Milwaukee: From Brew City to New City

Change is brewing along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. With five swimming beaches and marked by the confluence of three rivers, Milwaukee’s spectacular waterfront location beckons visitors for year ‘round entertainment, celebration and fun. You can see it in the colorful Riverwalk, punctuated by public art and sidewalk cafes.

It’s evident in historic neighborhoods revitalized with chic boutiques and trendy nightlife. And nowhere else in the United States but in the “City of Festivals” will you find an incredible festival season filled with some of the largest cultural events in the nation – held in a scenic, 75-acre lakeside festival park.  This year marks the 40th anniversary of Summerfest. This 11-day extravaganza is the world’s largest music festival. 

Milwaukee is conveniently located just 90 minutes north of Chicago, the Midwest’s largest city. With a population of approximately 600,000, Milwaukee is the 22nd-largest city in the U.S. Average temperatures range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, to a comfortable 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months. A cosmopolitan combination of old and new, Milwaukee offers modern beauties like the Milwaukee Art Museum with its world renowned, Santiago Calatrava-designed expansion, yet also retains the authentic flavor of its immigrant roots in a vibrant mosaic of historic neighborhoods.

In 2006, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Milwaukee among its pick for twelve distinctive U.S. destinations that year.

New attractions
Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, the newest treasure on Milwaukee’s lakefront, is a spectacular 120,000-foot museum complex rolling out its exhibits in a “Year of Discovery” as of September 2006, with expected full completion date of fall 2007.

Discovery World connects innovation, science and technology with exploration,environment and our Great Lakes freshwater resources. The $65 million museum features fresh and saltwater aquariums, touch tanks, historic maritime displays and high-tech digital theaters. Study Milwaukee’s skyline through a U.S. Navy periscope, play tick-tack-toe with robot George, or study the model of a DNA strand, to start! During summer, the inner harbor is home to Wisconsin’s Flagship, the S/V Denis Sullivan, a 137- foot recreation of a three-masted Great Lakes schooner that invites visitors to come aboard for a sail.

Milwaukee is the birthplace of the legendary Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and the one of-a-kind Harley-Davidson Museum is currently under construction here with an anticipated completion date of late 2008. The Museum will celebrate the rich history of Harley-Davidson, the passion of the riders, the stories of the employees, dealers, suppliers, company leaders and community members. The experience will extend to outdoor space where visitors can meet to share stories and enjoy the green space adjacent to the edge of the Menomonee River.

Exhibits will include motorcycles from Harley-Davidson’s collection of more than 400 vehicles, Elvis Presley’s 1956 Harley-Davidson model KH motorcycle, and a 13-foot long motorcycle with two engines known as the “King Long.”

Potawatomi Bingo Casino offers Vegas-style entertainment and gaming, including slot machines, table games and high-stakes bingo just minutes from downtown Milwaukee. A $240 million expansion, scheduled for completion in 2008, will increase the fun with additional gaming and entertainment space and a variety of upscale and casual restaurants. The Casino is a popular destination that brings national acts to its Northern Lights Theater, and offers high-style dining at Dream Dance, one of the city’s finest culinary experiences. The rich heritage of the Potawatomi is featured throughout the Casino’s décor, reflecting traditional Native American beliefs and culture. For further information visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.

Report by Chitra Mogul