Milwaukee: Fiercely Independent, Wholly Unexpected

From custard to contemporary art, murals to Lake Michigan

in collaboration with

Grohmann Museum at Milwaukee School of Engineering

Chudnow Collection at the Cedarburg History Museum

Meet Milwaukee

Welcome to the 'Cream City'

Start exploring

The ABCs of Milwaukee

Matt Hrodey, former Senior Editor of Milwaukee Magazine, spells out the city

MKE moments

The Milwaukee Bucket List

Third Coast must-dos

Choose your own adventure

How would you like to explore Milwaukee?

Meet Creatives

Discover poets, makers, and performers

Take a Tour

See the top spots

Food Inspo

Curds, custard, and beer

Check Out The Art

The galleries and street art

Explore The Great Outdoors

Parks and architecture

History Lesson

Go way back

Watch Performances

On the stage

Cream City creatives

Get to know music makers and powerful poets

Video

Nicole Acosta Reads Chicken Tikka Masala

Radio Milwaukee hightlights powerful local poets

Video

Micheala Lacy Reads Generational Curses

Radio Milwaukee hightlights powerful local poets

Video

Lilo Allen Reads Hair Grease

Radio Milwaukee hightlights powerful local poets

Video

Margarest Rozga Reads Cakes & Lemonade For Neighbours

Radio Milwaukee hightlights powerful local poets

Video

Annie Grizzle Reads Water Poem

Radio Milwaukee hightlights powerful local poets

Dive Deeper into Milwaukee's Poets

Milwaukee poets recite their work to celebrate the craft and honor those who are making a mark

The Search for Milwaukee's First Hip-Hop Song

A musical investigation from Radio Milwaukee

Grace Weber's Music Lab

The singer-songwriter's talent incubator for high-schoolers

Meet the makers

Milwaukee artists give us a glimpse into the process, thanks to Imagine MKE

Interview

Audio Interview: Ken Brown

Milwaukee's "stained glass" muralist

Interview

Audio Interview: Brandon Minga

Wisconsin native and mixed media artist

Interview

Audio Interview: Dasha Kelly Hamilton

The city's poet laureate

The actors who haven't stopped

The virus may have hit pause on the audience, but not the Milwaukee Repertory Theater performances

Video

"In the Heights" Music Video

The cast of "In the Heights" sings the show's finale in this special music video recorded across the nation during the COVID-19 Crisis

Video

"Unknown Hero" by Maulik Pancholy

The 30 Rock actor performs a monologue about Y2K

Video

"The Photograph" by Marie Kohler

Milwaukee playwright and theater artist Marie Kohler performs her original monologue “The Photograph”

Video

"What's the Tea?"

Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements interviews Ayad Akhtar: playwright, Pulitzer Prize winner, Rep trustee, and Milwaukee native

Video

"What About Love" by Jessie Hooker-Bailey and Gilbert Bailey II

Rep favorites and real life couple Jessie Hooker-Bailey and Gilbert Bailey perform 'What About Love?' from "The Color Purple."

Video

Christina Acosta Robinson Sings "The Day I Stop Loving You"

Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Video

"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by Michael Doherty and Alex Keiper

Michael and Alex most recently performed in "The Nerd" at the MKE Rep

Tour the top spots

Get to know some of the city's iconic places

Photo opportunities

Where to Get the Perfect Shot

Your 'gram will thank you

10 Places You Wouldn't Expect in Milwaukee

Explore unexpected hangouts

6 Places of Black History in Milwaukee

Discover important places in Black history

9 Places of Worship in Milwaukee

Including a church modelled afte St Peter's Basilica in Rome

Online Exhibit

Milwaukee by Map

Let local illustrators take you on a tour of their city

Curds, custard and craft beer

If you're hungry or thirsty, Milwaukee has you covered

Top snacks

A Taste of Milwaukee's Food Scene

Food writer Kristine Hansen takes a bite out of Milwaukee

Must trys

Essential Milwaukee Eats

No visit is complete without cheese curds and a bratwurst

Fave hangouts

The History of the City's Beer Gardens

The city's favorite spots for summertime shine

Hoppy history

Why They Call it "Brew City"

The beer industry that put Milwaukee on the map

That time Keith Haring dropped in

The graffiti artist brought his signature style to the Haggerty

Story

Creating the World's Best Construction Fence

He couldn't have done it without Marquette University students

Video

Keith Haring "On the Fence"

Discover his work of art at the Haggerty Museum

From the museums to the streets

Discover years of public art with Sculpture Milwaukee and Imagine MKE

Wallpapered City

Explore unbelievable art around the city through street view and closeups with Imagine MKE

Discover

Sculpture Milwaukee's 2018 Season

Taking a more humorous view of the human condition..

Legacy and Commissions from Sculpture Milwaukee

Explore the works that you can still find in Wisconsin

Sculpture Milwaukee's 2019 Season

Highlighting the natural environment of Wisconsin Avenue as it bumbs against the built environment

Sculpture Milwaukee's 2017 Season

Sculpture Milwaukee's inaugural exhibition featuring 22 artworks by 21 artists

One of the largest art collections in the US

Explore the Milwaukee Art Museum

Discover

The Story Behind the Milwaukee Art Museum's Iconic Architecture

From Finnish design to the extraordinary "moving wings"

Masterpieces in Milwaukee

Works from the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Haggerty Museum, and the Grohmann Museum

34 Important Paintings From the Grohmann Museum

The most beautiful paintings from the Man at Work collection

Zoom into "Portrait of Three Children as Ceres, Ganymede, and Diana" by Nicolaes Maes

Discover what the eagle means

Moses Presenting the Tablets of the Law

Few know this painting now, but it was famous during its time for depicting a biblical figure in an accessible way.

German Art and Artists in the Grohmann Museum

An insight on the ‘Heroic School’ of industrial painting.

Inside the Grohmann Museum Archives

A collection of artistic representations of human labor and industry

Zoom into "Friedhof (Cemetery)" by Pol Cassel

Discover the biting social critique behind the brushstrokes

Carl Spitzweg in Milwaukee

Some twenty-plus works by Spitzweg have found their way to Milwaukee

Sculptures of Workers

View captivating images of miners, steel workers, and more from famous sculptors

Check out the artworks

Zoom right into masterpieces by Kandisky, Monet, and more

Fresh air, Milwaukee style

Parks, lakes, and plants in the great outdoors

On the Water

With VISIT Milwaukee

Greetings From Lake Park

With Milwaukee County Parks

The Parks in Milwaukee's Heart

With the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear

Discovering Native Plants

Learning from Native American communities with the Milwaukee Public Museum

Greetings From Washington Park

With Milwaukee County Parks

Architectural gems

A city shaped by immigration

One For The History Buffs

The diverse array of historic places and unique architecture in Milwaukee

Touring Old German Milwaukee

Go on a postcard tour through Milwaukee's German heritage

Get to Know the Grohmann Museum

Explore the Grohmann's building and rooftop garden

Milwaukee memories

Get to know the city better through its quirky history

Trivia

Fun Facts from Milwaukee

What do Georgia O'Keeffe and a typewriter have in common?

Sports

The MVP City

Big names and bright stars have powered the sports scene for generations

Making Milwaukee

Where did the city come from?

Mitchell Park Time Machine 1895-1955

Discover "The Domes" from yesterday to today

History of the Milwaukee Art Museum

MAM from the very start

Milwaukee's Musical Heritage

Before records, there was sheet music

The Scent of a City's past

Get a whiff of this

Sweet History of Milwaukee

A brief look at some of the companies and brands that made Milwaukee sweet

Recreating an Old-Time Grocery

What could you buy in 1929 Milwaukee?

Quirky Firsts

What did Milwaukee do first?

Lake Park Time Machine

Explore Lake Park now and then

City of Festivals

From the world's largest music festival to neighborhood affairs

Favorites From Your Grandparents' Pantry

Gone, but not forgotten

Get a Taste of Old-Fashioned Snacks

Explore what amusement park-goers nibbled on in 1910

Built on industry

A loveletter to Milwaukee's production line

Harley-Davidson's Milwaukee Roots

Meet the founders of the iconic motorcycle company

Steel: The Cycle of Industry

Striking images of the industrial cycle by photographer David Plowden

Making Milwaukee Mighty

The manufacturing history of the city

Milwaukeeans Are Still Makers Today

Milwaukee Made: From Coffee to Cheese to Curds

So fresh, so local

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show

Discover the city's performing arts with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, MYSO, and First Stage

Quadracci Powerhouse Musicals

Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Musical Highlights

Lives Behind the Instruments at MYSO

From Tiny Desk to Kanye West, life after high school is an adventure

Girls in the Boat

First Stage's show about US female rowers

Gretel!

First Stage

Premieres at the Milwaukee Rep

Since 1958, nearly 150 plays and musicals have premiered at the Rep

The Winter's Tale

First Stage

Elf — The Musical

First Stage

From Our Home To Your Home

Milwaukee Repertory Theater

45 Years of A Christmas Carol

Milwaukee Repertory Theater's annual tradition

Touring the World with MYSO

From Ireland to Uraguay, Eastern Europe to Italy

Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical

Broadway's biggest little hero comes to First Stage

Steel Pan Bands

Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra

On The Wings of a Mariposa

First Stage

Our Programs

Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show

First Stage

The Miracle Worker

First Stage

Community is at Milwaukee's roots

The city's art groups in the communities they call home

Story

How MYSO Emphasizes Change at All Ages

The Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra in the community

Story

Students and Their Art Museum

How Marquette University students make use of the Haggerty Museum of Art

Story

Engaging Communities

At the Haggerty Museum of Art

Story

An Immersive Music Program for Third Graders

MYSO in the community

Story

Using Art and Design for Community Growth

How students at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design prioritize giving back