The best way to feel a part of a place is by learning its history. And by visiting the most amazing museums in Milwaukee, you will get to know the Brew City.
With Milwaukee’s prosperous and eclectic history, be it art, environment, science, or just the history of the people, this intriguing city is not lacking in the number of museums.
And with this guide on museums in Milwaukee, you will be able to find everything that you need or wish to know about the wonderful city of the United States.
From nature and marine life to the planet’s most legendary automobiles and more, here you will find everything and more.
By visiting and exploring these 13 most amazing museums in Milwaukee you will be able to enter the true heart of the city.
1) Milwaukee Art Museum
The building of the Milwaukee Art Museum itself is a historic landmark and is a cause enough for many people to visit. The elegant and unique construction is more like a sculpture modeled by world-famous creator Santiago Calatrava.
The Milwaukee Art Museum has become somewhat of a legendary site in the city and a remarkable sight along with the vast blue skyline.
Once you enter, you will discover more than thirty thousand exceptional creations of art and antiques. The Milwaukee Art Museum should be on the must-visit list for any individual enthusiastic about art as well as history kind. At present, the museum has been known as the city’s very original art gallery to an iconic place.
It specializes in both collecting and conserving timeless old articles along with promoting the new and emerging talents of modern artists.
The museum is most appreciated by adults and art enthusiasts and is not exactly for little children. However, artsy teenagers will most likely love it as well.
Here, at the Milwaukee Art Museum, you can anticipate discovering both historical paintings of American as well as European origin. However, aged Mediterranean antiques, photographs from a wide span of periods, and modern figures are included in the museum’s inventory.
2) Milwaukee County Historical Society
Along the museums in Milwaukee, this is undoubtedly one of the coolest. An actual museum in an old bank – what can be more fascinating than that?
The Milwaukee County Historical Society is a showroom committed to conserving and maintaining the past of Milwaukee and its surroundings.
It provides an interesting glance at the life of those who dwelled in the city in the 1800s. The museum gathers manuscripts, personal letters, pictures, furniture, apparel, and other private antiques and showcases them in a sequence of shows.
Prior demonstrations have represented the account of Prohibition and immigration into Milwaukee from foreign lands. Their present show examines minutely at Lake Michigan and how the city has always been molded by its connection to the biggest of the Great Lakes.
3) Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is devoted to bringing out the past of the Jewish section in the Milwaukee region.
The museum origins back to the 1980s with the Milwaukee Jewish Archives and has outstanding art displays. So visit one of the greatest museums in Milwaukee and get lost in the history of a unique culture by the East Side neighborhood of the city.
Here, you will also find events dedicated to the significant part of the Holocaust and the Nazi era.
Even though the museum is captivating and is a center of true Milwaukee history, it can be on the grave and depressing angle, so this museum is best recommended for grown-ups.
4) Harley Davidson Museum
The city of Milwaukee would not have this grand site of history, art, and culture without the iconic legend of America’s beloved motorcycle existing within the very essence of the city’s past.
The Harley Davidson Museum is not only for HOGs – it is a must-visit for any person who has ever believed Harleys to be cool. You do not need to be a car geek to appreciate and admire the legendary vehicle.
Take a stroll through the history of Milwaukee full of bike displays to discover two men’s creativity and their way to becoming immortal legends. Here, you will find bikes of all ages. Not to mention you can even take a seat on a few of them for some awesome snapshots that will surely be a hit on your Instagram.
5) Charles Allis Art Museum
This Milwaukee jewel lies on Prospect Avenue where you will find the famous Jewish Museum of Milwaukee as well. The building was developed by distinguished designer Alexander Eschweiler for Charles Allis who was the first president of Allis Chalmers.
This museum fulfills double goals as it gives peeks very extraordinary art exhibitions, while at the same time providing an opportunity to roam around the gorgeous rooms that induce a feeling of their authentic splendor.
Not to mention the ever-changing new and fascinating exhibitions that are always taking place in the museum will give you the best Milwaukee experience.
Walking through the beautiful bedrooms, a grand dining room, stunning halls, and even an exceptional library, you are sure to feel like an elegant royal member of the society.
6) Discovery World Museum
All the cities need a fun science museum, and in the case of Brew City, it is certainly the famous Discovery World Museum on the lakefront. The displays here largely focus on technology and freshwater science and are set in a way to attract young curious and creative minds. They aim to motivate the coming generation of STEM students.
Among the best of their exhibits, you will find a stunning replica of the whole Great Lakes watershed, an aquarium with aquatic realms from all over the globe, a physics laboratory, and a mechanized exhibit that educates children on the internal mechanics and systems of how machinery functions. As an added fun display, you will also find a spectacular railroad demonstration.
7) Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
Typically museums are not the most popular places to spend time for the little ones but the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum is a lovely exception.
For numerous kids and teens, this Milwaukee museum is an intro to the vast and interesting universe of history and museums.
The children will certainly love brilliant spectacles such as Word Headquarters, or Home Town. The latter lets kids understand and experience real-life settings consisting of grocery shops and banks and lets them become as creative as possible with their imagination running wild.
Betty Brinn is a lovely museum dedicated to spreading interest in history and culture among the little ones. It is surely one of the best museums in Milwaukee to spend time with your family.
8) The Warehouse Art Museum
Found inside an old factory and storehouse constructed in 1924, The Warehouse Art Museum showcases a lasting exhibition of more than three thousand unique and modern masterpieces.
The Warehouse has displays that spotlight an assortment of multi-media creators and artists. Moreover, the place also hosts various kinds of performances, shows, and speeches all year round.
9) Milwaukee Public Museum
Similarly, to the Milwaukee Art Museum, this human and natural history museum can be dated back to the 1800s.
The Milwaukee Public Museum is among one of the most beloved museums in Milwaukee filled with the city’s historic past. The museum’s significant displays of anthropology and wildlife over the years are another popular reason for its fame.
Apart from being the home to vibrant human history, the place is also rich with other life forms. Make sure to take some time to experience the spectacular Puelicher Butterfly Wing. Its tropical setting lets tourists and visitors encounter the colorful and pretty butterflies from the near.
Among the lovely winged creatures, you will find exotic and beautiful species such as Longwings, Electric Blue Morpho butterflies, Giant Owl Butterfly, Blue Wave Butterfly, and Malachite. Standing among this whirlwind of vibrant hues, you will feel like a part of a wonderful fairytale!
10) Pabst Mansion
This attractive and elegant construction in Downtown Milwaukee used to be the home to one of the city’s most prominent tycoons.
Roam the halls of the residence of Captain Frederick Pabst who hugely contributed to placing Milwaukee on the globe for manufacturing beer.
Lost yourself in the colorful history of the city while meandering through some of the spacious mansions with ten lavatories, fourteen fireplaces, and mysterious rooms in the study. You can only get to explore this beauty of a building through guided tours which are available in plenty.
11) MSOE Grohmann Museum
Among the major exhibits of the Grohmann Museum, you will find “The Man at Work – a detailed and vast assortment of arts and statues – dubbed as the globe’s “most comprehensive” displaying the development of artists’ creations over the ages.
And if you do visit Grohmann, make sure to explore the rooftop sculpture garden for the gorgeous scenic views of downtown Milwaukee. Not to mention you will be in awe of the stunning workmanship of the roof itself – a display of 12 bronze workers each approximately 1000 pounds.
12) Milwaukee Fire Museum
The Historical Society of the Milwaukee Fire Department was established in 1981 and is currently only at Oklahoma Avenue.
The museum is devoted to conserving the vibrant history, ancestry, and conventions of the Milwaukee Fire Department. Accessible to the community, here the visitors will find a unique exhibition of memorabilia and old fire equipment.
Among the most popular exhibits, there are original station furniture, a firehouse kitchen, and fire alarm telegraph of the early twentieth century, a Pirsch pumper along with a Cadillac ambulance.
13) Haggerty Museum of Art
Placed on the campus of Marquette University, this museum is accessible to all. The Haggerty Museum comes with a remarkable lasting exhibition, a diverse arrangement of demonstrations, and a busy calendar full of free events, gallery lectures, workshops, and much more.
Entry is always free, and free parking is available near the Marquette University Campus as well.
FAQs on Museums in Milwaukee
Still, have more queries on the fascinating history of Brew City? Read on to find the answers to the most frequently asked questions on the best museums in Milwaukee.
1) Why Visit the City of Milwaukee?
The city of Milwaukee is known and loved in many parts of the world. There are many reasons why you should certainly visit this lovely city in the USA.
Milwaukee is a prominent holiday destination due to its lovely location on the waterfronts of Lake Michigan, affordability, wonderful hotels, friendly Midwestern hospitality, downtown attractions, trendy diners, cinemas, and sporting games.
So, during vacation, many families folk over to this beautiful city and spend some wonderful days wandering the never-ending attractions of Cream City.
2) Which Are the Most Amazing Museums in Milwaukee to Learn About the Rich History and Culture of The City?
With so many centers of history in its streets, Milwaukee can easily be dubbed the City of Museums. Among the best museums in Milwaukee, you will find the names of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Mitchell Gallery of Flight inside the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, the Chudnow museum (now closed), and the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
With so many interactive exhibits, gallery space filled with art and sculptures, permanent exhibits, and free admission in most cases, visiting the museums in Milwaukee is one of the best ways to spend your time in the city.
Endnotes: Make Some Historic Milwaukee Memories
Now that you know all that is there to know about the most wonderful museums in Milwaukee, what are you waiting for?
Pack your bags for your next trip to Cream City and have the best vacation of your life. With endless fun and exciting things to do in Milwaukee museums, you will not experience a dull moment.
So, if you wish to get to know the beautiful city better, what can be better than visiting the most popular museums in Milwaukee? And to spend a few hours in the heart of the city’s rich and fascinating past, all you need to do is visit and explore the best and most amazing museums in Milwaukee.
