Milwaukee ~ 8 must-do activities
Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin, with almost 600,000 inhabitants, very different neighborhoods, the Milwaukee River winding through it, a vibrant downtown and many parks and trails.
If you’re looking for what to do in this beautiful city located right along Lake Michigan, you’re in the right place: here is a guide for you with my 8 favorite things to do in the city. And if you’re looking for recommendations on restaurants, make sure to check out my top choices here.
View of Lake Michigan from Atwater Park.
Visit the Museum of Modern Art
If you have time in the city, devote some to this expansive and extensive museum. It is a little pricey at $22 a ticket, but worth it.
The building itself is architecturally very interesting and beautiful. It is easily recognizable by its ship-like structure designed by Calatrava. The wings of the “ship” open every day at 10am, so if you can, be there for that!
The art inside is amazingly varied: European Art, Native American pieces, ancient Mediterranean sculpture and contemporary abstract paintings… everyone can find something to love in this museum.
And as a bonus, it is located on the lakefront and will give you great views of Lake Michigan!
Explore Lakeshore State Park
Did you know there is a State Park located right in the downtown of Milwaukee?
Lakeshore State Park is located next to the Milwaukee Art Museum and follows the shore of Lake Michigan.
It’s on the smaller side, but there are some trails, a small beach, and this park gives you great views of Lake Michigan!
Many people run through it, fish from the bridge pictured it, simply go for a stroll. This park is adjacent to where Summerfest happens, and sometimes you can hear the music from the trail.
You can connect to the Oak Leaf Trail from here.
Eat Ethiopian Food!
One thing a big city has that you might not usually have access to, depending on where you’re visiting from, is food from faraway places. Milwaukee has so many options for this part: Thaï, Indian, Mexican and more, but my favorite is probably Ethiopian.
Located on Farwell Avenue, Ethiopian Cottage Village is a perfect choice for a meal between exploring Brady Street and a movie at the Oriental! Ethiopians usually serve their food on injera bread, which you use to scoop up portions of the meal with your hands. It’s a tactile experience on top of being a gustative one… dig in!
If you’d like more recommendations on great restaurants in Milwaukee, click here.
Urban Kayaking
Rent a kayak from Milwaukee Kayak Company, located in the Third Ward, and explore the city from a totally new perspective! Even if you’ve already walked the downtown, it’ll be really cool to see it from the water.
You can also paddle by the Harley Davidson Museum and the pirate ship, through downtown and go all the way up to North Avenue! Make sure you dress appropriately for the weather, bring some water and a snack, and enjoy the view!
You can explore the Kinnikinnic River, the Menomonee river and the Milwaukee River… and you might even see some wildlife!
See a movie at the Oriental Theater
The Oriental Theater is a historic movie palace in the East Side neighborhood. The architecture is worth stepping in, even if you don’t have time to see a movie.
It’s a beautiful theater with three rooms, showing blockbusters but also many indie movies and regular screening of classics such as the Rocky Horror Picture show. They also host a very popular film festival.
For more info, click here.
Go to the beach!
One of my favorite things about the beaches in Milwaukee is how accessible they are in all seasons. Some of them are sand beaches, some are pebbles.
Hear me out: the beach in the winter is a thing of beauty, with icicles forming on the rocks and mounds of snow to explore instead of sand.
There are several beaches in town, Bradford Beach being the most famous and the most popular in the summer with many beach volley courts and a pavilion with bathrooms and food. You can connect it to McKinley Beach by walking along the lakeshore.
View of the downtown skyscrapers from Veterans Park.
Walk downtown
As you walk E. Wisconsin Avenue, don’t forget to look up at the skyscrapers, check out what’s playing at the Riverside Theater or at the Warner, explore The Avenue shopping center and 3rd Market Hall… there is much to do.
But don’t forget to also go off E. Wisconsin Ave and get on the Riverwalk along the Milwaukee river!
Go indoor climbing!
Milwaukee has a climbing gym on North Avenue, not too far from the Eastside neighborhood (climb before seeing a movie at the Oriental?) called Adventure Rock.
They have day passes, and after a short instruction by staff on how to properly and safely use the self-belay system, you can have some fun with the different climbing routes!
Take your time, don’t only use your arms, and enjoy! Thanks to the self-belay system, this is an activity one can enjoy solo.
For more info, check their website.