Milwaukee
America's former beer capital, founded by German brewers on the shore of Lake Michigan, spreads the white wings of a museum designed by Santiago Calatrava over the water. People come for the Harley-Davidson motorcycles born in a local shed, the converted brick warehouses of the Third Ward and summers of festivals on the lakeshore.
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Milwaukee · Photo Quang Vuong / Pexels
Things to do in Milwaukee in 4 days
Day 1
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Three lakeside buildings, including Santiago Calatrava's 2001 pavilion, whose 66-metre Burke Brise Soleil opens and closes like a bird's wings, with collections ranging from European painting to Georgia O'Keeffe.
💡 The wings open when the museum opens, close at noon and then reopen, but stay closed in high winds: come at 10am or noon to see them move. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and open until 8pm on Thursdays, with pay-what-you-wish entry from 4pm to 8pm. Price: $27, about €23, for adults; $20, about €17, for ages 65 and over; free up to age 12.
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The Third Ward's glass and brick food hall, opened in 2005, with lobster sandwiches, Wisconsin cheeses, spices and Thai, Mexican or Cajun stalls, eaten on the mezzanine or the summer terrace.
💡 Have lunch there on a weekday before noon; try the cheese curds, pieces of fresh cheddar that squeak between your teeth. The market is open from 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 6pm on Sundays. Price: free entry, allow $12-20, about €10-17, for a meal.
Michael Barera / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 2
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The brand's museum on the Menomonee River, telling the story of the motorcycle born in a Milwaukee shed in 1903, with more than 450 machines, from Serial Number One to police and racing bikes.
💡 The museum is open every day from 10am to 5pm. Behind-the-scenes guided tours and factory tours are booked separately on the brand's website. Come by motorcycle on a summer Sunday, when the car park fills with bikers from all over the Midwest. Price: paid ticket, to be bought online.
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The former warehouse district, rebuilt in brick after the 1892 fire, now lined with galleries, designer boutiques and restaurants, with loading docks, painted signs and the RiverWalk running alongside.
💡 The district is liveliest on Saturdays, between shopping and brunch. Carry on to the Public Market to the north and Lakeshore State Park to the east, a peninsula of prairie facing the lake. Price: free to stroll.
Michael Barera / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 3
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The city's best-known craft brewery, set in a former power plant on the river, with a humorous 50-minute tour ending in four tastings and a beer hall famous for its Friday fish fry.
💡 Book the tour online, especially at weekends, and bring ID. The tour is for over-21s only, unless accompanied by a parent. Price: $13, about €11, Monday to Thursday; $16, about €14, Friday to Sunday, four tastings included; free for under-13s.
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A wood and stone promenade following the Milwaukee River for several kilometres, from the Third Ward to the Beerline, past bar terraces, sculptures and the bronze statue of Happy Days hero Fonzie.
💡 Set off from the Public Market heading north at sunset, then carry on up to the Beerline for a drink by the water. In summer, a cruise on the river and the lake gives the best view of the city. Price: free to stroll.
Michael Barera / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 4
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Captain Frederick Pabst's Flemish Renaissance brick mansion, completed in 1892, keeping its carved woodwork and original furniture, entered through the brewery's pavilion from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
💡 The one-hour guided tour leaves every hour; arrive ten minutes early at the visitor centre, in the building next door. Book online, especially in December, when the house is decorated for Christmas. The house is open from 10am to 4pm Sunday to Thursday, until 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Price: paid ticket, to be booked online.
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Milwaukee's big sandy beach below the wooded bluffs of Lake Park, with volleyball courts, cocktail huts and cool water in summer, linked to the art museum by a 3 km lakeside cycle path.
💡 Come in the late afternoon in July or August, hire a bike-share bike and head back towards downtown on the Oak Leaf Trail. The water stays cool even in summer and the currents can be strong: respect the flags and the instructions posted on the beach. Price: free.
Michael Barera / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
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Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Milwaukee.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
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The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
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