Milwaukee is having its moment! And you don’t want to miss it. With a revitalized downtown, a growing tourist infrastructure and plenty to do, Milwaukee is a great place to visit for a long weekend or as part of a Midwest road trip. If you’re looking for things to do in Milwaukee, this is a great place to start! We’ve hand picked our favorite tourist destinations in Milwaukee to help you plan the perfect getaway.
We’ve specifically focused on things to do in Milwaukee for adults. First, because we’re adults and we can speak best to that. And second, because one of Milwaukee’s tourist nicknames is Brew City. It got this name because of the large amount of breweries in this area. This makes Milwaukee a great destination for sampling of adult themed beverages. This has led Milwaukee to become a popular destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties and adult friend group getaways.
Milwaukee Public Market
Price: FREE to explore | Time: 1-2 hours
The Milwaukee Public Market is one of the most popular things to do in Milwaukee. This two story building houses numerous local vendors with a seating area on the second floor. It is a great place for grabbing lunch or a snack as most of the vendors are selling food.
The Historic Third Ward
Cost: FREE to explore | Time: 1-2 hours
This Historic Third Ward is one of the best neighborhoods for tourists to explore. There are lots of small shops to explore and great dining in this area. Also, the architecture in this area is more historic than other neighborhoods. Fun fact: another nickname for Milwaukee is Cream City – not because of the cheese – but because of the cream colored bricks that were used to build the original city buildings. The third ward is a great place to see these cream bricks.
Miller Brewery
Price: $20/person | Time: 2 hours
We specifically included two brewery tours on our short list of things to do in Milwaukee. Miller and Lakefront below. We included Miller because it is an iconic and massive brand. These are the big guys. So while you may enjoy the personalized aspect of smaller brewery tours, we think this tour is a great experience because it gives you an idea of how beer is produced on a massive scale. Also, Miller has been around for a LONG time so there are lots of iconic bits of beer history to see.
Lakefront Brewery
Price: $16 on the weekend | Time: 1 hour
The Lakefront Brewery tour is the best brewery tour I’ve ever been on. And I’ve been on a lot. The guides are hilarious – so much so that these tours consistently are rated as one of the best brewery tours in the country. I don’t drink beer and this was one of the best things I did in Milwaukee.
Brewery Tour
Price: $80+/person | Time: 3+ hours
Want to just site back and relax and have someone takes you to multiple breweries. This is the perfect activity for you. We’ve included a few tours below to choose from. Take a look!
Try A Milwaukee Style Bloody Mary
Cost: $10+ | Time: 1 hour
You must drink a bloody mary when in Milwaukee – and don’t forget to get it loaded. Bruch and lunch restaurants compete to see who can top their bloody mary’s with the most toppings. Common toppings include celery, pickles, olives, cheese, meat sticks and more! And if it’s a true Milwaukee bloody mary, it comes with a side of beer for a chaser.
Milwaukee Riverwalk
Price: FREE | Time: 1 hour
Several of Milwaukee’s most popular neighborhoods are along the Milwaukee River and the city has built a beautiful walkway to help you walk through these neighborhoods and have a great view. It’s a great way to discover some of the city’s best shops and restaurants.
Milwaukee Art Museum
Price: $27/adult | Time: 2-3 hours
Believe it or not, the Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the largest art museums in the USA. So it’s no wonder that this world class museum made the list of the top attractions in Milwaukee. There are lots of permanent collections here with additional rotating collections making every visit unique. And even if art isn’t your thing, the architecture of the building is pretty neat.
Pabst Mansion Tour
Price: $19/adult | Time: 1+ hour
The Pabst Mansion was built by the Pabst family, of the Pabst Brewery Pabsts. Since then, it housed several generations of Pabst family members before being sold to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Nuns and priests lived here for decades as other mansions were being torn down to make way for new buildings. Since then, it has been cared for and restored to most of its original glory while providing a great space for a tour with lots of history of brewing, Milwaukee and the Pabst family. (Fun fact: Did you know Pabst invented Velveeta cheese? Take a tour and ask about it!) The Mansion has self-guided, docent guided and specialty tours – including a high tea tour and a mimosa tour!
Explore Public Art
Cost: FREE | Time: 2+ hours
Milwaukee has a large public art scene to explore. One of the most popular destinations for public art is Black Cat Alley. This alley is dedicated to public murals and the areas is hopping with bars and restaurants. Additionally, check out Sculpture Milwaukee a city sponsored sculpture tour, mainly along Wisconsin Avenue, with rotating and permanent sculptures.
Mitchell Park Domes
Price: $9/adult | Time 1-2 hours
This is one of our favorite things to do in Milwaukee. The Mitchell Park Domes dot the cityscape of Milwaukee – and have an unfortunate shape, possibly designed by a teenage boy. However, once in the “uniquely” designed domes, you’ll have a fantastic time. There are three domes. One dome has a desert climate and is filled with different desert plants. Another dome has a tropical climate and plants. The third dome has a rotating collection. This rotating collection of plants is typically centered around some theme or time of year and it utilizes traditional landscape design principles. Your ticket includes entrance to all three domes.
Burnham Blocks
Price: $20/adult | Time: 1 hour
Frank Lloyd Wright built his take on affordable public housing here in Milwaukee. On Saturdays you can take a tour of two different home designs. However, make sure to book in advance as tickets often sell out. If you’re a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, you’ll love this. However, if your a mild enthusiast, you may be disappointed as they were designed to be affordable homes and therefore lack lots of the flair you may be expecting in a Frank Lloyd Wright design.
Visit A Lake Michigan Beach
Price: FREE-Minimal | Time: 1-4 hours
Lake Michigan is one of our happy places. So any excuse to dip our toes into this Great Lake at a new beach is good excuse for us. Many people forget that Milwaukee is a lakeside city. There are several sandy beaches you can visit on a nice day to take a dip into Lake Michigan. Bradford Beach is most popular with the locals.
Have more time in Milwaukee and want to see more beaches? Consider a side trip to Door County!
The 21 Best Things to do in Door County Wisconsin
A Door County Weekend Road Trip
Basilica of St. Josaphat
Cost: FREE | Time: 30 minutes
The Basilica of St. Josaphat was built in the Polish cathedral style to serve the large Polish immigrant population. Today, it’s one of the most beautiful churches in town. You can visit it for free to see the gorgeous design of the building which is most similar to a European style church than others you’ll see in Milwaukee.
Catch a Professional Game
Price: EXPENSIVE | Time: 4+ hours
There are two very popular professional sports teams playing out of Milwaukee and seeing them play brings thousands of visitors to Milwaukee for each game. The Milwaukee Bucks (basketball) and the Milwaukee Brewers (baseball) are the teams to watch. But even if you’re not a fan of sports, the experience of a pro sporting event is one of the top experiences in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Food Tour
Price: $80+/person | Time: 4 hours
Believe it or not, Wisconsin actually has some pretty distinct food and food based traditions. And Milwaukee is a great place to sample them all. If you want a good sampling of Wisconsin food, consider taking a Milwaukee food tour. We have a few options below. We love a food tour to start a vacation with as it gives us a good idea of foods we want more of later in our vacation.
We hope this has helped you to plan your perfect Milwaukee vacation! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Or check out our other Wisconsin vacation planning guides here.
