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Milwaukee's Daily Magazine for Monday, Jan. 14, 2013

Mon
Hi: 29
Lo: 19
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Wed
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In Travel & Visitors Guide

Don't miss an opportunity to tailgate at Miller Park. It's a local tradition.

In Travel & Visitors Guide

The Calatrava-designed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum is world famous for its beauty.

In Travel & Visitors Guide

Summer booze cruises have become a popular pastime here in Brew City.

In Travel & Visitors Guide

Even the real Fonzie came to check out his likeness in bronze along the Milwaukee River.

In Travel & Visitors Guide

Will Allen's urban farm, Growing Power, has gained attention on a national level.

In Travel & Visitors Guide

The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center invites you to sail off into the sunset on Lake Michigan.

100 things to do in Milwaukee




Audio Podcast: Andy, Dave and Carole take listeners' ideas for "100 things to do in Milwaukee"
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Note: The contents of this guide were checked for accuracy when this article was updated on March 16, 2010 at 1:14 p.m. We continually update the thousands of articles on OnMilwaukee.com, but it's possible some details, specials and offers may have changed. As always, we recommend you call first if you have specific questions for the businesses mentioned in the guide.


Way back in 1999, we published "100 things to do in Milwaukee," and this iconic list became the most popular article in the history of OnMilwaukee.com.

A lot has changed since then, and this guide spawned several other "100 things" lists. Over the years, we've updated the article here and there, but this marks the first complete overhaul in more than a decade.

We've kept a few of the original favorites and added a bunch, too. Now, everything in this article can be accomplished in and around Milwaukee -- nothing is more than a 30-minute drive from Downtown. How much of this list have you tried?

  1. Cheer on the Brewers at Miller Park ...
  2. ... and be sure to tailgate before the game
  3. Check out the lights and live music at the Domes
  4. Explore Milwaukee's spy bar, The Safe House
  5. Pull up a boat to a slip at Barnacle Bud's or Water Buffalo
  6. Eat (and request a song) at Organ Piper Pizza
  7. Wind your way along Grant Park's Seven Bridges Trail
  8. Get up early and watch soccer at the Highbury Pub
  9. Climb Holy Hill in Hubertus
  10. Close Wolski's and get a bumper sticker to prove it
  11. Bike the Oak Leaf Trail as far as you can muster
  12. Buy a wax Samson at the Milwaukee County Zoo and tell the kids about the famous gorilla
  13. Visit the Milwaukee County Historical Society, where scenes from "Public Enemies" were filmed
  14. Commiserate with the butterflies at the Milwaukee Public Museum
  15. Buy a brat at the Usinger's store
  16. Take the Lakefront, Sprecher and MillerCoors brewery tours in one day
  17. Experience Jim's Time Out, the Downtown "towny" bar
  18. Enjoy family-friendly live music at Bayshore Town Center
  19. Marvel at the beauty of the Milwaukee Art Museum
  20. Take a Milwaukee Ghosts tour and learn local haunted history
  21. Smell the flowers at Boerner Botanical Gardens
  22. Find the Streetza Pizza truck and buy a late-night slice
  23. Skate a few laps on the Olympic Oval at the Pettit National Ice Center
  24. Eat a corned beef sandwich at Jake's Delicatessen
  25. Shop for vintage clothes on Brady Street
  26. Take a booze cruise
  27. Catch the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on Monday nights at Alterra on the Lake
  28. Buy farm-fresh produce all winter long at the State Fair Park's winter farmers market
  29. Fall in love over a Tiki Love Bowl at At Random
  30. Have a drink in The Yard at the Iron Horse Hotel
  31. Eat like a king at 4th Base
  32. Tour Palermo's Pizza in the Menomonee Valley
  33. Interact with nature at the Schlitz Audubon Center
  34. Make a difference at the Volunteer Center
  35. Pet the animals at the Wisconsin Humane Society
  36. Tour the Pabst Mansion
  37. See an indie band at the Cactus Club
  38. Cheer like a maniac with the Bucks' "Squad 6"
  39. Experience intimate theater at Boulevard Theatre
  40. Bowl a few lines on America's oldest lanes at Holler House
  41. Tour the Harley-Davidson Museum
  42. Crack up at ComedySportz
  43. Say "Ayy" to the Bronze Fonz
  44. Sunbathe at Bradford Beach or South Shore Beach
  45. Swim in the Brown Deer Pond
  46. Wander around the Bong Recreation Area
  47. Marvel at the Mars Cheese Castle
  48. Eat a bowl of Real Chili
  49. See an Admirals game
  50. Sled down the North Avenue hill
  51. Watch kids playing soccer at Uihlein Park
  52. Visit the Beulah Brinton House in Bay View
  53. Star gaze at UWM's Planetarium on Friday night for $1
  54. Stroll back in time on the Streets of Old Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Public Museum
  55. Step back in time at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford
  56. Bask in the beauty of the Basilica of St. Josaphat on 6th & Lincoln
  57. Buy a kite at Gift of Wings and fly it at the lakefront
  58. Join the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center
  59. Get saucy at a Brew City Burlesque show
  60. Find the city's Frank Lloyd Wright architecture
  61. Visit the North Point Lighthouse
  62. Take the kids to the Betty Brinn Museum
  63. Hike the Hank Aaron State Trail
  64. Visit the birthplace of the American League (now a Downtown parking lot)
  65. Hop aboard the Lake Express ferry
  66. Grab a meal at Friday's Front Row Grill to enjoy Miller Park in winter
  67. Experience a real Milwaukee Friday night fish fry at Lakefront Brewery's Palm Garden
  68. Rent a kayak and take a ride down the Milwaukee River
  69. Enjoy a beer in a smoke-free Von Trier (or have a smoke out on the patio)
  70. Eat a butter burger at Kopp's
  71. Have breakfast at the Plaza Hotel on Cass Street
  72. Order a Brainbuster at Bryant's
  73. Find Milwaukee's smallest park, Kaszube's Park, on Jones Island
  74. Visit Professor Stein (Grand Avenue's "tightrope bear") at the Milwaukee Public Market
  75. Get a doughnut at the National Bakery & Deli
  76. Watch people play lawn bowling at Lake Park
  77. Take a picture at the intersection of "Keefe" and "Richards"
  78. Ride the mechanical chili pepper at La Perla (or have a margarita on the roof)
  79. See the statues in Doctor's Park
  80. Bowl with tiny balls at Koz's Mini Bowl
  81. Shop for a vintage LP at Bull's Eye Records
  82. Sing along at Lucille's Rockin' Pianos
  83. Take a Milwaukee Food Tour
  84. Tour St. Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette's campus
  85. Find Gertie the Duck along Wisconsin Avenue Downtown
  86. Admire the Carl von Marr collection at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend
  87. Get hot ham and rolls on a Sunday morning
  88. Tour the city's longest thoroughfare, 27th Street
  89. Enjoy outdoor movies in summer at Discovery World, Pere Marquette Park, Miller Park and State Fair
  90. Buy locally produced food at Outpost Natural Foods
  91. See if the security guard at the Delta Center is real
  92. Take a photo of the boat house on Cambridge & Hampshire
  93. Quickly order a drink at the world's shortest happy hour at The Nomad World Pub
  94. Window shop the boutiques and the mod furniture at Rubin's in the Historic Third Ward
  95. Grab a dog from "the hot dog guy" on Water & Wisconsin
  96. Tour Growing Power, Milwaukee's urban farm
  97. Tour Bolzano Meats in Riverwest
  98. Eat thin crust pizza at Zaffiro's
  99. Cheer on the all-girl roller derby, the Brew City Bruisers
  100. Sample Great Lakes Distillery's Milwaukee-made spirits

Talkbacks

barion | Nov. 22, 2011 at 11:07 p.m. (report)

This article gave an insight to some of us here on what we could see and do in Milwaukee. Thanks to the 100 things to do here; I can now go to some of these places for the same thing. And I am definitely going to take a dive in the Brown Deer Pond.

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ajornlin | March 21, 2010 at 11:42 a.m. (report)

Wow, our Milwaukee ghost tours made it on the OnMilwaukee.com list! #20 - What an honor! Our local ghost walks run on Fridays & Saturdays at 7 p.m., May-Nov. Our Third Ward Haunted History Walking Tours officially begin Saturday, May 1st at 7 p.m. You can make your reservations now at http://www.milwaukeeghosts.com or by calling 414-807-7862. We can't wait to celebrate Milwaukee's heritage, folklore, and weirdness! In the meantime, please keep sending us your reports of paranormal activity. We love to help you research the history of local tales and use our network to expedite reputable paranormal investigations. Thanks for your support Milwaukee!

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islandfanatic | March 18, 2010 at 8:20 a.m. (report)

There are bike racks on the city buses?!?!?

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MissingMKE | March 16, 2010 at 4:37 p.m. (report)

Did I miss it, or is this list lacking "have frozen custard at... (I prefer Gille's)???

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Gomez | March 16, 2010 at 2:51 p.m. (report)

101. Be the first person to actually use the bike racks we installed on our buses.

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