Hello Milwaukee! 7 Fun Things to Do in the Cream City

Our family recently took a last-minute trip to Milwaukee and got to spend a few days exploring a new-to-us city. Although our time was short, we packed in a lot of experiences and I’m sharing the things we enjoyed, something you can skip, plus a few things that we still have on our list for next time.

Ready for inspiration on what to do in Milwaukee for a long weekend with your family? Listen to the podcast episode or look below for highlights and links.

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Our Favorite Things to Do In Milwaukee

Visit the Harley-Davidson Museum. Tip: Ask about getting a season pass to see if it will cost less to get your family admitted. Although I’m sure we won't be back in the next year, we got the pass because it saved us a little money.
Go with an empty stomach to the Public Market. Many amazing-looking food vendors. We went two different times and got treat both times. The sea salt caramels are Kehr’s Candies were amazing and you don’t want to miss the cookies at C. Adams Bakery.
Attend a sporting event at American Family Field or Fiserv Forum. Watch the Brewers play baseball of the Bucks play basketball.
Enjoy a burger and custard at Kopp’s Frozen Custard. They have a special flavor of custard each day in addition to vanilla and chocolate every day. Check out their flavor preview to see upcoming flavor options. There are three locations, so you should be near one!

Things We Want to Do Next Time in Milwaukee

Take a River Boat Tour. There are several companies that offer tours. I think it would be a great way to spend some time. It’s always refreshing to get out on the water. The river runs right through town!
Explore the Milwaukee Art Museum. The museum was closed on the days we were there so we didn’t get to visit but we’d love to next time. It has works from Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe, Andy Warhol, and more. Be sure to check the hours before you go.
Enjoy some beach time at Lake Michigan. There are many beaches in Milwaukee where you can enjoy some time lakeside. This sounds like a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon!

Enjoying Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Custard at Kopp’s

Honorable Mention

We also visited the Mitchell Park Domes. We discovered them while driving by and thought we’d take a look. It’s a park with three large domed buildings. Each once houses a different ecosystem: desert, floral gardens, and tropics. We spent about 20 minutes here. It was enjoyable but we wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit.

Something to Skip in Milwaukee

There were big informational signs along the freeway marking the Frank Lloyd Wright American System-Built Homes. Our interest was piqued so we mapped to this spot and were disappointed with what was there. We thought there would be a visitor’s center or a plaque or sign or something but it was just three houses in a neighborhood. It seems odd that brown signs with white lettering (the ones that mark historic places) were along the freeway since there was not much to see at the destination. Maybe we missed something?

As you can see, there are several fun things we discovered for families in Milwaukee. Have you been to Milwaukee? What was your favorite thing to do there?