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The City
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Downtown Milwaukee
, split north to south by the
Milwaukee River
, is only a mile long and a few blocks wide. Handsome old buildings and gleaming, modern steel-and-glass structures are comfortably corralled together on three sides by spaghetti-like strands of freeway.
Lake Michigan
forms the fourth boundary. To bolster the allure of downtown, the city has successfully poured millions into its
Riverwalk
development, now something of a nightlife center and the site of many public entertainment events. The
Milwaukee Art Museum
, 750 N Lincoln Memorial Drive (Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs noon-9pm, Sun noon-5pm; $6;
), contains works by European masters and twentieth-century Americans. One wing - with stunning views of the lake - is devoted to a comprehensive collection of Post-Impressionist paintings. Architect Santiago Calatrava's spectacular $100 million expansion first opened on May 4, 2001. The
Museum Center
complex, downtown at 800 W Wells St, is a three-attraction entity (combination ticket $12). At the
Milwaukee Public Museum
(daily 9am-5pm; $6.50;
), the intertwined histories and mysteries of the earth, nature and humankind are imaginatively presented through dioramas such as "The Streets of Old Milwaukee" and a battle of the dinosaurs. Next,
Discovery World - The James Lovell Museum of Science, Economics and Technology
(daily 9am-5pm; $5.50;
), features popular hands-on exhibits and laser light shows. Lastly, the
Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater
has a giant, wraparound screen (Mon-Wed 11.30am-4.30pm, Thurs & Fri 11.30am-8.30pm, Sat 10.30am-8.30pm, Sun 10.30am-5.30pm; shows on the half-hour; weekday matinees $4, evenings $6.75;
).
The blue-domed, neo-Byzantine Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church stands like a mushroom crossed with a spaceship at 9400 W Congress St. Completed in 1961, it was one of the last major works by native Wisconsin architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The interior is a jaw-dropping blend of the streamlined and the ornate. Unfortunately, tours have been phased out and visits discouraged. About the only way to see inside is to attend the Sunday service (9am summer, 9.30am rest of year; bus #57). The 37-room Pabst Mansion , 2000 W Wisconsin Ave (Mon-Sat 10am-3.30pm, Sun noon-3.30pm; $7), was completed in 1893 as the castle of a local beer baron and is a knockout example of ornate Flemish Renaissance architecture, featuring exquisite wood, glass and ironwork. Pabst Brewery has shut down, but the Miller Brewing Company at 4251 W State St still offers free behind-the-scenes tours (Mon-Sat, usually 10am-4pm but times updated daily; phone 414/931-2467 or 1-800/944-LITE; bus #71), culminating in generous samples for over-21s. The more primitive microbrewery Sprecher , 701 W Glendale Ave (Sat 1pm, 2pm & 3pm; also Mon-Fri 4pm in June, July, Aug & holiday weeks; reservations necessary; $2; tel 414/964-2739), serves samples straight out of the barrel. Schlitz, the "beer that made Milwaukee famous," was bought out by Stroh's in the late 1980s and is now produced in Detroit.
You can also take one-hour tours of the engine plant responsible for Milwaukee's other legendary brand name,
Harley-Davidson
, out in a rough area of town on 11700 W Capitol Drive at Hwy-45. It's really for Harley devotees; bikes aren't assembled here and if you don't know your shovelheads from your knuckleheads you might feel out of place (free tours Mon-Fri 9.30am, 11am & 1pm June-Aug; Mon, Wed and Fri in Sept-Dec; tel 414/535-3666). For those more interested in Harley chic, there's ample opportunity to purchase all kinds of merchandise throughout Milwaukee. Milwaukee Iron Motorcycle Tours (tel 262/482-1525) provides safe, friendly chauffeured tours aboard Harleys at reasonable rates and tailored to clients' needs. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United States,
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