This Milwaukee Itinerary for Youngsters features a trio of kid-centric museums, an distinctive playground, a First Stage Kids’s Theater efficiency, and a spy-themed restaurant meal. Whereas the “Beer Capital of the World” won’t seem to be a family-friendly vacation spot, we thought it was a beautiful place for a fast getaway with two four-year-olds. They beloved it.
We did not need to do an enormous spring break trip. We went to Mexico in January, had a ski weekend in February, and I hosted a Mother’s Retreat in March. On prime of all of that, we’re busy planning a three-week European summer season trip. I wished to do one thing for spring break, however I wished to maintain it easy.
Once I pitched the concept of taking a Mother and youngsters journey to Milwaukee to one in all my Mother pals, she stated “sure” instantly. I threw collectively an itinerary and booked an Airbnb. Whereas we occurred to journey from Wednesday to Friday, this could be the proper Friday-to-Sunday weekend itinerary.
Milwaukee was a fascinating vacation spot for a number of causes. First, the drive is beneath two hours from Chicago. Journeys that do not contain air journey with rambunctious four-year-olds are simpler for everybody. Along with being geographically interesting, I discovered that Milwaukee has a number of fantastic museums for households. We like the entire Chicago museums, however we’ve been to these so many instances that it made sense to strive some new ones!
What to Learn about Milwaukee:
Getting there:
You could possibly fly, drive, or take the Amtrak practice to Milwaukee. The journey from Chicago takes about 90 minutes with out visitors. It took nearly 90 minutes to drive to Milwaukee, and the journey residence took two hours with some visitors and a cease for fuel.
The place to remain:
Many museums and actions on this Milwaukee itinerary are within the Juneau City neighborhood. Right here you will discover the grand historic Pfister Resort and the brand new stylish Saint Kate accommodations. The Historic Third Ward is simply south of Juneau City, residence to the Kimpton Journeyman Resort, which I loved on a earlier journey to Milwaukee.
For this journey, I booked an Airbnb in Brewer’s Hill. On the map, the neighborhood seemed a bit out of the best way, however, we have been by no means within the automotive for greater than ten minutes to drive to a museum or exercise.
Driving and Parking:
Milwaukee is small, and getting round is simple. For comparability, Milwaukee is simply 97 sq. miles in comparison with Chicago’s 234. Milwaukee has 561,000 residents whereas Chicago has 2.8 million. It felt uncrowded, which was pleasant. Parking was a breeze. We generally discovered road parking, and the museums all had their very own garages. In case you go to the Betty Brinn Kids’s Museum, take your parking ticket with you in order that it may be validated, and also you pay simply $3.
Milwaukee Itinerary for Youngsters
This itinerary was created for 2 candy and foolish four-year-olds. These actions can be preferrred for youngsters ages three-six.
Milwaukee Itinerary for Youngsters: Day One
That is Milwaukee’s pure historical past museum and planetarium, and it is spectacular! The dinosaur displays have been an enormous hit.
Dinosaur skeletons and different extinct species have been on show, together with mastodons and moas. The mastodon skeleton was present in Indiana, which I discover fascinating.
The youngsters have been in awe of the Hell Creek exhibit that includes a large T-Rex. I discovered that Hell Creek is an actual place in Montana that could be a hotbed of dinosaur bones. This exhibit tied in effectively with T. Rex, a brief documentary displaying within the domed IMAX theater that targeted on the hunt for dinosaur bones in Hell Creek.
At first look, the recreation of European houses and cities seemed small, but it surely actually was a tiny city with a city sq., an actual sweet store, houses, and companies. Gwen beloved it. She picked out houses for every of us, after which she would make me stand at my residence, and he or she would run to her residence after which come again to go to me. We did this for no less than half an hour.
Kids 5 years outdated and beneath get in free. We spent three and a half hours right here, together with about half-hour on the IMAX theater. We skipped the planetarium, however entry to a planetarium present is included in admission to the Public Museum.
Test In
Once we have been able to depart the Public Museum, it was time to verify into our lodging. We stayed at a two-bedroom house in Brewer’s Hill, and we beloved the situation and dimension of the house. As soon as the children have been in mattress, my pal and I may sip wine and watch Schitt’s Creek. Having a kitchen was an enormous assist because it allowed us to arrange breakfast earlier than heading out for the day.
Dinner at Lakefront Brewery
You have not been to Milwaukee if you have not been to this brewery, which has a big family-friendly beer corridor. We selected to eat right here since we have been staying only a block away, but it surely’s an awesome selection for households for the reason that menu has all of the Wisconsin classics (together with the well-known cheese curds), and the meals arrives shortly.
In order for you extra family-friendly restaurant suggestions, there’s a record on the finish of this publish.
Milwaukee Itinerary for Youngsters: Day Two
Discovery World is Milwaukee’s science museum and aquarium. The big museum is split into the Tech Aspect and the Aqua Aspect, and it’s straightforward to spend 3-4 hours exploring.
Highlights embody a big reproduction of a Nineteenth-century schooner, a driving simulator, an interactive mannequin of the Nice Lakes, contact tanks, and a large aquarium tank dedicated to species present in Lake Michigan.
The aquarium facet is on the small facet, but it surely permits guests an actual up-close have a look at sea and lake life. This picture was taken inside an elevator that appears into the massive tank!
See A Play
First Stage‘s efficiency of Discovering Nemo on the Marcus Performing Arts Heart concerned stunning puppets and traditional songs from the Pixar movie. The youngsters beloved it!
First Stage is a kids’s theater firm with productions that vary from reveals for very younger audiences to reveals geared toward youngsters. Test their web site for info on their present schedule and the recommended age vary for every present.
Once we instructed the children that we have been taking them to a restaurant for spies, they knowledgeable us that they did not need to go as a result of they “don’t love spies”. After a little bit of convincing, we walked by the doorways to SafeHouse. Upon coming into, friends press a lever that opens a secret door behind a bookcase. The youngsters’ jaws hit the ground, and so they abruptly determined they have been spies on a secret mission.
The cavernous restaurant is embellished with posters from James Bond movies and spy-themed decor. The web site says “Missions by Day and Martinis by Evening,” that means that the house is family-friendly in the course of the day and welcomes junior spies who’re given a mission and a listing of clues after they enter. After 9 pm, the restaurant is 21-plus.
The menu is traditional American, that includes sandwiches, burgers, salads, and mac and cheese. There’s a kids’s menu.
Northwestern Mutual Group Park at Henry Maier Competition Park
I contemplate myself an knowledgeable on playgrounds. I’ve written about the very best playgrounds in a number of cities and am on the board for my native park. So after I say that the Northwestern Mutual Group Park Playground is top-tier, I imply it. This stunning, colourful playground on the grounds of Henry Maier Competition Park has play gear for youngsters of all ages, together with some inclusive gear.
We spent about 45 minutes right here, however would have stayed longer if it hadn’t been a bit chilly.
I need to word that the toilet services at this park are the very best I’ve ever seen in a public park. There are a number of particular person household restrooms with grownup and child-sized bathrooms, and there are even altering tables for older kids.
Milwaukee Itinerary for Youngsters: Day Three
My daughter was so unhappy that we needed to go away this museum after three hours of taking part in that she cried actual tears. Highlights included an enormous tiny city with a mechanic store, grocery retailer, financial institution, and pizzeria, a maker house for arts and craft initiatives, and a flooring is lava-themed room.
We spent three hours right here, however my youngster clearly wished to remain even longer. When in comparison with the opposite museums on this Milwaukee Itinerary for Youngsters, this museum is geared towards youthful kids. The web site says kids ages 2-8 take pleasure in this museum probably the most.
Downtown Kitchen / Colectivo Espresso
Stroll a couple of block from the kids’s museum to 777 East Wisconsin Avenue to the U.S. Financial institution constructing, go inside, and take the escalator as much as the second flooring. Right here you will discover a Colectivo Espresso which presents a breakfast menu, pastries, and sandwiches, along with Downtown Kitchen, a cafeteria-style restaurant with sandwiches, salads, tacos, and different meal choices. Between Colectivo and Downtown Kitchen, there are many lunch choices for youngsters and adults. Plus, there’s lots of seating. This was a fast, straightforward meal possibility that allow us gasoline up earlier than hitting the street and heading again to Chicago.
Household-Pleasant Milwaukee Restaurant Suggestions
This massive market is residence to 19 independently owned retailers, together with taquerias, bakeries, espresso retailers, pizzerias, and eating places.
This can be a chain restaurant that a number of individuals beneficial. The child’s menu has classics like buttered noodles, grilled cheese, and hen tenders. The principle menu is extra southern-focused with choices together with fried hen, shrimp & grits, collard greens, and fried okra.
This restaurant celebrates delicacies from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The child’s menu has choices like mac and cheese, grilled cheese, corndogs, and cheeseburgers whereas the primary menu has mussels, fries, sandwiches, and a number of other salads.
Is there a legislation that kids’s menus in Milwaukee should embody burgers, noodles, tenders, mac and cheese, and grilled cheese – as a result of they’re all on this eatery’s kids’s menu too! The globally impressed foremost menu has salads, road meals (like doner kebab), quesadillas, and cauliflower tikka masala.
A tavern-style pizza joint that additionally presents sandwiches and pastas.
My neighbor beneficial this pizzeria, and I belief his style! In comparison with Zaffiros, Flourchild appears to have a extra Americanized menu with buffalo dip, hen wings, and a flight of ranch dressing.
