14 Free Things to Do in Milwaukee

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The impressive basilica of St. Josephate in Milwaukee was dedicated by Pope Pius XI in 1929, becoming the third basilica in the United States. The handsome building has stained glass windows imported from Austria and an interior painted by a Roman artist. The basilica is still a very busy church, but the visitor center is open every day except Sunday. On Sundays, tours take place at 10:00 after mass.

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See the amazing rotunda at the Milwaukee Central Library. The main building, built of Bedford limestone, combines French and Italian Renaissance architecture. Renovations and additions to the original building, completed in 1898, now occupy the entire block. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After exploring the impressive architecture, treat your little ones to a free story time or browse the on-site second-hand bookstore.

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Visit your favorite animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo, free to all visitors on certain “Family Free Days” each year. Milwaukee County residents with ID will also receive free admission on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The zoo is home to 3,100 animals representing over 400 different species.

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The Chapel of Joan of Arc, a 15th-century French chapel located on the campus of Marquette University, is a sacred place on campus for students, faculty and staff alike. Interestingly, the chapel dates back to the early 15th century, but it was not always located in Marquette. The chapel was dismantled and moved to Long Island, New York, before it was donated to the university and opened in 1966. Visiting is free, and masses are celebrated during university classes.

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Walk the Oak Leaf Trail

Explore the Oak Leaf Trail in Milwaukee by bike, rollerblade or on foot. This extensive trail winds throughout the city and is a great way to experience greenery without having to leave the city. The trail, opened in 1939, connects the emerald necklace of the park system and was initially 100 km long. Today it stretches for over 100 miles, including 55 miles of off-road trails.

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Milwaukee may not be number one when it comes to spending time at the beach, but it is on Lake Michigan Bradford Beach it is a favorite place for swimming, sunbathing and playing beach volleyball. The beach also hosts a full calendar of summer events, from warm dog eating contests to sand sculpting.

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Walk the Milwaukee RiverWalk to enjoy the shops, restaurants and bars along downtown. If you want to sample Milwaukee’s famed beers, there are also several local breweries along the three-mile long RiverWalk. There are also several different art installations along the way, most notably a bronze sculpture of “The Fonz” from the TV series “Happy Days.”

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The Milwaukee City Hall building is not only handsome, but also incredibly impressive. At the time of its construction in 1895, it was the tallest residential building in the United States. It cost over $1 million to build and was built with eight million bricks. Today, the facility can be visited from Monday to Friday.

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Every season, performances take place in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward, downtown Night and Day Gallery, a two-day art event where local galleries stay open tardy to showcase their artists’ work. Although most galleries are concentrated in the city center and within walking distance, there are usually over 30 galleries participating throughout the city, making it a great way not only to discover galleries and museums, but also to explore the city .

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If you ever hear Milwaukeeans cryptically refer to “The Domes,” they are referring to the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory. The world’s only conical greenhouses feature three different climates and samples of the flora associated with them; inside you’ll find a desert, a tropical jungle and a flower show with rotating exhibits. The domes are open 365 days a year and admission is free to Milwaukee residents on the first Thursday of the month.

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For more than 25 years, Milwaukeeans have flocked to Cathedral Square Park downtown to listen to jazz on summer evenings. The summer outdoor music series usually runs from tardy May to August, with concerts taking place on Thursday evenings. While lineups may vary, you can expect an eclectic lineup ranging from jazz, funk, blues and more.

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On the first Thursday of each month, admission is free to the Milwaukee Public Museum, where visitors can explore the planetarium or the museum’s extensive collections of anthropology, geology, zoology and history. The museum’s collection includes over four million objects.

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Enjoy the wonders of the Milwaukee Art Museum, housed in the stunning Santiago Calatrava Building, which “flaps” its wings once a day. In addition, the museum itself contains 30,000 works of art. It is particularly mighty in American decorative art, German Expressionist prints and paintings, folk and Haitian art, and post-1960 American art. Admission is free to everyone on the first Thursday of each month, but children 12 and under, members and Wisconsin K-12 teachers with a valid school ID or pay stub are always free.

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The Milwaukee River Challenge comes to town every September. These regattas take place along the Menomonee and Milwaukee rivers and attract over 900 participants. Spectators watch the competition along the Riverwalk, at adjacent bridges or at the finish line in Schlitz Park.