Attractions
Brewer Game
Miller Park
The Brewers will be playing the Astros and Mets at home May 25-30.
We are organizing a tailgate and group tickets for the Sunday afternoon game May 30th against the Mets. Let us know if you are interested!
Milwaukee County Parks
The areas along the water are some of Milwaukee's most beautiful parks. Our favorite place to run is Lake Park. This is a great place to walk, play frisbee, tennis, bocce or golf. The restaurant, Lake Park Bistro, used to be a public park building and was the preferred picnic spot on a hot summer day for the young Machi family and other Eastsiders alike.
Heading southeast is Bradford Beach. This is a great spot if Memorial Day weekend is toasty. Be warned - no matter how warm the air is - the water will still be icy, icy cold. Think blue, numb feet. Just remember, only a month earlier there was snow here.
At Lincoln Memorial Dr. and Lafayette is our absolute favorite spot to sit in the sun. Alterra Coffee - a brick building with yellow and orange chairs that look like they belong at the Memorial Union in Madison. This would be a fantastic spot to stop between the wedding ceremony and the reception. Our favorite iced beverage is Sport Tea - thoroughly endorsed by multi-sport endurance athlete and groomsman, Matthew Martin. This coffee spot is also a really cool re-use of an old historical building. While you're there, walk around inside a bit - the building was originally a pump-house, built in 1888, the pump was locally built and was the largest in the world, moving 40,000 cubic feet of water every minute. The pump flushed fresh, clean lake water in to the Milwaukee River - freshening up a polluted urban river - only to have it washed back into the Lake. For more information check out John Gurda's book, the Making of Milwaukee. John Gurda is a long-time friend of Tony's parents.
Moving along down the lake southward there is Veteran's Park. If the weekend is a typical spring blustery day, it could be a great time to fly a kite. There is a kite rental stand here and lots of open space for kite flying. Every now and then some people bring out gigantic 'kites' so don't be alarmed if you see a large black octopus looming in the sky.
View Parks spots on a map
Brady Street
A great place to spend an afternoon! Brady Street is on Milwaukee's east side, just a short walk from the lakefront. It's a very cool, diverse retail area with a unique mix of boutique clothing shops, second-hand stores, ethnic cuisine, coffee shops, salons and bars. Between 1840 and the 1930s, Brady was home to Polish, German and Irish immigrants; it then became predominantly Italian. Some of the earliest Italian shops, such as Sciortino's Bakery and Glorioso Bros. Specialty Foods are our favorite! Check out the freshly filled cannoli, delicious cookies and fresh bread at Sciortino's or a delicious hot sandwich from the deli case at Glorioso's. In high school Tony drank coffee at Rochambo - and it still is a great place for a cup of joe or pot of tea.
Brewery Tours
There are many. You have your choice of Miller, Lakefront and Sprecher. We recommend Lakefront - our favorite of the local beers and a great tour. If you are there on Friday there is a delicious Wisconsin fish fry - one of the best in town. There will be lines and the polka can get loud. You may be exposed to the chicken dance. For the Brewer fans - the tour includes an optional visit to the Bernie Brewer shack salvaged from County Stadium - see picture.
Miller is classic - but will likely require a car (and sober driver). As you might expect for the massively produced beer, this is a corporate style tour. It makes you appreciate the comical informal Lakefront tour. Two in one day involves a lot of free beer...
Sprecher tours are a bit more limited, if you have your heart set on this one, make sure to check ahead and see if reservations are necessary.
The Domes
The Mitchell Park Conservatory, known around here as “The Domes,” comprises three massive, beehive-shaped domes (hence the nickname), 140 feet in diameter at the base and 85 feet high, offering 15,000 square feet of space for displaying plants in their native environmental settings. One dome is an arid environment, one is tropical and the third is always a themed exhibit.
Milwaukee Art Museum
It is on the shores of Lake Michigan and houses a sizeable collection of ancient through contemporary art. One of the main attractions, however, is the building itself. Redesigned by Santiago Calatrava in 2001, it features a 90-foot high glass-walled reception hall enclosed by the Burke Brise Soleil, a sunscreen that can be raised (into the semblance of a whale’s tailfin) or lowered (into the shape of a ship’s sail) creating a unique moving sculpture.
Discovery World Museum
A new addition to Milwaukee's waterfront, Discovery World Museum has a bit of it all - ranging from fresh and saltwater aquariums to exhibits on Les Paul and a nuclear reactor. The two main themes of the museum are water and technology. Discovery World is also home to the S/V Denis Sullivan, a 137-foot replica of a 19th century Great Lakes schooner and a floating classroom for water education and conservation programs, day and night sails, and private receptions.
Dive Bar Crawl
If you're on Brady St. at night, check out the Hi Hat Lounge for a cocktail or it's companion next door, the Garage. For a taste of Milwaukee's dive bars check out Thurman's just down the block on Arlington Place, off Brady. For a truly eclectic bit of the Milwaukee bar scene, Jamo's wins, a bit further down Arlington. Finally, the classic end of the night is to close Wolski's - located on Pulaski St. Pull out the Wisconsin accent and hang out 'till bar time -- don't forget to ask the bouncer for a sticker as you leave.
View Dive Bar Crawl spots on a map.
