A great way to discover more about any city is to visit its museums to learn about its history, culture and commerce. Residents of and visitors to Milwaukee will be pleased to find that there are some world-class options to explore here.
Anyone who has spent time in Milwaukee will tell you one place you must see for yourself is the Milwaukee Art Museum (700 N. Art Museum Drive). As visitors approach from the outside, they’ll already recognize this building is a work of art unto itself. The museum’s 2001 Santiago Calatrava-designed addition features the brise soleil, better known to some as the “wings that open and close.” It is definitely worth timing a visit just to see this process, which calls up images of a bird in flight. Once inside, the more than 30,000 collected works in the museum’s permanent collection, including a large collection of works by Georgia O’Keeffe, will draw your attention back to art on a smaller scale. Be sure to check out the changing special exhibits throughout the year.
A visit to the Milwaukee Public Museum (800 W. Wells St.) is a leisurely day well spent. From dinosaurs to butterflies and Ancient Egypt to the Streets of Old Milwaukee, the MPM is a local treasure. Generations of Milwaukeeans have grown up knowing where the hidden button is located to make the rattlesnake “rattle” in the buffalo hunt diorama and make the howler monkey scream in the rainforest exhibit. It’s always a safe bet to check out an IMAX or planetarium show. Most often, one of the IMAX movies relates to a traveling special exhibit currently on display at the museum. The staff of the planetarium typically create shows which are focused on the night sky over Milwaukee. Whenever you choose to visit the MPM, it’ll be a pleasurable and historical journey. With more than four million pieces in their permanent collection, you’ll learn something new every time you go.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Milwaukee is recognized around the world as the home of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, so it makes sense that Milwaukee is also home to a fantastic museum dedicated to this storied brand. The Harley Davidson Museum (400 W. Canal St.) steeps visitors in the history and lore of the company through interactive exhibits and a wide array of motorcycles from all eras of the company’s existence. Hardcore bikers and casual observers alike will find things to hold their interest while exploring the various displays. Those looking to be immersed even deeper in Harley-Davidson lore should plan to visit on a day that a guided behind-the-scenes tour is available.
If the Harley-Davidson Museum isn’t “real life” enough for the experience you want, take a Powertrain Operations factory tour (W156 N9000 Pilgrim Road, Menomonee Falls). Depending on the level of detail you are looking for, the general tours are free, but the more in-depth “Steel Toe” tour is available for a fee. These tours are very popular and may sell out, so plan ahead and reserve on-line to be sure you get in when you want to. Please note: Tours are typically available only Monday-Friday; weekend tours are only occasionally available.
Ever wonder about the way Milwaukee’s elite lived in the early days of the city? Find out by taking a tour of a grand old house. The Pabst Mansion (2000 W. Wisconsin Ave.) is the lovingly restored former home of Frederick Pabst. The home serves as a beautiful tribute to how the “upper crust” lived during America’s Gilded Age. For an added dash of elegance, tour during the holidays, when everything is decorated to seasonal perfection.
The Charles Allis Art Museum (1801 N. Prospect Ave.) is another fine old home to visit in Milwaukee. Designed in the Tudor style by famed local architect of the day, Alexander Eschweiler, visitors can explore a gorgeous home while enjoying the enormous collection of art preserved by the family for the people of Milwaukee.
The Charles Allis Art Museum is one part of an associated group of four small, East Side museums that call themselves the Milwaukee Museum Mile. Explore along Prospect Avenue, North Terrace and North Wahl Streets to visit the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, Museum of Wisconsin Art and the North Point Lighthouse Museum in Lake Park. All of the museums are within an easy walking distance of each other and offer a more intimate experience than some of the larger, more well-known museums in town.
This article is part of the 2019 City Guide. Read more articles in the City Guide here.
