When we first found out we were moving to Milwaukee we had low expectations for what we would find. We knew it would be a small city compared to DC but that’s about it. After living here for four months, we’ve grown to love a lot of things about this big little city.

If you were ever to consider visiting Milwaukee (which you totally should, even if it’s for a day) here are some ideas for how you should spend it.

Stroll around the Historic Third Ward

The brick alleys, the faded industrial signs and the water towers is what makes Milwaukee so charming. We love to walk around the Historic Third Ward for that reason. There are so many shops, restaurants and it’s just a really cool environment. If you don’t feel like walking, you can rent an electric scooter!

Buy some cheese at the Milwaukee Public Market

If you visit the Historic Third Ward, it’ll be hard to miss the Milwaukee Public Market. Make sure to stop by, even if it’s a quick trip. It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat or a drink, and you can even shop for souvenirs.

Get a cup of coffee from Colectivo

It took us months before trying out Colectivo Coffee and we regret waiting so long. Colectivo is like the local Starbucks of Milwaukee, but better. It has all your coffeeshop favorites plus some food options.

Brunch!

There are so many good brunch places in Milwaukee, but our favorites have to be Sweet Diner and Smoke Shack. Make sure you have brunch before you leave Milwaukee!

Bike at the waterfront

If you head to Veteran’s Park, you can rent bikes at the little shop and bike around the area and on the lakefront. It’s a fun little activity to do on a warmer day.

Take a quick tour at the Harley Davidson museum

Milwaukee is the home of Harley Davidson so it seems fitting to visit the museum and learn about the company’s history. There are lots of cool bikes to see and the tour isn’t that long. It’s worth a trip even if you are not a motorcycle enthusiast.

Check to see if any big events are happening

If you’re visiting in the summer, there’s always something going on. Summerfest is huge but only lasts for a couple weeks, same for the state fair.

And if you’re looking to shop, shop local

There are a bunch of cute stores and little boutiques sprinkled throughout town. We’ve been to Cival Collective a bunch of times during our stay and we absolutely love the aesthetic of their shop. We’ve gotten some unique jewelry pieces from there as gifts and even found a couple vintage pieces we now have in our space 😊

Ursa is another shop we love. We’ve gotten home decor that you can see in this post on how to decorate your dresser, and we also got some cute ceramic mugs made by a local artist.

Modgen in the Third Ward is a great place for gag gifts and little souvenirs. And their air plants are to live for 🍃

Spend the evening in Wauwatosa

Wauwatosa is only about 10/15 mins away from downtown Milwaukee. Have dinner at Cafe Hollander and make sure you get the cheese curds there! Then walk over to Le Reve for dessert. We love the Dacquoise a la Framboise and the Chocolate Raspberry Dome.

Get a taste of the best frozen custard

At some point during your day, grab some frozen custard from Kopp’s. You’ll be so happy you did. There’s nothing quite like it. They have chocolate and vanilla always and then two additional flavors of the day. You’re welcome 🍦