Milwaukee – The City of Miller Lite and Harley-Davidson
Milwaukee is a unique travel destination north of Chicago. The largest city in Wisconsin is home to some iconic American brands, like the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company and the local Miller beer company. The Harley-Davidson Museum is open to the public and showcases unique models made in the city since 1903. Miller's brewery offers tours and beer tastings and is a very popular destination among visitors. Milwaukee is an inseparable part of American beer culture, with additional breweries established by German immigrants in the city. Besides beer, the unique structure of the Milwaukee Art Museum on the shores of Lake Michigan completes the modern experience of Wisconsin's largest city.
How many days do you need for a Milwaukee trip?
A Milwaukee trip requires between a full day and two days.
When visiting the city, it's worth finding accommodation in its center or nearby motels.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels in Milwaukee…
What are the must-see and do in Milwaukee?
- American heritage at the Harley-Davidson Museum
- Tour + tastings at the Miller Brewing Company
- The geodesic domes at the Mitchell Park Domes Horticulture Conservatory
- Groundbreaking architecture at the Milwaukee Art Museum
- Quality American food at the Milwaukee Public Market
- Lots of tastings at the Lakefront Brewery
- Basilica of St. Josaphat
- Pabst Mansion
- Relax at Bradford Beach (on warm summer days)
- Milwaukee County Zoo
- A Milwaukee Bucks basketball game (or a Brewers baseball game)
- For those who are really committed – a trip north to a Green Bay Packers game
What is Milwaukee?
Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin and the second largest on the shores of Lake Michigan. The city is home to about half a million people, and in its large metropolitan area, nearly two million. Technically, Milwaukee is almost swallowed up in the giant Chicago metropolis, with continuous construction from the Indiana-Michigan border, at the south of the lake, up to the city of Kenosha, just slightly south of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee developed rapidly from the mid-19th century, and like its southern neighbor Chicago, became a destination for masses of immigrants from Northern and Central Europe. Many Germans settled in Milwaukee and deeply influenced its character. Following the Germans, plenty of Poles and Scandinavians arrived, forming the majority of the metropolitan area's population and, in general, the state of Wisconsin.
Starting from the 1840s, the city became a leading producer of beer, quenching the thirst of many immigrants flocking to the city from Germany. Legendary American brands made their way into the American market, including Blatz, Schlitz, Pabst, and of course, Miller. The brewery owners played a crucial role in the city's development and economic strength. To this day, the Miller brand is considered one of the strongest in the American market and competes with Budweiser from Saint Louis.
In the same year as the brewery, 1903, another brand that's synonymous with the city opened its factory—Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Founded by Arthur Davidson and William Harley, the brand became an American icon thanks to its mid-20th-century heavy motorcycle designs. These bikes are often linked with almost vigilante-esque biker gangs and have starred in numerous Hollywood films. Today, the Miller and Harley-Davidson factories are significant attractions in Milwaukee's tourism scene and are integral to the city's marketing.
Map of Milwaukee
How to get to Milwaukee?
How to fly to Milwaukee?
O'Hare International Airport (ORD) Chicago – Chicago's biggest airport is one of the largest and busiest in the world. It serves as the primary gateway for Milwaukee, especially for travelers coming from outside the USA. O'Hare is the main hub for the airline giant United Airlines and a secondary hub for American Airlines. The airport is located at the northwestern edge of the city center, just a twenty-minute drive from downtown Chicago.
O'Hare has three terminals that are connected to each other and linked by an internal light rail line. Chicago's airport is well-connected with all major airports across the USA, key airports in Europe, and also with Ben Gurion Airport. The city can be easily reached via transfer in Europe or by direct American Airlines flights. The airport is only an hour and a quarter's drive from Milwaukee.
Click here to search for flights to Chicago airports…
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) – The airport of Milwaukee is located in the southern part of the city, four kilometers from downtown. It's a secondary airport with one terminal. The airport is accessible via direct flights from other major US airports and smaller Midwest airports. The airport connects to downtown with a rapid bus line from the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS).
Click here to search for flights to airports near Milwaukee…
How to get to Milwaukee by car?
The connection between Chicago and Milwaukee is the I-94 highway, a branch of the transatlantic highway I-90, which connects Chicago to the Twin Cities. The I-94 reaches the western part of Milwaukee's downtown. The connection between Milwaukee and Minneapolis is at the western intersection of I-94 with I-90 west of the city.
Click here for all information on car rental in Milwaukee + useful tips and discounts…
When is the best time to visit Milwaukee?
In Milwaukee, as in the rest of Wisconsin, the continental climate deeply influences the nature of the trip. Due to the continental weather, each season in Milwaukee has characteristics that take the season to extremes, with a very snowy and harsh winter and a hot summer. The temperature differences in the city between summer and winter are extreme, even compared to other Midwest cities.
- The best season for a visit to Milwaukee and Wisconsin is spring. In the spring, the weather is very mild—not too hot and not too cold—but it can also be very rainy.
- Summer in Milwaukee is also very pleasant for a trip. The temperatures are usually comfortable, but it can also get very hot and occasionally rainy.
- Fall in Milwaukee is cool to cold, but in terms of rainfall, it is usually dry. The area around the city enjoys the most beautiful American foliage, with the entire state painted in deep orange.
- Winter in Milwaukee is tough – cold and snowy. It's really challenging to explore the city during the winter season, with icy roads and weather conditions that can be quite extreme, with temperatures way below zero.
How to Plan a Trip to Milwaukee?
Visiting Milwaukee is part of exploring the Midwest and the shores of Lake Michigan. Most people who come to the city do so for a day trip from Chicago, just an hour and a half drive north. Milwaukee is technically almost part of the massive metropolitan area of the Windy City, with an urban corridor between the cities. You can also incorporate Milwaukee into travel routes in Wisconsin and neighboring Minnesota, including Madison, the state capital, and even Minneapolis and Saint Paul – the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Click here for a day trip from Chicago to the Harley-Davidson Museum and breweries in Milwaukee…
Planning a tour in the city itself is quite simple. The two main attractions are the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Miller Brewing Company, both slightly west of downtown. In between, it's worth stopping by the Mitchell Park Domes Horticulture Conservatory.
A downtown tour of the city starts at the Milwaukee Art Museum on the shores of Lake Michigan and its surrounding attractions, such as Discovery World and Veterans Park. From there, you can head to the Milwaukee Public Market, the city's indoor food market, and hop over for some beer tasting at Lakefront Brewery.
Outside the city center, it's also worth visiting the Basilica of St. Josaphat and the Pabst Mansion, known for their stunning architecture. For some summer fun with the kids, head to Bradford Beach or the Milwaukee County Zoo.
Click here to plan your trip itinerary in Milwaukee and get professional advice…
Where to Sleep in Milwaukee?
Accommodation in Milwaukee is roughly divided into two categories:
- Urban hotels in downtown
- Motels on the highways
Accommodation in downtown Milwaukee mainly consists of urban hotels rated three and four stars owned by large American and international chains such as Marriott, Hilton, Westin, IHG, and others, as well as privately-owned four-star hotels. These hotels are spread throughout the downtown towers located north of Highway 794, a branch of I-94 that cuts through downtown. Since downtown Milwaukee can be somewhat unwelcoming after dark, you might want to consider staying in the central area.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels in Milwaukee…
Milwaukee's motels are spread along the main routes of the metropolitan area, in three directions:
- South near the airport along Highway 41/94
- West on Route 94 and Interstate 18 in the suburb of Brookfield
- Northbound on Highway Route 43
For those coming from Chicago, it's best to stay on the southern highways near the airport, where there is a large concentration of motels, representing all the major American inns such as Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Stay Inn, Best Western, Super 8, and more.
Map – Where to Stay in Milwaukee?
Everything to See and Do in Milwaukee
Harley-Davidson Museum
The Harley-Davidson Museum, dedicated to the legendary motorcycle company, is arguably Milwaukee's number one tourist attraction. The museum is located on the Menomonee River before it flows into the Milwaukee River in the city's downtown, near the Historic Third Ward district, filled with restaurants. The massive museum displays hundreds of unique motorcycle designs from the company since its founding in 1903. Besides the motorcycles, there are exhibits showcasing all the parts that make up the bikes and accessories like helmets, clothing, and more.
Address: 400 W Canal St., Milwaukee
Click here for the museum's current hours…
Miller Brewing Company
Not far from the Harley-Davidson Museum, another industrial giant stands tall, which has become an all-American icon – the brewery of the local mega brand Miller. The brewery is located in an industrial area by the Menomonee River, owned by the company and referred to as Miller Valley.
Miller was founded in 1855 by German immigrant Frederick Miller, who applied his know-how of beer making from his homeland with massive marketing and distribution throughout the Midwest. Miller was one of several strong local producers like Pabst and Schlitz, but over the years he outdid them all and became an American icon, in open competition with Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser from St. Louis. There are several guided tours of the brewery, including, of course, tastings of the variety of beers they produce.
Address: W State St. 4251, Milwaukee
Click here for all the information about visiting the brewery and the tours available…
The Domes at Mitchell Park – Mitchell Park Domes Horticulture Conservatory
Mitchell Park overlooks the Menomonee River between the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Miller Brewery. The park is best known for its three geodesic domes made of glass that serve as greenhouses. Inside the three domes, each with a diameter of about 43 meters, gardens are planted in an adapted environment. One dome is dedicated to an extensive display of flower species, the second simulates a desert climate with desert vegetation, and the third simulates a tropical climate.
Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum is the largest museum in Wisconsin with a collection of over 35,000 works of art in various mediums. Despite the abundance of sculptures, paintings, and exhibits, the most famous artwork in the museum is surprisingly the unique architecture of the Quadracci Pavilion, completed in 2001. The distinctive yacht-like structure is the brainchild of the renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the turning torso building in Malmö, Sweden, and the needle of the Montjuïc Communications Tower in Barcelona, among many other train stations and airports with wavy, flowing architecture throughout Europe and across the USA and Canada. The unique structure has become one of Milwaukee's icons, with a large window in the ship's hull that overlooks the lake.
The museum's collection itself includes numerous modern and postmodern works as well as collections of traditional and classic European paintings. Among the renowned artists featured in the museum are impressionists like Gustave Caillebotte, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and more, rococo giant Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, and others. Besides the museum, it's worth strolling along the entire coastline of Veterans Park, where you'll also find Milwaukee's Jewish Museum.
Address: N Art Museum Dr. 700, Milwaukee
Click here for the museum's current operating hours…
Discovery World
Next to the Art Museum to the south, there's also Milwaukee's charming science museum – Discovery World. The museum is set in a modern building above the Lake Michigan shoreline, offering a beautiful view of the lake. It's a great place to spend time with the kids, featuring nature displays including the Reiman Aquarium, which has an impressive collection of fish and corals. The scientific part of the museum includes displays of scientific experiments.
Address: N Harbor Dr. 500, Milwaukee
Click here for the museum's current operating hours…
Milwaukee Public Market
Milwaukee's indoor food market is one of the hottest places in downtown (even when it's freezing outside). The market opened in 2005 inspired by Seattle's Pike Place, Washington, and includes more than a hundred stalls selling food, wine, pubs, and unique street restaurants. The market is one of the most popular hangout spots in downtown Milwaukee and an integral part of the effort to draw crowds to the city's downtown with the development of the Third Ward district just south of the market. From the market heading north is the Milwaukee RiverWalk, a long promenade paved along the banks of the Milwaukee River up to the Schlitz Park district to the north.
Address: 400 N Water St., Milwaukee
Click here for all the information about the market…
Pabst Mansion
The Pabst Mansion is the residence of one of the most prominent industrialists in the history of the Midwest and the entire USA. The mansion was built in 1892 in a stunning Flemish neo-Renaissance style. Frederick Pabst, the owner of Pabst Brewery and the son-in-law of Philip Best, the son of German Jacob Best who founded the company in the mid-19th century, lived in the mansion. Best and Pabst turned their brewery into a powerful force that played a significant role in the development of Milwaukee. Today, the mansion is open to the public as a museum preserving Pabst's legacy and his grand home.
Address: W Wisconsin Ave. 2000, Milwaukee
Click here for all the information about visiting the mansion…
Lakefront Brewery
Lakefront Brewery is yet another beloved spot in Milwaukee for a tasting journey and brewery tour. Located on the Milwaukee River, north of Schlitz Park, the brewery was founded in 1987 and specializes in beer made from organic ingredients. The brewery tour offers a generous amount of tastings throughout the tour and is considered one of the most popular in the city among beer enthusiasts, especially compared to the somewhat conservative Miller tour.
Address: N Commerce St. 1872, Milwaukee
Basilica of St. Josaphat
The grandiose basilica of the Polish community in Milwaukee is situated in the Lincoln Village neighborhood, the traditional residential district for Polish immigrants in the city. The Catholic basilica was built in 1901 in the common style of cathedrals in Poland, a mix of Renaissance construction with northern elements. The basilica features a giant dome and an impressive interior filled with sculptures and religious murals, as befits a Catholic church.
Address: S 6th St. 2333, Milwaukee
Bradford Beach
Bradford Beach, north of downtown, is a favorite hangout for city residents during the summer. The sandy bathing beach is the place to be on those hot summer days (and there are quite a few). The beach stretches from south of the North Point Lighthouse to the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum.
Milwaukee County Zoo
The Milwaukee County Zoo is located on I-94 west of downtown. It is one of the significant historic parks in the USA, opened to the public in 1892, and has since been a very popular destination for family outings in Wisconsin. The zoo houses more than 3,000 animals of over 300 species. The zoo also has a children's train line, the Safari Train Main Station, which runs through various animal exhibits.
Address: W Bluemound Rd. 10001, Milwaukee
Click here for the current opening hours of the zoo…
Sports Teams in Milwaukee
NBA Basketball – Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA team, are the city's premier sports representative in professional leagues. The team's home stadium is the Fiserv Forum in the northern part of the city, with a capacity of 17,000 spectators. The Bucks were founded in 1968 and were nicknamed the Bucks, which also became the team's emblem.
The Bucks have won the NBA championship twice. The first time was in 1971 (just three years after their founding, a league record they still hold), led by Lew Alcindor, who changed his name a year later to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Oscar Robertson, the Big O. The Bucks won another championship in 2021, led by the Greek giant Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Stadium Address: N Vel R. Phillips Ave. 1111, Milwaukee
Click here to buy tickets online for the Bucks games…
MLB Baseball – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are the Milwaukee baseball team and the city's second representative in the professional sports leagues. The team plays at the American Family Field in the west of downtown, which seats 42,000 fans. The team was founded in Seattle in 1969 under the name Pilots (due to the Boeing factory) and a year later moved to Milwaukee and changed its name to the city’s leading industry – brewing. The team has few achievements and has reached the World Series only once and lost. The team sometimes makes it to the playoffs but usually, there’s no problem getting tickets to their games.
Home Stadium Address: Brewers Way 1, Milwaukee
Click here for online ticket purchases for Brewers games…
NFL Football – Green Bay Packers
The Packers may not play in Milwaukee, but they are undoubtedly one of the most illustrious teams in American professional sports leagues and quite the experience for anyone who makes the trip to Green Bay, just an hour and forty-five minutes from downtown Milwaukee. The team joined the NFL in 1921 and has since achieved tremendous success. The team boasts no less than 13 championships, including an impressive streak of 5 championships in seven years under the legendary coach Vince Lombardi. In 1967, they won the first Super Bowl ever played, which was named after Lombardi starting in 1970, the same year he passed away.
The team is owned by shares of its fans, known as the Cheeseheads. They play at Lambeau Field, slightly south of the downtown area of the small city. The stadium holds 81,000 spectators and is known for its harsh conditions during games in the winter.
Home stadium address: Lombardi Ave. 1265, Green Bay
Click here to purchase official tickets from the team's website…
