Sharing a weekend getaway guide for an under-the-radar destination: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I didn’t need to hear anyone’s opinion on whether or not Milwaukee felt like an appropriate place to celebrate a birthday – I could see it written on their faces, clear as day, or hear it in the upspeak of their response:
“That’s… different?”
“Milwaukee… Wisconsin?”
“So, what, you’re just going to drink beer?”
(Um, yes to all your questions, but excuse me: I’m also going to eat cheese. If you’re going to make a stereotype, at least name them all).
But I knew better than to let their concern and uncertainty sway me – I was excited to visit Milwaukee.
I love visiting cities that have name recognition, but if you’re not from the region or have family that lives there, most people don’t go out of their way to visit. Think, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Richmond.
Why? These cities are often teeming with things to do, have a great local food and drink scene, and have much lower prices than say, Chicago or New York.
So, when I found a good fare from Charlotte to Milwaukee, I snapped it up and immediately started planning the ultimate weekend in Brew City (spoiler: beer was consumed). If you’ve landed on this post, I bet you’re wondering what to see, do, and eat in Milwaukee. Well, wonder no more.
ABOUT MILWAUKEE
Nestled on the western shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee effortlessly combines natural beauty with urban charm. Though it’s not the capital (that’s over in Madison!), Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s largest city and the fifth-largest in the Midwest.
Downtown Milwaukee is a delightful, walkable maze of stunning architecture and bridges over the city’s namesake river. Thanks to rideshare services and an easy-to-navigate transit system, visitors are free to explore the city core without the burden (and expense!) of a rental car.
Best of all, Milwaukee offers a number of attractions and experiences for visitors to enjoy. From art to culture to outdoor activities (weather permitting!), there’s truly something for everyone in this curiously underdog city. Today’s guide focuses on all three, plus a hearty helping of food and drink recommendations, as always. But first, a different type of quick bite:
Five Fun Facts About Milwaukee
- The name Milwaukee is attributed to a word derived from its Potawatomi name (pronounced Mahn-ah-wauk, meaning “council grounds”).
- Milwaukee hosts what is billed as the World’s Largest Music Festival (a fact that seems to be disputed, but Summerfest still looks fun!).
- The sitcom Happy Days was set in Milwaukee, and visitors can snap a photo with a statue of Arthur Fonzarelli (known locally as “The Bronze Fonz”).
- Another Milwaukee nickname is “Cream City” – but not because of the prominence of dairy. It gets that nickname from the light-colored bricks used in many of the downtown buildings (which honestly seems like less cool of a reason).
- Milwaukee is probably best known for beer, but it’s also the birthplace of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Just don’t mix the two, okay?
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Alright, let’s get you to Brew City! Here’s the perfect itinerary for a weekend in downtown Milwaukee:
THINGS TO DO IN MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee's top sights and attractions may not immediately come to mind for visitors from afar - but they're there, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum | 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the largest museums in the world (behind giants like the Prado in Madrid, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology.
Your art experience begins well before you enter the building – from blocks away, really. The wings of the museum’s iconic Burke Brise Soleil are hard to miss, spanning 217 feet (approximately the wingspan of a Boeing 747-400). When the weather conditions are favorable, the wings open and close along with the museum, with a special performance at noon.
Inside the expansive building is a collection boasting more than 32,000 works, from the art of the ancient Mediterranean to contemporary design pieces. Like many museums in its class, the Milwaukee Art Museum contains more galleries than one can comfortably visit in a day. Budget at least three hours for your visit.
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Mitchell Park Domes
Mitchell Park Domes | 524 S Layton Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53215
I’m glad I saved a visit to the Mitchell Park Domes for the end of my visit, partly because it was such a sweet way to end the trip, and partly because it was the perfect escape from the snow that blew in that morning. Each of the three domes acts as a greenhouse, and the temperature and humidity levels inside are tailored to a specific climate (spoiler alert: they’re all quite warm, so dress accordingly!).
After purchasing a ticket, you are free to explore each dome as long as you’d like (a corridor connects the three domes, so your visit is entirely indoors). The lush Tropical Dome soaked up most of our visit, as it seemed to have the widest variety of plants. The Desert Dome feels otherworldly; it’s astounding how these alien-like cacti can thrive in such harsh conditions. The Floral Show Dome rotates five exhibits per year, so by the time you’re reading this, the show I experienced (Metamorphosis) will have concluded. Though beautiful, this dome is more sparsely decorated, making for a quicker stroll-through.
If you decide to add Mitchell Park Domes to your visit (which you should!), I’d love to hear which Dome is your favorite in the comments!
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Lakeshore State Park
Lakeshore State Park | 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Good weather brings Milwaukeeans out of the indoors and onto the paths of greenspaces like Lakeshore State Park. This park offers a wonderful view (and a unique view, for me at least, having always lived in a state bordering the Atlantic!) of Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee. You’ll be spending plenty of time on foot in the city’s walkable downtown core, but don’t miss this vista a short stroll away.
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3rd St. Market Hall
3rd St. Market Hall | 275 W Wisconsin Ave Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Generally, I try not to include strangers in my blog photos, and there were far too many people at 3rd St. Market Hall to comfortably photograph the space – so a description will just have to do.
Markets like 3rd St. Market Hall have exploded in popularity over the past decade or two, combining food and drink, activities, and plenty of space for people to relax. In Milwaukee’s version, you’ll find twenty food and beverage vendors, free and paid sports and gaming activities, and loads of locals and tourists enjoying the space. If you’re extra short on time, these markets are a great way to experience a snippet of that city’s personality.
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Shopping in Milwaukee
Bandit MKE | 1224 E Brady St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Lela | 321 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202 MOD GEN - A Modern General Store | 211 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Orange and Blue Co. | 1809 N Hubbard St, Milwaukee, WI 53212
Shopping wasn’t the biggest draw for me this trip – I was definitely more interested in eating and drinking my way through the city (more on that next!) – but there are some great local shops and boutiques to be found in Milwaukee. Here are a few I popped into that carry some unique local finds:
- Bandit MKE | A fun and funky vintage shop (side note: I die a little knowing that Y2K style is now vintage) with reasonable prices.
- Lela | Part boutique, part consignment shop. The latter was my favorite of the two, but I wish it was more fully stocked.
- MOD GEN – A Modern General Store | A store for the plant parents, with a small selection of other home goods and cute Wisconsin-themed postcards
- Orange and Blue Co. | This one has me written all over it, with curated items like gorgeous handmade leather tote bags, a killer apothecary section, and candles from Riddle.
MILWAUKEE FOOD + DRINK
Milwaukee is an incredible dining destination - if you know where to look (psst... here's where to look)
Bavette La Boucherie
Bavette La Boucherie | 217 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Eating local when traveling is always on order, and Bavette La Boucherie offers a wonderful taste of the region’s meat and produce. It’s an ideal spot to kick off a weekend of delicious dining in Milwaukee – you just have to decide if you’re visiting for lunch or dinner. Though our visit fell at lunchtime, the impeccable Fried Chicken Sandwich and Raclette Burger are available on both menus, and I highly recommend them.
If your ears pricked up at the name, Bavette is still a butcher shop with cuts of local and traceable meat available for purchase – helpful if you have access to a kitchen during your stay.
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Odd Duck
Odd Duck | 939 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
There was only one restaurant I truly insisted we dine at during our trip to Milwaukee, and that was Odd Duck. I’m going to implore you to do the same.
For the past decade, the kitchen at Odd Duck has been sending out innovative small plates and creating moments of surprise and delight for diners. The menu is always evolving, but there’s bound to be something for everyone – and there certainly were quite a few somethings for me. The standout dish of the visit was the Potato Causa, a dynamic dish of papa a la huancaína with a stripe of new-to-me tuna chorizo (Chorizo! Made of tuna!) – but frankly, there wasn’t a plate I wouldn’t lick clean. Reservations essential.
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Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern
Uncle Wolfie's Breakfast Tavern | 234 E Vine St, Milwaukee, WI 53212
Our poor server at Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern – we had to ask her to come back to take our order like five times. And not because she was being pushy or rushing us along, but because I was craving just about everything on the menu and was in a full-on crisis.
It had already been quite the journey to get here, as Uncle Wolfie’s is about a twenty-minute walk from downtown, and we’d waited for about an hour before our seats were ready (the place is popular!). Finally, after watching dish after delicious-looking dish leave the kitchen, we made our decisions.
The meals that arrived were deceptively simple-looking, but packed with flavor. The Big Wolf Breakfast came with perfectly cooked eggs, the pancake of my dreams, the biggest breakfast potatoes I’ve ever seen, and the thiccest bacon. Michael’s Smashwrap Supreme was the restaurant’s take on a Taco Bell classic but burgerfied. Do. Not. Miss. This. Place. No reservations, but staff will text you when your table is ready, freeing up time to walk around the neighborhood.
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DanDan
DanDan | 360 E Erie St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
DanDan is one of the few restaurants in its class that are open on Sunday night, so it was an easy choice for my birthday dinner.
Helmed by a pair of James Beard semi-finalists named Dan (I know), DanDan serves American-Chinese cuisine in a hip space. The menu is approachable, and there are a number of dishes to suit different dining sensitivities. My go-to Mapo Tofu was sneakily vegan and packed a perfect tingly, spicy, and numbing punch. Portions are very generous and shareable (and I was sad to leave some behind on my plate).
My one quibble? We felt rushed through the entire experience so the restaurant could close, despite not even having the latest reservation of the night. Though the meal was delicious, I left with an unfortunately sour taste in my mouth.
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Guadalajara Restaurant
Guadalajara Restaurant | 901 S 10th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
It should surprise exactly no one that we wound up at a Mexican restaurant during our weekend in Milwaukee. Guadalajara Restaurant is the go-to for authentic Mexican food and has been around for over thirty years.
The menu is full of some of my favorite dishes like Birria (using goat, just like you’ll find in Guadalajara), Mole, and Chile Relleno – but the lighter fare was all we had stomach space for, so a table of quesadillas, sopes, and tacos was the answer. Everything was fresh and delicious; I can see why it’s such a favorite of locals!
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Milwaukee Coffee + Treats
Discourse Coffee | Multiple Locations Interval | 1600 N Jackson St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Glorioso's Italian Market | 1011 E Brady St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Supernova Coffee and Doughnuts | 275 W Wisconsin Ave Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Milwaukee has no shortage of caffeine and sweet treats (this seems logical, given the region’s cold, dark winters).
To be able to provide the most information in these guides, I rarely visit one establishment twice, but I made an exception by visiting both Discourse Coffee locations. The team clearly loves getting creative with coffee and cocktails, as evidenced by the menu. Discourse would be my second home if I lived in Milwaukee.
More great coffee can be found at Interval, a cute, neighborhood coffee shop on the Lower East Side. The Cereal Milk Latte is a fun way to shake up your usual coffee order, and the pastry display is very tempting.
Supernova Coffee and Doughnuts can be found inside 3rd St. Market Hall and is perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth and grabbing a pick-me-up. Beware: those donuts are bigger than they appear!
Glorioso’s Italian Market is technically a full-scale market, but if you’re only visiting for a few days, you’ll likely just pick up a little afternoon treat or tasty souvenir to bring home. You won’t regret it.
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Milwaukee Cheese Curds
Camino | 434 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204 Clock Shadow Creamery | 138 W Bruce St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
You knew this category was coming!
It’s rare for a city to come to a consensus about any particular “best” place, but during my research, I found that Milwaukeeans almost unanimously consider Camino to have the best fried curds and Clock Shadow Creamery to have the best fresh curds. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for my digestive tract), I didn’t have the chance to sample all of Milwaukee’s cheese curd options – but I think both of these are outstanding. And good news for my dairy lovers: these two temples of squeaky goodness are only a block apart! Note: Clock Shadow Creamery’s just-made fresh curds are only available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
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Milwaukee Craft Breweries
Broken Bat Brewery | 135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204 Indeed Brewing Company | 530 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204 Lakefront Brewery | 1872 N Commerce St, Milwaukee, WI 53212 MobCraft Beer | 505 S 5th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Yes, Milwaukee is practically synonymous with macro breweries like Pabst, Miller, and Schlitz (you can even tour the Miller Brewery or sleep in the original Pabst Brewery if that’s your thing). But, in my opinion, there’s a lot more going on in Milwaukee’s microbrewing scene.
There are so many breweries in and around the downtown area, you might not be able to make it to all of them in a weekend. This visit took us to four:
- Lakefront Brewery | Brewing since 1987, this Riverwest brewery is a well-oiled machine with award-winning beers and tours available.
- Indeed Brewing Company | Located in Walker’s Point and brewing a fun mix of crushable and unique beers (Pistachio Cream Ale, anyone?) – also has a sister location in Minneapolis.
- Broken Bat Brewery | Another Walker’s Point spot and highly committed to the theme of baseball (so much so, you can rent out its wiffleball field). Have a Beach Ball for me!
- MobCraft Beer | The most innovative of the four, with beers that can convert even the most beer-averse.
WHERE TO STAY IN MILWAUKEE
The city's most artful boutique hotel is right in the middle of it all.
Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel
Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel | 139 E Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel is a vibrant and innovative hotel that celebrates the intersection of art, culture, and hospitality. This unique hotel is a destination of its own for artists and art enthusiasts alike, featuring a dynamic collection of contemporary artwork throughout the lobby and dedicated galleries.
Beyond its artistic allure, Saint Kate is one of the most stylish hotels I’ve stayed at in recent memory – yet it manages to offer a beautiful retreat without losing an ounce of comfort. Guests are greeted with a delightful welcome coupe of bubbly before making their way through the lobby elevators up to their floor. Rather than offering a basic coffee machine in each room, there is an upgraded model (along with a filtered water dispenser) just outside of the elevator on each floor landing.
Once in the room, there are all sorts of fun, artful surprises. Each room is equipped with a ukelele, colored pencils and paper for drawing, and a record player (you know, the essentials) – and of course, all the other things you expect, like a comfy bed, great shower, luxury toiletries, and plenty of clothing storage.
I regret not having enough time or stomach space (see the section above!) to enjoy a meal from one of the hotel restaurants or a glass of wine at the lobby bar or Champagne bar – but I did quite delight in a late-night dessert and the bottle of birthday bubbles they so kindly offered. And I also missed the hotel’s Artist in Residence – but I spent more than enough time exploring the galleries and art around the hotel to make up for it, promise.
With its unique blend of luxury accommodations and a thriving artistic community, Saint Kate has firmly established itself as a cultural landmark in Milwaukee – and it will be the first place I check for availability for my next visit (I suggest you do the very same!).
WITH MORE TIME IN MILWAUKEE
This section of my travel guides is always bittersweet to write - these are the things I haven't had the chance to visit (yet!) but are at the top of my list for next time. If you're staying in the city longer, I think you'll want to add them to your list, too.
With its welcoming neighborhoods and abundant offerings for visitors, Milwaukee warmly invites you to make the most of your time in this stunning city. Lucked into more time than just a plain ol’ weekend? Check out these lists for more options to consider:
More things to do in Milwaukee:
- Discovery World | Planes, trains, and… aquariums? This interactive science museum is said to be a favorite of young travelers.
- Summerfest | A multi-weekend festival of music in a stunning setting.
- The Burnham Block | Explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for affordable housing, just a quick drive from the city center (reservations should be booked in advance – I learned the hard way so you don’t have to!).
- Lake Michigan Beaches | Visiting in warm weather? Consider hitting the beach!
- Milwaukee Public Museum | This one’s for natural history lovers!
- Milwaukee Sports + Theater | No matter the destination, it’s always a great idea to check the event calendar!
More of Milwaukee’s food and drink scene:
- The Diplomat | A limited, yet ultra-sharable, menu of American fare.
- San Giorgio | Is a member of Vera Pizza Napoletana, so you know it’s legit!
- Amilinda | An ever-changing menu inspired by the Iberian Peninsula
- Ardent | An indulgent splurge, with a twelve-course tasting menu
- Brute Sourdough Pizza | A pizza place with a website you shouldn’t visit while hungry
- Milwaukee Breweries | There are too many to list individually, but I trust you to make good decisions!
- Frozen Custard | The truly local spots are all a little far out of the downtown area, but with more time comes more chances to get out of the city core.
- Milwaukee Public Market | Drunken revelers on every corner all weekend long made me reluctant to visit this popular spot, but I’d love to stroll through on a quieter day.
Venturing outside of Milwaukee
- Lake Geneva | One of the state’s 15,000 lakes! Word on the street is this lake is a particularly beautiful place to enjoy nature.
- Madison, Wisconsin | The state capital, and where you’ll find plenty more cultural activities.
- Chicago, Illinois | Less than a two-hour drive places you in the bustling city of Chicago [Find my Chicago weekend guide here].
- Door County, Wisconsin | Head north to experience charming Door County, with 300 miles of shoreline.
As always, if you make it to any of these places before I do, please leave a comment and let us all know how it was!
TRAVEL TIPS FOR MILWAUKEE
This year is unexpectedly turning into my most Midwestern (and Great Lakes-filled) year yet – however, I still feel like I’m learning what it means to be a Midwesterner from all of the Midwesterners I’m meeting on each of these trips.
While I continue learning more about the region’s culture, I have quite a few Milwaukee-specific travel tips to share today; there are things that I’m glad I learned beforehand, things that surprised me, and things I really would have loved to know beforehand. I don’t gatekeep this information – so here goes!
Transportation
Getting around Milwaukee is easiest and most economical with a strategic combination of rideshares, walking, and public transportation. If you’re arriving at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), it’s just a 30-minute bus ride on the Green Line or a 15-minute car ride to the city center (I typically recommend travelers skip the car rental for a quick weekend in most cities, due to high prices and parking fees, and I stand by that recommendation for Milwaukee).
I was able to navigate to each place in this guide by walking or riding the bus, except for the Domes. To make your use of local transit easier, I recommend downloading the Umo App before leaving home; fares can be purchased in cash on board, but the price is lower in the app and daily fares are capped at $4. Head here for the latest fare info.
Milwaukee also offers a fare-free streetcar service called The Hop – although a long wait time between streetcars and a primarily East-West route rendered it unusable for us. Still, it might be a great option to help cut down on walking if your feet are tired (or perhaps to see the city from a different perspective!).
Weather
I had the chance to enjoy a 40°F temperature shift over the course of three days in Milwaukee. I quickly learned that what felt like three separate seasons in three consecutive days is all just “Spring” in this part of the country. And clearly, my blood must be thinner than the locals, as I was fully bundled while people were comfortably wearing shorts. In all cases, check the weather and pack appropriately for the season(s) – my Milwaukee packing list will be live in just a few days!
Dining
One of the biggest challenges I faced when planning my itinerary for this Milwaukee trip is that many of the city’s restaurants are either closed Sundays and/or are only open for dinner service. This made for a fun puzzle, but sadly meant having to choose one option over another (see the “With More Time” section above).
As a coffee drinker, one coffee quirk that tickled me was the tendency to add way more cream or milk alternative to a cup of coffee than seems reasonable to me. I’m not sure if this is because Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland (it’s not the official state nickname, but it is on the license plates), but I found myself frequently asking to pour my own milk into my coffee.
Money
The costs of getting to and staying in Milwaukee in April were a bit on the higher end of what I would normally spend on a weekend away (though a birthday weekend seemed like the perfect excuse to splurge), but once we made it there, prices seemed to be more or less on par with other cities of its size.
To save on Milwaukee essentials like cheese curds and beer, sign up for the local CVB’s free MKE Pass before you leave. You’ll get deals like BOGO pints of beer, or free curds with purchase (yay!).
People
Though I only managed to take a weekend sampling of data, overall I found the people of Milwaukee to be incredibly warm and friendly. People seem genuinely keen to strike up a conversation and are more than happy to share their favorite local spots with visitors. If you get a chance to sit at the bar or dine at a shared table while in Milwaukee, take it. You’ll certainly leave with a fun travel memory, and may even learn something new.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON VISITING MILWAUKEE
My instincts about Milwaukee proved correct (oh, thank goodness!).
It offers visitors so much to see in such a short time and is immensely walkable (my favorite!). To others, it may seem like an odd choice for a celebration weekend, but you and I now know better. If you were on the fence about visiting Milwaukee before reading this post, I hope I’ve helped you over. You’ll find it was worth the leap.
*Thank you to the Milwaukee Museum of Art for generously providing media passes to make this visit possible
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Questions for you
What are the first three things that come to mind when someone says they’re visiting Milwaukee?
If you’re from Milwaukee, what are some of your favorite local spots? You know, not just the ones you send tourists to, but the places you find yourself on a Friday night?
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What a wonderful city guide!
I admit it was an easy one to write – Milwaukee is such a great destination!