Posted on 04/09/2007 12:48:19 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee still loves beer. But arts, culture, museums and festivals are on tap, too.
That's the image Milwaukee officials are trying to promote in an effort to attract more tourists.
"In a sense we have it all," said Dave Fantle, spokesman for Visit Milwaukee, which markets the area. "We have it all in a neat package. It's a matter of getting our arms around that package and promoting it and letting the world know about all the attributes that are here in Milwaukee."
New projects in Milwaukee in recent years have included the Midwest Airlines convention center; the new Miller Park baseball stadium; an architecturally significant addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum on the shore of Lake Michigan, designed by the renowned Santiago Calatrava; and the Discovery World science and technology center, also on the lake shore, which opened last fall.
Future projects include a planned expansion of the Potawatomi tribal casino, which is located 10 minutes from downtown Milwaukee and already attracts 4 million visitors a year; and next year's opening of the Harley-Davidson museum. The iconic motorcycle-maker is based in Milwaukee and also offers factory tours at a nearby plant.
Milwaukee is the state's largest city. Often called "Brew City," it was settled largely by Germans, many of whom started breweries — Miller, Blatz, Schlitz and Pabst. The professional baseball team was even named the Brewers.
Although Miller is the only one of the big beer companies still based in Milwaukee, the city has a handful of microbreweries, brew pubs and a variety of tours for beer-lovers.
"We are really the rightful heirs to owning the brewing industry," Fantle said.
Other types of manufacturing were also a big part of Milwaukee's history from its 1846 inception. Many companies, including Rockwell Automation, Johnson Controls and Briggs & Stratton still remain. But Milwaukee's focus started to slowly change after the recession of the 1980s, when many factories closed, said Milwaukee historian John Gurda.
In turn there was a renewed interest in culture, with investment in the downtown area, including a mall called The Shops at Grand Avenue, which was a catalyst for other development, Gurda said. Now, people are walking the downtown sidewalks several times a year for gallery nights, there's a vibrant theater scene and new restaurants pop up constantly. There are also cultural festivals along the lakefront, like Summerfest, which bills itself as the world's largest music festival.
"By no means are we doomed to forever be beer and brats," Gurda said. "Books and ballet are part of it. That message will, in incremental steps, get out as well."
Whether your interest lies in beer or fine art, here are some of the city's top attractions.
-Beer. Milwaukee has three operating breweries with tours: Miller Brewing Company, 4251 W. State St., http://www.millerbrewing.com, 414-931-2337; Lakefront Brewery, 1872 N. Commerce St., http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com, 414-372-8800; and Sprecher, 701 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale, http://www.sprecherbrewery.com, 414-964-2739.
Downtown brew pubs are the Milwaukee Ale House, 233 N. Water St., http://www.ale-house.com/; Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water St., http://www.waterstreetbrewery.com/ and Rock Bottom Brewery, 740 N. Plankinton Ave., http://www.rockbottom.com.
The Old German Beer Hall offers beer brewed in Munich and German festival food at 1009 N. Old World Third St., http://www.oldgermanbeerhall.com, 414-226-2728.
A boat called the Brew City Queen takes passengers on a "weekend brewery tour," June-October, $25 (must be 21 or older); http://www.riverwalkboats.com or 414-283-9999.
Oktoberfest in downtown Milwaukee is Sept. 28-29. Also of interest: The Pabst Mansion, the 1892 home of beer baron Frederick Pabst, 2000 W. Wisconsin Ave., http://www.pabstmansion.com/.
-Art. Milwaukee's cultural transformation got a boost in 2001 when Calatrava, a world-famous architect, created his first North American design in a gleaming white addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Since then, residents and city officials have adopted the movable, winged sunscreen atop the museum as its status symbol. It's shown up as the backdrop in local newscasts, on tourism brochures and commercials. It also was used by several national car companies and tech companies.
On view now at the museum is an exhibit called "Francis Bacon: Paintings from the 1950s." Opening June 9 is "Pissarro: Creating the Impressionist Landscape"; 700 N. Art Museum Drive, http://www.mam.org/ or 414-224-3200. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursdays until 8 p.m.; $14 for feature exhibition.
-Summerfest. The music event, June 28-July 8, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and is typically attended by 900,000 people; http://www.summerfest.com.
-Discovery World, a science and technology center that has everything from hands-on high-tech displays to a state-of-the-art broadcast studio to an aquarium; 500 N. Harbor Drive, http://www.discoveryworld.org/ or 414-765-9966. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $17; children 3-17, $13.
-Harley-Davidson. A museum is scheduled to open by fall 2008. Free factory tours are offered at the nearby Wauwatosa, Wis., plant (11700 W. Capitol Drive), 877-883-1450. Tours are Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; tickets are distributed first come, first served, beginning 9 a.m.
-The Potawatomi Bingo Casino, http://www.paysbig.com. Open 24 hours a day. Shuttle buses from downtown Milwaukee.
-Other events: Festa Italiana, July 19-22; African World Festival, Aug. 3-5, Wisconsin State Fair, Aug. 2-12, and Irish Fest, Aug. 16-19.
For more information, go to http://www.visitmilwaukee.org or 800-554-1448.
Cans of Miller High Life roll along the production line at the Miller Brewing plant in Milwaukee, Wis., in this Dec. 23, 2003, file photo. Since 1998, the city has invested $1.5 billion in assets to polish its image, that include a new Midwest Airlines convention center, the new ballpark called Miller Park, and the Santiago Calatrava-designed new addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum on the shore of Lake Michigan. (AP Photo/Morry Gash/FILE)
The old Milwaukee County Museum may leave something to be desired for most. Went back there for the first time in maybe 20 years with my cousins and the exhibits had not changed one iota...we were laughing with all the other people there admitting that it was like returning to the 70’s.
Never made it thru that side of the state, I did LaCrosse and Heilemans and Golden’s Coors tours. Do they have beer available in the museum itself.
Nothing like a mug of Ol’ Milwaukee. tho I’d prefer Leinenkugel. ;-)
Too much of a headache from the “Brown Bomber” PBR and Miller...can’t take the Milwaukee out of this guy.
What’s talk of Milwaukee without mentioning the Safe House? 8^)
I miss Milwaukee, my adopted home town. The festivals, the parks, the taverns (and yes, the museums)... I don't get back nearly enough. I love the Calatrava addition to the MAM.
Great baseball town, too.
Hometown Beer/fine arts PING
Not since the "margarita episode" (or did you mean the Miller Brewing tours?).
Nothing like a mug of Ol’ Milwaukee. tho I’d prefer Leinenkugel. ;-)
Now Leinie's is a good beer. Unfortunately, SABMiller loves the illegal aliens more than it does the rest of its customers.
You should've done the Leinie's tours when you were still on this side of the mountains.
Milwaukee? Isn’t that where all the cute girls hang out in WI?
Yeah, on Water Street...
Of course, being the poor college student, I can barely afford to drink on North Ave and Brady St...8^)
Hey what is going on? It is good to hear from you since I have been to busy to post much lately. I hope everything is going well.
Hey what happened to the nicest (and prettiest) girl on Free Republic? The place hasn’t been the same since she stopped posting. :((( (That is me being sad)
Been busy as heck...
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