Once the administrative headquarters of brewing giant Blatz, this building is one of the only remaining Milwaukee examples of the late Romanesque Revival architectural style. The original section of the building was erected in 1890, with additional structures constructed on the property in 1920 and 1945. The architect for the 1890 section, a two-story building with attic, was Herman Paul Schnetzky who also designed other significant German-style structures including the Standard Paper Co. (1914), and the Manufacturers' Home Building (1909). Today the building makes up part of the Milwaukee School of Engineering campus.
Once the home of Milwaukee icon Blatz Brewery, this sprawling complex is now home to luxury condominiums that demonstrate this neighborhood's transition from industry to residences. The buildings of the brewery complex were erected in stages from 1872 to 1906 in the German Renaissance Revival style of architecture. While some of the original buildings were demolished, those that remain today were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Although schools of engineering aren't the typical sites of an art museum, the Grohmann Museum is not a typical art museum. Instead, with a focus on artwork which shows the evolution of human work, the industrial paintings, scenes of machinery, and images of other engineering feats fit perfectly within the Milwaukee School of Engineering. In fact, the artwork becomes a chance for visitors to explore the engineering and human work milestones, which have occurred throughout history and which bring students of engineering to their school today.
Designed by famous German immigrant architect Henry H. Koch, Turner Hall is a four-story, Italianate style structure that serves as a multi-purpose building, featuring a gymnasium, restaurant/beer hall, meeting rooms, and a grand two-story ballroom. Turner Hall has been home of the Milwaukee Turners Association since 1882. The Turners, derived from the German Turnverein association founded by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn in 1811. The organization is best known for its emphasis on physical fitness as an attribute that will build character and support one's mental capacity as demonstrated by their motto “Sound Mind in a Sound Body.” The Turners' hope to promote "human potential through the harmonious integration of intellectual and physical development."
The BMO Bradley Center opened on October 1, 1988, with a hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers. The multi-purpose structure served as the home of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, Marquette University's men's basketball, and the AFL's Milwaukee Mustangs in addition to a few other short-lived teams such as the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals. The arena was deemed inadequate by NBA officials and team owners which led to the construction of Fiserv Forum between 2016 and 2018. With the completion of that new arena, the Bradley center became obsolete closed its doors following a final event on April 29, 2018- a concert by Bon Jovi- a band that was popular at the time of the arena's construction..
The Milwaukee County Historical Society was founded in 1935 to collect, preserve and make available materials relating to the history of the Milwaukee community. The museum is responsible for the care of approximately 50,000 artifacts that connect to Milwaukee County's history. Visitors can explore the headquarters and museum, along with four other historical sites.
This historic marker can be found along the Riverwalk about thirty feet north of the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge and just below the pedestrian bridge. The marker is part of a series of historic markers along the Riverwalk and tells the story of an 1845 conflict that is central to understanding the early history of Milwaukee. The founding of Milwaukee is credited to three men: Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn, and George H. Walker. Juneau arrived in 1818, the first of the three, as an agent for the American Fur Company. By 1835, Juneau was selling plots in “Juneautown” and he helped build Milwaukee’s first store. That same year, 1835, George H. Walker founded “Walker’s Point” south of the Milwaukee River and established a fur trading post. In 1837, Byron Kilbourn came to Milwaukee from Green Bay to settle “Kilbourntown.” The three towns, aptly named Juneautown, Walker’s Point, and Kilbourntown, were instant rivals and were soon locked in fierce competition over resources, shipping, and trade. As the three settlements attracted growing numbers of inhabitants in the 1840s. In 1845, this rivalry reached an apex with the destruction of a bridge at this location that connected Juneautown and Kilbourntown. Following the destruction of the bridge, skirmishes broke out between the inhabitants of their respective towns. In the aftermath of the Bridge War, Juneautown and Kilbourntown reconciled, and on January 31, 1846, their unification formed the birth of the City of Milwaukee.
The magnitude of WWII is sometimes lost in its events, important figures, and dates. To understand the weariness of the American people in the spring of 1945—after years of war, news revealing the full scope of the Holocaust--the simple tale of Gertie the Duck brought hope to the people of Milwaukee and beyond. At a time when only depressing news filled newspapers, the story of Gertie the brown mallard living under the noisy Wisconsin Avenue Bridge (and above the polluted Milwaukee River) and her nest and eggs captivated the nation. She was known as “Gertie the Great.” The Milwaukee Journal published 37 stories about Gertie that spring, and Gertie was even featured as a cover story in Life Magazine as well as a story in a London newspaper, making her an international hit! Six ducklings hatched, spectators blocked traffic on the bridge to catch a glimpse of the superstar, and eventually, Gertie and her five surviving children were moved to a public display at a Gimbels department store window, where more than 2 million visitors could see the famous family. Americans yearned for goodness in those final months of WWII, and Gertie the Duck was the perfect symbol of hope, the preciousness of life, and moving forward.
The dawn of the Civil War on April 12, 1861, following the 1860 election of President Lincoln and the December 1860 secession of South Carolina, had extensive negative consequences across the United States. Many northern states faced serious financial ramifications from the devaluation of southern bonds. In Wisconsin, bonds from southern and border states backed nearly three-fourths of Wisconsin bank notes. At the outset of war in April, 1961, Milwaukee politician Alexander Mitchell and the Bankers’ Association (along with 45 allied country bankers) discredited the banknotes of 37 banks in an attempt to stabilize the financial situation. Newly defaulted bank notes eventually reached circulation, and in late June, 1861, an unusual amount reached Milwaukee’s workingmen. Riots inevitably erupted when the workers could not cash their paychecks, and the Milwaukee Zouaves (5th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment) had to be called to dispel the riots. Wisconsin Governor Alexander Marshall declared martial law in response to the riots.
The Mackie Building was built in 1880 in downtown Milwaukee to house the city's Chamber of Commerce. The impressive structure, which dominates the east side commercial historic district has an Italianate architectural style designed by architect Edward Townsend Mix and financed by Alexander Mitchell, a leading financier and railroad magnate. The building housed Milwaukee's Grain Exchange from 1880-1935, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1973.
From 1895-1899, Milwaukee's City Hall was the tallest inhabited building in the world. Though it has no longer held that title for over a century, the City Hall is nevertheless an impressive site to see, all the more realizing that it was built in an era when practical elevators were rather new technology. Moreover, while safety regulations were still few, workers climbed to stomach-twisting heights to complete the building, which stands today as a symbol of Milwaukee. Tours can be scheduled by appointment. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.
The Pabst Theater is one of the few oldest, continuously operating theaters in the United States. It was built in 1895 by brewing magnate Frederick Pabst and designed by architect Otto Strack in a baroque or Italian renaissance style. Interesting features include an Austrian chandelier, which is comprised of 30,000 crystal pieces, a staircase made of Italian Carrara marble, and a proscenium arch over the stage that is covered in gold leaf. The theater was advanced for its time in terms of acoustics, staging, fireproofing and other characteristics. It is a City of Milwaukee Landmark, a State of Wisconsin Historical Site, and in 1991 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. As the oldest theater in the city's theater district, it is often described as the "Grand Olde Lady".
Dedicated in 2008 and located in the heart of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, The Bronze Fonz is a statue depicting actor Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli "The Fonz" on the hit 1970s sitcom Happy Days. Being on the Milwaukee Riverwalk, The Bronze Fonz is a popular tourist attraction for locals and for people visiting the city. Surrounded by restaurants and entertainment venues, the statue is a key part of the vibrant, beautiful downtown Milwaukee.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour begins at the site of some of Milwaukee's most iconic breweries and works its way south to include stops at several museums and iconic landmarks such as Turner Hall, Pabst Theater and Milwaukee's City Hall. The tour includes a few historic markers along the way that share the story of Gertie the Duck, the Milwaukee Bank Riots, and the infamous Milwaukee Bridge War.
