A guide to Milwaukee walking tours, from history and culture to food and ghosts
If you're looking to learn more about the history, culture and architecture of your hometown (or you're visiting the city and want to learn more), a walking tour is a great way to do it.
Here are a few walking tours of Milwaukee sites and neighborhoods.
Historic Milwaukee walking tours
Historic Milwaukee is a nonprofit organization that hosts walking tours and events like Doors Open Milwaukee in order to raise awareness about the city's architecture and history.
Historic Milwaukee Special Tours are guided walking tours.
German Heritage Walking Tour: Tourists will learn about notable German people and places in Milwaukee history. 2 hours. $20 for adults, $5 for ages 6-11, free for kids 5 and under.
Beyond Brady: Polish & Italian Immigrants in Milwaukee: Tour explores how this east side neighborhood was the home of Polish and Italian immigrants and became Milwaukee's counterculture stronghold in the 1960s and '70s. 2 hours. $15 for adults, $5 for ages 6-11, free for kids 5 and under.
Industrial Heritage, Walker's Point: Tour explores how the former warehouses and factories of Walker's Point have evolved into restaurants, places of business and homes. 2 hours. $20.
Walker's Point Churches Tour: Tour explores the architecture and religious beliefs of several churches in Walker's Point, especially as they evolved throughout Walker's Point history as different immigrant groups made the neighborhood their worship home. 2 hours. $20.
Yankee Hill Walking Tour: Tour explores the history of the Yankee Hill neighborhood. 2 hours. $20 for adults, $5 for ages 6-11, free for kids 5 and under.
Yankee Hill Churches Tour: Tourists walk by seven churches in the east side neighborhood, to learn about their architecture and history. If church schedules allow, tour will also include a walk inside the churches. 2 hours. $20 for adults, $5 for ages 6-11, free for kids 5 and under.
Wisconsin Avenue Churches Tour: Tourists learn the history of churches constructed from the 1860s through the 1920s with a focus on the architecture, traditions and different ethnic groups that have worshipped there. 2 hours. $20.
Women's Milwaukee: Tour explores the history of downtown Milwaukee with a focus on the stories of women rather than the more typically told stories of Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn and George H. Walker. 2 hours. $20 for adults, $5 for ages 6-11, free for kids 5 and under.
Lulu & Rocky Family Tour: This family tour, recommended for kids ages 6-10 and their families, is based on a children's book that explores some of the famous and historical sites of downtown Milwaukee. 1.5 hours. $10 for adults, $5 for ages 5-11, $2 for ages 4 and under.
Gargoyles, Grotesques & Dragons: Tour focuses on the meaning and history behind the "faces" that appear on downtown Milwaukee buildings. 2 hours. $20.
Historic Milwaukee mobile app tours highlight different parts of the city with self-guided routes with suggested stops and information about the sites. Unless otherwise noted, the downloads are free.
Avenues West: a 2.5-mile tour with 23 stops just west of I-43, a neighborhood that includes Marquette University and historic mansions.
Brady Street: a .8-mile tour with 27 stops, includes architectural and historic sites of the street. $4.99 to download.
Clarke Square: a 1.8-mile tour with 17 stops, located in the heart of Milwaukee's Latin American community, once a predominantly Polish community.
Diverse Downtown: a 2-mile tour with 18 stops through downtown Milwaukee told through the lens of Native Americans, women and people of color who shaped the area.
Exploring the Beerline Tour: a 1.4-mile tour with 15 stops, through two Milwaukee neighborhoods, Riverwest and Harambee, with information about the Beerline rail line that was decommissioned in the early 1990s and became a multi-modal recreational trail.
Harbor District: a 3.5-mile tour with 17 stops, of an area that was once a marshland, became an area known for tanneries and foundries with ships coming and going, and is now an area that groups are working to revitalize.
Indigenous Milwaukee: a 5-mile tour with 27 stops that focuses on the stories of the many Indigenous communities who have made Milwaukee home.
Layton Boulevard: a 1.7-mile tour with 17 stops, with historic and cultural stops on the historic street that is now part of 27th Street.
Metcalfe Park: a 3-mile tour with 28 stops representing the culture and history of this majority-Black community.
Milwaukee Moderns: a 2-mile tour with 18 stops that focuses on the architecture of buildings in downtown Milwaukee that are in the Postmodern, Brutalist and International styles.
North Point Mansions South: a 0.8-mile tour with 24 stops in a historic neighborhood on the lower east side that shows off many historic mansions. $4.99 to download
Silver City: a 1-mile tour with 15 stops of the area that got its name in the early 20th century when its industrial workers were paid in silver coins.
Visiting Villard Avenue: a 1.2-mile tour with 20 stops that explore the culture and history of this part of "Old North Milwaukee."
Yankee Hill: a 1.1-mile tour with 21 stops in the neighborhood that derived its name from its placement on a bluff and the "Yankee" residents who arrived from New York and New England in the 1830s. $4.99 to download.
Historic Milwaukee Self-Guided Tours are self-guided tours in printed form.
Walking Milwaukee: 31 Tours of Brew City's Neighborhoods, Landmarks and Entertainment Districts: In this book, each tour includes commentary on topics like architecture, culture, history and trivia along with where to eat, drink and shop. There are photographs, a map for each tour, as well as distance and difficulty level. $16.95.
Walking Milwaukee: Downtown Edition: The full set of cards includes 10 tour cards, each of which is a mapped walking tour, and eight landmark cards documenting the history of some downtown landmarks. Mini sets are also available for purchase on specific topics including Beer Barons of Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee's Downtown, Milwaukee's Lakefront and Yankee Hill. $2-$20.
Milwaukee Soldiers Home walking tour
The Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home historic district is a national historic landmark on the grounds of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance hosts tours of the historic buildings located on the grounds.
Guided tours are 90 minutes long and can be scheduled through the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance website. The tours are free, although donations are welcome.
An app is also available to download for people who want to take the self-guided tour.
Milwaukee walking tours that feature food and drink
Fun Beer Tours MKE: These guided beer-themed tours include historical facts and Milwaukee trivia, as well as stops where people can buy beer and other drinks (Cost of food and beverages are not included in the fee).
Beer is famous. Milwaukee made it so: A tour of spots at the Pabst Brewery complex and Central Waters Brewing. 0.9 miles. 2 hours and 45 minutes. $20 for adults (21 and over).
Downtown: History and architecture: Tour starts at the Milwaukee Public Market and loops through downtown to see historic sites such as City Hall and the Pabst Theatre. 1.4 miles. 2 hours. $20 for adults (21 and over), $15 for teenagers, free for kids ages 12 and under.
Pabst: History and architecture: Starts with a tour of the Pabst Brewery complex, then continues on to see sites such as the Deer District, the Riverwalk and the 3rd Street Market Hall. 1.3 miles. 2 hours. $20 for adults (21 and over), $15 for teenagers, free for kids ages 12 and under.
'Take me to your liter' 3-craft brewery tour: A tour that includes MobCraft Beer Co., Indeed Brewing Co. and Broken Bat Brewing Co. 0.7 miles. 2.5 hours. $20 for adults (21 and over).
Beer and pretty much everything else tour: Tour starts at 3rd Street Market Hall, then goes down Wisconsin Avenue and along the Riverwalk; it also includes stops at Safe House and Explorium Brew Pub. 1.3 miles. 2.5 hours. $20 per adults (21 and over).
Quintessential Milwaukee tour: Starts with a tour of Broken Bat Brewing Co., then moves on to the Riverwalk and the Historic Third Ward; it also includes stops at the Public Market and the 3rd Street Market Hall. 1.3 miles. 2 hours, 45 minutes. $20 for adults (21 and over)
Milwaukee Food Tours are well-known for bus tours of various eateries, but they also have streetcar tours and a few walking tours.
Brady Street Lunch Tour: Historic and cultural information about the neighborhood is intermingled with stops for pizza, cannoli, tacos, salami, prosciutto, olives, empanada and a Milwaukee-brewed beer. 1.25 miles with 5-6 stops. 2.5-3 hours. $74 for adults, $45 for kids ages 8-15, free for kids ages 7 and under.
Around the Ward in 90 Minutes: Tourists will learn about the history and culture of the Historic Third Ward as they stop inside historic buildings and one food stop. 1.25 miles. 1.5 hours. $30 for adults, $10 for kids ages 8-15; free for kids ages 7 and under.
Walker's Point Stroll, Sip, & Savor: Tourists stroll through the historic district, with four food and drink stops along the way (1 cocktail, 2 beers, tacos and a paloma). 1.25 miles. 3 hours. $99 (adults only).
Streetcar History Tour: Tourists take a ride on the Hop as they learn about the history and culture of the different neighborhoods the streetcar drives through, and get off the streetcar twice for brief walking tours of the Historic Third Ward and Cathedral Square. There's also a stop for dessert. 1.25 miles. 2 hours. $30 for adults, $10 for kids ages 8-15, free for kids 7 and under
InstaMKE Photo Walk: The tour guides are professional photographers who give photo-taking tips as they tell stories of different photo-worthy Milwaukee sites, including in the Historic Third Ward, on the Riverwalk, Wisconsin Avenue and outside the Milwaukee Art Museum. There's also a stop for a sweet treat. 1.5 miles. 2 hours. $30 for adults, $10 for kids ages 8-15, free for kids 7 and under.
An art walking tour and a scavenger hunt
Sculpture Milwaukee: People can go on a self-guided tour of the urban public art exhibition that is spread over two miles in downtown Milwaukee and the Historic Third Ward. The online map will lead tourists past whatever sculptures they're interested in.
Milwaukee Scavenger Hunt Adventure: Urban Adventure Quest curates scavenger hunts for many North American cities. Milwaukee's tour covers 2 miles of downtown and takes between 2 and 2.5 hours. Tourists use their smart phones to get clues to lead to different sites where they will search for specific features. There are 17 challenges, and the cost is $49 for a team of two to five people.
Ghost Walking Tours
American Ghost Walks hosts tours in other Wisconsin cities like Madison, Waukesha and Lake Geneva. These are the Milwaukee tours.
Milwaukee Third Ward Ghost Walk: Tourists are guided through different sites in the Third Ward with violent, ghostly or paranormal stories behind them, including stories that involve the mafia and gangsters and ghost sightings at Skylight Opera Theatre, the Italian Community Center and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Tourists will also hear ghost stories "with Third Ward connections," including at the Pfister and the Hilton Garden Inn. 1.5-2 hours. $25 per person
Milwaukee Shadow of City Hall Ghost Walk: Tourists walk by the buildings of some of the most notorious of downtown Milwaukee's ghost stories including those at City Hall, the Pfister, the Pabst Theatre and the Hilton Garden Inn. 1.5-2 hours. $25 per person.
One more ghost tour deals with a different type of ghost — ghost signs. Milwaukee marketing agency Hoffman York developed a free augmented reality tour of the Third Ward, which allows users to hold up their phones to various buildings to see what the faded advertisements looked like in their heyday. Paper maps are available at the Milwaukee Public Market or Historic Third Ward Association, online at augmentedhistory.org
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee tours include ghosts, history, culture, food and beer
