Milwaukee
A city that throws a good party
Milwaukee sits on a great lake, with 100+ festivals a year and 3.1 miles of Riverwalk.
Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Downtown Milwaukee from Lakeshore State Park in June 2024.
Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Updated
About this guide
This guide is how we would show a friend around, with a page for each kind of trip.
Milwaukee in numbers
- 1,400acres of beaches and parkland along the water
- 3.1 milesof Riverwalk, from the old North Avenue Dam site to Lake Michigan
- 100+festivals a year, which is why the city is called the City of Festivals
- 8 milesfrom the airport to downtown, an easy 15-minute drive
Counts are Visit Milwaukee's. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
More ways in
Milwaukee in winter
Cold is part of the deal here. So are skating, tubing, theater and cozy taprooms.
Summerfest, without the stress
Where it is, when it runs and the easy ways to get in.
Our places
Oak Barrel, Who's on Third, Who's on Layton, catering and short‑term rentals.
Cream City Concepts
See our places (Our places)
Westown
The downtown neighborhood west of the river, from the bridge war to Fiserv Forum.
Neighborhood
Read about Westown (Westown)Photo: SecretName101, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Old World Third Street
The street, its German roots and the buildings that made it.
The building at 1033
A Cream City brick hardware store from 1861 that is now a pub with short‑term rentals upstairs.
A Milwaukee weekend
Forty‑eight hours of real places, walkable where it can be.
Quick facts for a first visit
| Place | What to know |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Public Market | 400 N. Water St. in the Third Ward. Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Mitchell Park Domes | Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults $10. |
| Milwaukee Art Museum | Open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. |
| American Family Field | One Brewers Way. Our bars' free shuttles start two hours before first pitch. |
| Airport to downtown | 8 miles, an easy 15-minute drive. |
Hours and prices change. Check each place before you go.
Why we love it here
Milwaukee sits on Lake Michigan at the meeting of three rivers, and you can walk the Riverwalk from downtown all the way to the lake.
It is the City of Festivals, with 15 or more beer gardens and 20 or more museums. You could spend a month here and not see it all.
It was also the brewing capital of the world, Visit Milwaukee says, when beer was at its peak. That history still shows up in beer halls, taprooms and a very good pint.
We run bars, a catering company and short‑term rentals here. This guide is the city first and us second. Pick a page and go, then see where to stay or our places when you are ready.
Sources
Visit Milwaukee, the city tourism bureau 8 facts
- Visit Milwaukee: Lake Michigan, three rivers, 1,400 acres of beaches and parkland
- Visit Milwaukee: Festival, beer garden and museum counts
- Visit Milwaukee: Milwaukee's brewing history
- Visit Milwaukee: The Riverwalk, 3.1 miles from the old North Avenue Dam site to the lake
- Visit Milwaukee: Airport to downtown, 8 miles, an easy 15-minute drive
- Visit Milwaukee: Milwaukee Public Market, address and hours
- Visit Milwaukee: Mitchell Park Domes, hours and adult admission
- Visit Milwaukee: Milwaukee Art Museum, days and hours
Who's on Third, the bar's own site 1 fact
venue sites and local publications 1 fact
Keep going
Rides to games and festivals
Free courtesy shuttles from our three bars on Brewers game days, with any purchase.
Planning a Milwaukee trip?
Text us and we will point you to the right neighborhood, the right shuttle and the right table.