Our new guidebook is an invitation to explore Milwaukee in an entirely new way. 111 Places in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss is a guide for locals and experienced travelers that reveals the fascinating, unusual, and little-known places and stories in and around Cream City.
LAUNCH WEEK EVENTS:
Author Michelle Madden, a native Milwaukeean, expressed her deep affection and appreciation for her hometown on the pages of her new book. “The book is a love letter. It was so much fun chasing down memories of the Milwaukee of my youth, but also seeing the city with fresh eyes, discovering how it’s evolved, acting like a tourist and having an excuse to seek out all of the amazingly passionate, fascinating people who give this town its unique charm and character.”
Of course, there are beer stories. Beer barons made sure they’d have memorable final resting places in Beer Baron Corner at Forest Home Cemetery. Dogs inspire the brewers and are also invited to hang out at Black Husky Brewing. Best Place’s Breweriana Shop sells original cans, glassware, menus, letterhead, and even vintage Pabst stock certificates. At the Green Gallery, artist and co-owner John Riepenhoff collaborates with a local brewery and a local cheesemaker to elevate Milwaukee’s fine arts scene along with its beloved beer and cheese artisans.
Have a drink with you best friend at Black Husky Brewing
“Capturing the diverse places throughout the city was both very exciting and challenging,” says photographer Janet McMillan, who attended local schools St. Jude the Apostle School and Pius XI High School with Madden. “It was also an incredible learning experience for me about my own city.”
Frank Lloyd Wright used ball bearings in his Annunciation Church
Madden also shares Milwaukee’s history as a center of art and design. Frank Lloyd Wright used ball bearings to support the space-ship style design of the Annunciation Church. The Milwaukee Art Museum itself is awe-inspiring, but visitors may walk right past the life-like Janitor, Duane Hanson’s life-like sculpture that looks like he’s been mopping the floors for years. Forty acres of former farmland now hosts the Lynden Sculpture Garden, where yoga and skiing are permitted amongst 50 monumental works by modern sculptors. Learn about the humble beginnings of what would become an international design and lifestyle icon at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
Meet hundreds of butterflies on the Monarch Trail
A city perfectly situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee’s winters bring a most unusual and rare natural phenomenon: ice canos, conoidal mounds of ice that spew frigid water and slush – like volcanoes, only made of ice. The Monarch Trail along the Menomonee River has hosted flights of the colorful butterflies annually for the last 50 years.
111 Places in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss is the ultimate staycation guide to the secret places and hidden gems throughout the storied city on the shore of Lake Michigan.
About the Author
Michelle Madden is a screenwriter and journalist who has contributed to publications from The New York Times to NYLON. She was the researcher on films Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, and on many TV commercials. Prior to that, she was a chemist, which was unlikely yet formative training for her writing and work as an actor, radio personality, and bear-suit-wearing mascot. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and animals, but was born and raised in Milwaukee. The Cream City’s allure remains undeniable to her. She visits often, which affords a unique vantage point, one that combines the wonder of a tourist with the pride of a local.
About the Photographer
Janet McMillan is a professional photographer in Milwaukee, WI. When she isn’t covering local events, you can find her training women to compete in a triathlon, making personal wellness products for her company, Betty Loves Freddie, and being a tourist in her beautiful city. She lives in the historic Washington Heights neighborhood with her artistic husband and two teenage children. And her favorite Kopp’s custard flavor is bienenstichkuchen.