a curated collection of contemporary art and rotating exhibitions on display on the first and second floor. There is also an onsite restaurant and bar.
Aloft Hotel
For an affordable stay without sacrificing comfort, quality, and location, book a stay at the Aloft Hotel. This three star hotel sits right on the banks of the Milwaukee River and features an indoor pool, fitness center, and bar/lounge.
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