Milwaukee is packed with famous landmarks like the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Miller Brewery, but, as local Milwaukeeans, we happen to know of several actual secret spots spread across the city that deserve a spot on your MKE itinerary. If you’re ready to experience some of Milwaukee’s incredible secret spots, keep reading to find out about six of the best, non-touristy experiences in the city. These are not spots you will normally see on social media. They are not crowded and nearly all of them are FREE.
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We are a Wisconsin based family who loves our city and helping visitors and locals alike see Milwaukee – our home – from a new perspective. Sure, it’s not a perfect city, but it’s steepled and smokestack dotted skyline, lakefront, cultural scene and sports teams are something special. Learn more about us here and be sure to subscribe to our blog today to receive our latest Milwaukee blog posts plus some other cool content directly to your inbox. New blogs come out about once a month.
1. American Geographical Society Library
Tucked away on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus is a place that is sure to inspire wanderlust. You’ll find it in the Golda Meir Library. As you step off the elevator and turn left, you’ll eventually step awestruck into the American Geological Society (AGS) Library an astonishing room with more than 520,000 maps ranging in dates from 1452 to the present. The room is lined with rows of globes including many foreign language globes, communal tables littered with paper maps (nautical maps too) and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stacked with atlases from all different time periods.
This internationally renowned library is a neat place to explore – ideal for armchair travel and anyone looking for a quiet place to escape to. It’s free to visit and open to the public during their opening hours.
Here are a few of the collection highlights you won’t want to skip on your visit to the AGS Library:
The self-guided tour that features some of the most impressive pieces in the collection like the President’s Globe – a 750 pound globe that then President Franklin D. Roosevelt received from the U.S. Army back in 1942. It is one of about 12-15 globes of this find ever built between 1942 and 1955. You can also do this tour here, from the comfort of your own home.
The Cruz Cano map of South America which is signed by Alexander von Humboldt who is considered by many to be the last truly universal genius
Mappamundi or Map of the World – this is one of three world maps created by Giovanni Leardo, a Venitian cartographer. The other two maps like this by Giovanni Leardo are in the Biblioteca Comunale in Verona Italy and the Museo Civico in Venice Italy.
Cram’s Imperial Braille Globe – have you ever seen a globe in Braille?
Any of the celestial globes and there are several!
Visit AGS Library
Golda Meir Library, Third Floor, East Wing
2311 East Hartford Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53211
2. Fondy Farmers Markets
Milwaukee is home to a vibrant and community farmers market scene. The winter farmers market, known as the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market, kicks off in November and runs until April. We love the winter farmers market which is never crowded and always full of a diverse range of local farmers and creators selling everything from products to produce to plants – always local and always Wisconsin grown or made. Vendors are ever changing, and some change out their offerings throughout the market season, so you’ll never know what great things you are going to find.
Held inside the Table, a community healing space used for worships somedays and yoga others, this is a great spot to learn more about the bounty of the local food scene in the city. Some of our favorite food items we’ve tried from vendors here are apples, coffee and anything made by Plant Joy. You’ll also find houseplants for sale at this market, canned goods, meats, breads, spices and art. A great thing about the winter farmers market is you don’t have to necessarily get here early to ensure you get some of the freshest baked good or produce. Vendors are great about making sure they don’t sell out of their best items shortly after the market opens. This market is also great because it is in a non-touristy part of the city making it the perfect place for you to rub elbows with local Milwaukeeans!
3. Kilbourn Reservoir Park
This is a small park that sits on top of a hill at the end of North Avenue – a popular and busy city street. The present day hill the park sits on has an interesting history and was in fact a functional reservoir back in the day, hence the park’s name.
The park has amenities like a playground, a basketball court, paved walkway and ample benches for sitting and relaxing. But what makes the park stand out among the 150+ parks in Milwaukee County is the seriously impressive view of the Milwaukee skyline you can enjoy from the top of the park. It’s a view you don’t see often in print or online/social media coverage of Milwaukee that is a lovely mix of buildings and green spaces. On a clear day you can even see Lake Michigan sparkling in the background.
You can reach the top of the hill via a gradually inclined paved path, or you can march up the 90 steps off North Ave straight to the spot with the best views (in our opinion).
The park is free to visit, and you likely won’t spend but 20 minutes at the park – if you come just to drink in the view. You’ll also be close Historic MLK Drive and Bronzeville which is a vibrant neighborhood full of unique local spots. It is yet another part of Milwaukee bursting with hidden gems, think quaint shops and unbeatable architecture.
4. Sherman Phoenix
If you like to support local, minority-owned businesses look no further than Sherman-Phoenix. There are nearly 30 tenets within this former bank building offering diverse food, services and goods. It’s nice to be able to shop small and explore multiple vendors under the same roof in a space that is eclectic, clean and bright.
We recommend visiting earlier in the day when most businesses are open. All the food vendors are popular with visitors. Free parking is available on-site and cheap metered parking is nearby to (we paid 63 cents for a metered space for 30 minutes).
This place isn’t located in the best part of the city, but we never feel uncomfortable or unwelcome when we visit so don’t be deterred by the location. What this place has transformed into after a tragedy is something worth seeing and experiencing first-hand.
5. Discourse Coffee
With diverse coffee shops spread across the city, Milwaukee has a coffee culture that you’re sure to appreciate. Colectivo – especially the locations near the Public Market and Lake Michigan – get a lot of attention and seem to be a spot recommended frequently to first time visitors. While we like a hot cup of their Blue Heeler medium blend from time to time and have our fair share of Colectivo t-shirts, we’ve been gravitating to Discourse Coffee more and more.
If you’re a coffee lover looking for a truly handcrafted coffee drink made with less common/strange ingredient combos then this spot is for you. The Moonwater House Latte made with honey, cinnamon, black pepper and applewood smoked sea salt is *chefs kiss* Each drink is a work of art and with a focus on seasonality the rotating menu will keep you coming back for more. They even rotate their drip coffee.
The downtown location is on the campus of MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) making Discourse a popular spot among students during the week. But on the weekends the locals take over and the vibe shifts gears.
Add Alyssa as a friend on Yelp for more reviews and pictures of Milwaukee coffee shop, restaurants, shops and more!
6. Haggerty Museum of Art
If you are a culture seeker looking to soak up some of the creative spirit of the city, Milwaukee provides endless inspo. A great spot to start is at Haggerty Museum of Art located on the campus of Marquette University. This museum is free and open to the public. It also keeps things fresh with 8 to 9 different exhibits a year across its three gallery spaces:
Lower Gallery: Image In Dispute. When we visited this gallery displayed Dutch & Flemish Art from the Haggerty Museum of Art’s Collection.
Upper Gallery (Main Floor): rotating exhibit
Second Floor Gallery: Dynamic Range. During our visit, photographs by Bill Tennessen were on display.
This Salvador Dali original is also in their collection: Madonna of Port Lligat (1949). It isn’t typically on display, but you can contact the museum staff and set up a private viewing session of this artwork and other works in their permanent collection that might not be publicly displayed.
It may also not come as a surprise to most – considering the Haggerty Art Museum is located on a college campus – but this is a teaching museum. As such it engages with undergraduate students from all majors and helps them think critically about their area of student through the lens of art.
We especially love this art museum because it not only showcases various forms of visual art from around the world but it takes care to shine a spotlight on Wisconsin artists frequently!
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed our first “Milwaukee – Secret Spots edition” blog post. Be sure to let us know which of these places you would like to visit first in the comments below. And if you ever are looking for recommendations of things to do or checkout while in Milwaukee, feel free to email us any time.
Happy exploring!
-Justin + Alyssa
Disclaimer: Parks and Planes LLC has taken great care to ensure accuracy of this post as much as possible. However, over time, things like hours of operations, admission policies, even names of things may change. We suggest double-checking details when planning a trip. As always, all opinions, photos and content are our own. We only recommend places, products and experiences we love!
