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Milwaukee Travel Articles
- Shopping in Milwaukee: More Than You Bargained For
- Great Fun on Tap in Today’s Milwaukee
- Discover Milwaukee, the Jewel of the Great Lakes
- Custard: That Oh So Dairy Treat
It may surprise people to know that Milwaukee is now a “majority-minority” community with African Americans, Hispanics and Asians making up more than 50 percent of the population. “We celebrate our diversity and rich ethnic heritage everyday in Milwaukee,” said Doug Neilson, president & CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “The city is alive with entertainment, celebration and fun.”
Milwaukeeans have long been known for their pride in this diversity. Residents honor the city’s evolving personality and share its varied cultures in the form of music, dance, art, festivals, restaurants and diverse neighborhoods.
In the Spotlight
The performing arts in Milwaukee are a wonderful reflection of the diversity that exists in the community. In addition to one of the top symphonies in the country, a world-class ballet, two opera companies and cutting-edge as well as classical theater, the city showcases diverse entertainment offering various perspectives on life and featuring the work of ethnic composers, musicians, and playwrights.
Our Ko-Thi Dance Company is hailed as one of the most explosive and captivating dance companies in the United States. Blending elements from African, Cuban, and Haitian, dance, Ko-Thi’s dancers command the stage with unparalleled artistic energy.
Wild Space Dance Company is known for its site-specific works and artistic collaborations. A merger of contemporary dance with music, unusual environments and visual art develops innovative performances.
Milwaukee’s multicultural, modern/jazz dance company, City Ballet Theater, draws inspiration from ballet, modern and jazz dance traditions. The group embraces innovation and diversity in choreography and musical accompaniment.
Works of Art
There are more than two dozen museums in Milwaukee adding to the cultural vitality of the area. The Milwaukee Art Museum, the city’s architectural signature masterpiece, houses works by renowned artists such as Degas, Monet, Picasso, and Warhol. The museum is home to one of the largest Georgia O’Keefe (a Milwaukee native) collections in the world and its collections of American decorative arts, German Expressionism, folk and Haitian art, and American art after 1960 are among the nation’s finest.
Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, the newest jewel along our lakefront, features experiential learning through interactive exhibits and is the first facility in the nation to connect our natural world to our human-made world through innovation, exploration and technology.
The city is home to America’s Black Holocaust Museum, the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to educating the general public of the injustices suffered by people of African heritage. The Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum chronicles the lives and contributions of African Americans to Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee’s Public Museum features an excellent collection of Native American and African artifacts as well as impressive environmental exhibits of life in Africa, Asia and America.
City of Festivals
Earning its nickname as the “City of Festivals,” Milwaukee is well known for its unparalleled celebrations of ethnic diversity. Visitors can explore the arts, history, recreation, cuisine, music and genealogy of a new culture nearly every weekend during the summer along the lakefront at Henry Maier Festival Park. Major festivals include Polish Fest, Festa Italiana, Geman Fest, African World Festival, Arab World Fest, Irish Fest, Mexican Fiesta, Indian Summer and Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival.
A Taste of the Town
Dozens of opportunities to explore world cuisine are spread across the city, offering an abundance of culinary flavors that celebrate our multicultural roots. The classic tastes of Milwaukee reach back to the time of some of its first European settlers and pay homage to German, French, Italian, and Irish roots. Modern attitude balances out cherished tradition with flavors exploring everything from Brazilian churrasco and Asian fusion to African cuisine.
Around Town
Milwaukee’s historical fabric is woven into its many diverse neighborhoods. These distinct neighborhoods showcase different cultural backgrounds offering everything from specialty shops to restaurants. Milwaukee’s neighborhoods reflect the treasures of the city’s past and the best of its future.
The Historic Third Ward is a burgeoning district amidst an urban renaissance. Its turn-of-the-century buildings once housed the city’s most prominent manufacturers but today are home to many of the city’s posh boutiques and eateries. Brick facades and market-style oversized awnings add a sense of history to Milwaukee’s fashion district which boasts the largest concentration of art galleries in the city as well as trendy clothing boutiques, must-visit beauty shops and hip home décor retailers.
Brady Street is at the heart of our fashionable East Side. Once Milwaukee’s Little Italy, it transformed into a hippie haven in the 1960s. Brady Street represents a unique mix of counter-culture hotspots and ethnic charm. A variety of interesting clothing retailers sells everything from vintage favorites to vogue couture in this humble walk-around neighborhood known for its historic architecture.
Milwaukee’s oldest neighborhood is also one of its most charming. Lovingly restored homes line the streets of Historic Walker’s Point, a gathering place for a plethora of artists, photographers and musicians who choose the area for its industrial chic ambiance and history. Ornamented double houses, historic cottages bubbling with curb appeal and one of the area’s rare pre-civil war residences originally housed some of the city’s most hard-working settlers. Milwaukee’s only surviving original settlement town now is home to the city’s vibrant Latin-American community and the wonderful churches, schools, restaurants and stores that celebrate their rich culture.
True Brew City
Milwaukee is known far and wide as the quintessential brew city. A history touched by the birth of four of the largest breweries in the world made Milwaukee the authority on all things beer. Today the city is home to Miller Brewing Company, renowned microbreweries, authentic brewpubs, legacies left by our original beer barons including the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion and Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and the world’s only brewery tour by boat. The Brew City Queen takes beer enthusiasts down the Milwaukee River while stopping at the city’s favorite brewpubs located along the banks, and the microbreweries offer entertaining up-close looks at the makings of Milwaukee’s favorite beverage.
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