Trip to Milwaukee Wisconsin

Hi, My husband and I were just in Milwaukee this past weekend for our 10yr anniversary. We were kid-less this trip but did see some things we want to bring the kids back to do. There is a Children's Museum downtown called Betty Brinn that looked like fun. (We just went inside front door)If I remember correctly it was $6.00 per person? We also went across the street to Discovery World. It was right on the Lake Michigan, beautiful view. Although we did not pay to go inside what we saw from outside looked like alot of fun! We looked around the gift shop and they have alot of unique toys! As far as a hotel I did priceline ($50 bid)and we ended up at The Wyndam by the airport (10-15 min from downtown) It was nice had indoor and outdoor pool. Just an FYI Milwaukee Summerfest is going on through 7-5 I believe so depending on when you are going it could be very busy and hard to find a hotel right downtown. If it's after that date you will be fine. One last thing a few yrs ago we stayed at the Milwaukee Hilton Downtown and they have a nice indoor waterpark for that age group. I hope I didn't overwelm you with too much info! Hope this helps...Have fun!

Try leon drive in frozen custard It is so awesome!

The Milwaukee zoo is nice. Also, on the way up, just outside of Kenosha is Apple Holler, kiddie stuff plus they have a great breakfast buffet. The wait is usually pretty long if you don't get their early.

I have heard that the Museum of Modern Art is amazing. Just the building itself let alone the art is supposed to make the visit worthwhile!

I see many people say the zoo, but if that may take too much time of the day the Jelly Belly factory is in Kenosha on the way there! They do tours and you get free Jelly Bellies of course. Have a fun trip!

there are a lot of fun things right by milwaukee.
the milwaukee county zoo
the betty brinn childrens museum is a lot of fun
there is also the imax (depending on what is showing for your child's age) and the milwaukee public museum (depending on her interests).
there is also a really nice beach along the lakefront and walking trail.
if you are looking for a special hotel - paradise landing has a waterpark. it is right in the city on wisconsin ave.
have fun!

Probably this isn't much help, but there is a lot of construction and delays on I 294/94 towards Milwaukee, so allow plenty of time!

besides the zoo and childrens museum you could also take a boat tour of the river. the hyatt downtown is nice and as someone already posted the hilton is being remodeled so be careful if you stay there. i was there last weekend and did not have a remodeled room and it was not very nice at all. as you will see when you go to the game, cooking out inthe parking lot before the game is very popular and very fun. if you are driving up you could just throw a small hiabchi grill in the trunk and grab some hot dogs at the grocery store before heading to the game. people start grilling several hours before the game. I love Milwaukee! hope you have fun!

The zoo in Milwaukee is wonderful for adults and children. You can't go wrong with this one.

J.

Have you looked into the Milwaukee Zoo? Oops, I guess more than one person already suggested it. How about in Kenosha WI - The Renaissance Faire.

I see no one mentioned the botanical domes - they look like 3 um, boobs, from a distance. We took our kids there and they really liked it. Plus it's cheap to do and doesn't take all day.

A agree...the Hilton has a great waterpark (very small) inside and the Milwaukee Museum is also fantastic!!

The Milwaukee Zoo is absolutely fabulous, she will love it.

S.

As everyone stated, the zoo is great. It is much better than the local Chicago zoos that I have been along with the children's museum. I have hear there is some sort of aquarium also, but haven't been able to go there yet. I am actually planning a long weekend trip in August to go see much of the suggested places. Have a great time! In regards to places to stay, we always stay at the Radisson, but its just because that is where we stayed the first time and so it stuck. There are plenty of hotels around and friends of mine never have had a problem getting a room even without a reservation.

You may have heard this one already, but the Milwaukee Zoo is FANTASTIC!

Dear B., check out the Milwaukee Zoo. I have not been there in years but the last time I was there it was a beautiful zoo. Also check and see what kind of fest is at the fair grounds there. In August we usually go to the IrishFest but I know there are other fests during the summer there as well. Have Fun!!

I just got back from a lia sophia jewelry confernce in Milwaukee and I stayed at the Hilton City Center. It was just newly decorated and they have a great indoor waterpark that is perfect for that age. We had dinner at the Water Buffalo that is right on the river. If you eat outside there are nice lookout spots and a grassy area for her to hang out in while you eat or wait for your food. It's a very clean and friendly city. Have fun!

We took this exact trip a couple of years ago. We stayed in Brookfield - it is west of the ballpark which makes it incredibly convenient...it will mean less traffic for you when you are driving to the ballpark since you won't be with all the Milwaukee and Chicago traffic. We were literally a minute from the highway so it was a quick drive to downtown Milwaukee as well. We stayed in something like Country Inn & Suites off I-94, where we had lots of room for us and children, there are a bunch of hotels on Moorland Road which are just off the highway. Also liked the zoo although when we went a lot of exhibits were under construction (2 yrs ago, maybe it's great now!)...not as great of a hit with the 3 domes, I had fond memories of going there in my childhood but it's a good 30 years old now...Betty Brinn is really nice and if you have the all-encompassing pass from Kohl's or other children's museum around here, Betty Brinn is one of the other museums that you can get into free. Great German food at Mader's downtown on 3rd street, go for lunch with kids though. I also heard great things about the Hilton downtown with the waterpark on the 7th floor. I stayed there but it was pre-kids so we didn't check out the pool. There is some good shopping about 10-15 minutes north of Brookfield, it's a newer "lifestyle" geared area (I just looked at MapQuest I think Silver Spring Road sounds familiar but double check at hotel desk), also another indoor mall about 10 minutes towards Milwaukee (look up PF Chang's). The Brookfield mall I will admit has seen better days. Finally...if you've not been to a Brewers game before, the parking lots are huge and people tailgate in them a-la Soldier Field. It is all friendly, nothing meant to scare you away, not a crazy as Soldier Field, but the first time we went to a game up north we wished we had allowed more time and supplies to enjoy the festivity. If you're going when a Chicago team is up there the camaraderie is great.

Enjoy!!

Milwaukee is a great town to visit. They have a wonderful zoo and you must go to have frozen custard at Kopps!!! You can find hotels outside of the downtown area (New Berlin, Brookfield area) that are less expensive than downtown hotels and they are very nice. New Berlin/Brookfield is close to Brewers stadium. There is a TGI Friday's restaurant at the field. It has a few from the restaurant onto the field. You can check if you need special reservation to eat there during a game. We went when there wasn't a game going on but it was still neat for the kids to see the stadium. We have been to a Brewers game and it is very fun. It is a really nice stadium. Have fun!!!!

There is a great zoo in Milwaukee and a good children's museum as well. The museum is downtown and the zoo is a little bit outside the city.

Hi B., the zoo in Milwaukee is wonderful. A little expensive, but worth it. You should have a great time at the Brewers game. We had a wonderful time when we went.

The Brewers game is a fun family activity. We just brought our 16 month old there a couple weeks ago. They have an indoor kids center there with lots of different activities. They also have my son a puzzle, key chain, and water globe for free. Right outside the park is a huge playground as well. It is definitely the most family friendly ballpark I have been to. Have fun!!

The Milwaukee zoo is amazing

My kids loved the Betty Brinn childrens museum as well as the regular museum in Milwaukee. Have fun!

I would definitely go to the Milwaukee Zoo - we loved it with our kids. I am a PC consultant too - been one since 1992 - raised my family with the flexiblity of a great job, great income and awesome free vacations. Who is your director?

If you would like to stop by a beach on the way up - stop at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion - free state park and lots of sand and Lake Michigan. Don't forget the 294 has awful road construction - you might want to take Route 41 or 43 north to avoid the tollway

I haven't been there in quite a few years, but the Milwaukee Public Zoo was very nice. It's smaller than Brookfield, and it also had a dolphin show. My kids always loved the zoo - and still do at 21, 19 and 16. Have fun!!!

Check out the Betty Brinn museum by the lakefront (near the art museum) Perfect for her age...I believe that the hyatt or hilton downtown also has a water park inside.

You could also spend a day at the Milw. Brookfield Zoo...

Have a great weekend!

Everyone had really good suggestions but just so you know SummerFest is going on and continues through the weekend. The festival is right along the lakefront so you may want to avoid that area. It does get very packed. SummerFest does have stuff for kids during the day but I wouldn't recommend it. The zoo and the museums are so much better.