Milwaukee
Discover Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, United States. The city celebrates its heritage as a major center for beer-brewing, and of it German and Polish communities. It is now known for its many festivals. The city's population is about 600,000 with about 1.6 million in the metropolitan area (2019). It is in the southeastern portion of the state on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
What to Experience in Milwaukee
Taste of Milwaukee...
With its immigrant heritage, Milwaukee is a major restaurant city. Good local restaurants serve almost every kind of food imaginable, usually quite cheaply. Different neighborhoods have different specialities when it comes to food. The majority of mid-range, non-chain places in Downtown are on Milwaukee Street or near Cathedral Square east of the river. On the East Side, you can head over to the intersection of North and Farwell Avenues, where you'll find local favorites like Beans & Barley (healthy/organic), Pizza Man (burned to the ground in early 2010), and Von Trier's (German). A bit farther up Oakland Ave, near Locust Street (near the UW-Milwaukee Campus), you'll find an exciting variety of restaurants including the, Sharazad (Middle Eastern), Thai Kitchen, and Oakland Gyros (Greek). The Third Ward has many places, some with river-side seating in the summer. Coquette Cafe, on Milwaukee Street, is the owned by the same chef as the critically acclaimed Sanford. Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View is also lined with different places, including local favorite Lulu (at Howell), and Honeypie (Midwestern comfort food with locally sourced ingredients). National Avenue around 6th Street has several Mexican restaurants, although they can also be found throughout the entire south side. Part of Milwaukee’s food culture is high expectations and hard-set habits when it comes to bread and sweets. Eat your way through Milwaukee immigrant history, without even having a meal.
Location & Landscape
Milwaukee is in the northern Midwest, along the shores of Lake Michigan. It is approximately 90 mi north of Chicago, and 330 mi southeast of Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Milwaukee is probably best known from TV as the settings of the 1970s sitcoms Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days. That '70s Show, a popular sitcom at the turn of the 21st century, is set in a fictional town in Wisconsin, in which Milwaukee is frequently mentioned. It has also served as the backdrop for numerous Hollywood films. The films Bridesmaids, Transformers 3, Mr. 3000 and Milwaukee, Minnesota were set in the area. Milwaukee, Minnesota gives a good winter portrait of the city and was largely filmed in the Bay View neighborhood. Weather patterns in Milwaukee can fluctuate daily, often with little consistency in temperature or conditions. In the summer, the temperatures can range from as low as 60 °F (16 °C) and as high as 105 °F (41 °C).
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Milwaukee.
There is a wide spectrum of theater and concert venues in Milwaukee. Milwaukee has memorable moments in sports history, with the Brewers and Bucks most likely to interest travelers. Home run slugger Hank Aaron hit most of his home runs in Milwaukee (mostly as a member of the Braves, who have since moved to Atlanta, though he finished his career with the Brewers). The Bucks are the youngest team to ever win an NBA title. Juneautown (or Eastown), between the lake and the river, is the financial heart of the city, as well as the place where Milwaukee was born. The city's tallest building, the 601-foot USBank Tower, is here along the lake, as are some of the other architecturally significant buildings, including the Cathedral of St. John and Milwaukee's City Hall. There are a number of coffee shops and restaurants, but except for around Cathedral Square and Milwaukee Street area mostly closes down after business hours.
Climate
Weather patterns in Milwaukee can fluctuate daily, often with little consistency in temperature or conditions. In the summer, the temperatures can range from as low as 60 °F (16 °C) and as high as 105 °F (41 °C). Summer heat indices average around 83 °F (28 °C) during the day and 66 °F (19 °C) at night, but some particularly hot and sweltering summer days can see heat indices climb upwards to or exceed 96 °F (36 °C) and not go below 74 °F (23 °C) at night. In the winter, the temperature can drop below 0 °F (−18 °C) regularly but can get as high as 40 °F (4 °C). In general, six months of the year are cold, overcast, and wet. Milwaukee is the second coldest major city in the country; winter is very long and cold! Spring is often very wet and sometimes cold and miserable. It is not unheard of to get snowfall in early April. Winter visitor may quickly get an idea why there are so many bars, bowling alleys and festivals in Milwaukee.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Year Roundbest time to visit is by far in the summer or the early fall during Indian Summer when the whole place comes to life and everybody is outside....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere is an array of almost every transportation mode thinkable to get to Milwaukee. The cheapest way is by bus, but many travelers prefer the comfort and convenience of air, boat, car, or train travel. Chicago, a massive transportation hub, is less than 100 miles (161 km) away. Milwaukee is served by 42.947816-87.9020321 Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE ). Southeast of the city. The airport has service with the following airlines from its 2 concourses. Direct international flights are offered seasonally from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Other international travelers will have to connect or fly to Chicago and take ground transportation. Chicago's main airports—O'Hare International Airport (ORD) or Midway Airport (MDW)—can be cheaper or easier alternatives, especially for destinations not served from Milwaukee....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Getting around in Milwaukee is easy. Block numbers are consistent across the city, including most of the suburbs, starting roughly where the Milwaukee and Menominee rivers meet. All numbered streets run north-south, increasing in number as you head west from 1st Street. Most named streets go east-west, with the notable exception of streets east of 1st St. Standard blocks are 1/8th of a mile long north to south, and 1/16th of a mile east to west. Milwaukee's bus system, MCTS, has an extensive coverage area (85% of Milwaukee County) and core routes with very frequent service. Outlying suburbs have shorter hours, slower and less-frequent service. Express buses called "UBuses" offer service to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. MCTS also serves Mitchell International Airport with both a local bus and a new, more express route; see Get In for details. Most routes run from about 5AM until at least midnight. Single trips are $2.
Where to Stay
Visitors to Milwaukee find it easiest to stay in or near downtown, where most of the city's hotels are. Milwaukee has a youth hostel and an array of hotels to meet most budgets. There is a small bed and breakfast district on the Westside. Cheap hotels can be found on the Near South Side as well as the North Side, the quality of these tends to reflect the average quality of life in the areas these are in, hence may not be up to the standards of relatively affluent travelers. More generic cheaper hotels are outside the urban city. For instance, there is a strip of budget hotels on College Ave near Mitchell International Airport. Near most interstates you can also find chain hotels. There are several B&Bs in the Concordia Historic District on Milwaukee's West Side and near Marquette University.
Money & Budget
Milwaukee is one of the best places to get products made in Wisconsin. From fine food to Harley Davidson Motorcycles, Milwaukee offers amazing variety and quality for very reasonable prices. Several shopping malls are outside of the city. There are a few shopping areas including the Third Ward and the East Side around Prospect and North or Brady St as well as other shops of assorted types across the city. Many visitors enjoying taking some food or other consumables with them when they leave. Wisconsin cheese, locally roasted coffee especially from Colectivo or Anodyne, and micro-brews are the most popular treasures. Ginseng and even El Rey Mexican products are common souvenirs. With its immigrant heritage, Milwaukee is a major restaurant city.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Milwaukee, like all major American cities, has a relatively high crime rate. Since most crime is concentrated in specific poorer areas, the majority of the city is perfectly safe. Though virtually all tourist destinations in and around Milwaukee are safe and accessible during the day and night, common sense should always apply. Like anywhere else, it helps to be aware of your surroundings. As in most American cities, dangerous neighborhoods tend to be very run down. The areas of Milwaukee along the lakeshore (also where most attractions are) tend to be the safest. The west and south sides of Milwaukee also offer interesting tourist opportunities that include Milwaukee's famous Basilica and Frank Lloyd Wright's Greek Orthodox church. Crime can happen anywhere; don't let geographic stereotypes dictate your travels.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Milwaukee
cityscape during nighttime
city buildings under blue sky during daytime
a beautiful day in Milwaukee with the Fall colors painting the Art Museum landscaping.
A view of East Wisconsin Avenue through The Calling sculpture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Red neon at night
high-rise buildings near calm body of water
white concrete building
Downtown Milwaukee
landscape photography of cityscape
The Milwaukee Bucks Deer District in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This entertainment district was set to host the DNC in 2020.
cityscape during nighttime
city buildings under blue sky during daytime
a beautiful day in Milwaukee with the Fall colors painting the Art Museum landscaping.