Milwaukee: Discover Lake Michigan, Parks, and Culture

Milwaukee combines the vastness of Lake Michigan with extensive parklands, distinctive museums, and a diverse food culture. Several miles of shoreline in the Milwaukee County Parks area, long trails through the landscape, and prominent cultural venues give your trip different rhythms: you can plan an active day by the water, visit a museum, or explore the offerings at Milwaukee Public Market. When looking for a vacation rental in Milwaukee, it is therefore worthwhile to first determine the focus you want for your trip.

Lake Michigan, parks, and varied trails

Milwaukee County Parks encompasses more than 150 parks and has the longest paved trail network in Wisconsin. This gives the region many specific starting points for walks, bike rides, and excursions with several stops. The Oak Leaf Trail is a multi-use trail network spanning more than 135 miles. Another prominent route is the Lake Park Loop, an approximately 8-mile scenic bike ride along Milwaukee’s lakefront promenade. You should take the approximate distance into account when planning your day.

The Seven Bridges Trail is two miles long in total and leads over ten bridges to a secluded beach area. This gives it a character of its own alongside the longer trails. Those interested in a tour on the water will find designated access points for canoes, kayaks, and other small non-motorized boats on the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail. These access points are located along the urban sections of the three rivers and on the lakeshore in Milwaukee County.

The South Shore Line of the Oak Leaf Trail is approximately 16 miles long. It runs from Cupertino Park, initially along the shore of Lake Michigan through South Shore Park, Warnimont Park, Sheridan Park, and Grant Park, then follows the Oak Creek Parkway and returns to the lakeshore via a new section in Bender Park. The sequence of different park sections makes the route especially appealing to travelers who want to combine a longer bike ride with changing landscape impressions.

Museums for a variety of interests

Milwaukee also offers several clearly distinct cultural experiences. The Milwaukee Art Museum has a 24-acre campus on the lakefront and a collection of more than 34,000 works of art. The Milwaukee County Zoo is located on a 190-acre site that opened in 1961. Families who want to combine nature and cultural themes can include these two destinations as different activities in their travel plans without having to commit to a fixed daily schedule.

The Milwaukee Public Museum houses free-flying butterflies from around the world in a 76-degree indoor garden. The Harley-Davidson Museum, in turn, offers insights into its archival work areas and the so-called “Vault,” where motorcycles are stored. Both places have their own distinct focus, appealing to travelers who want to discover unusual collections and behind-the-scenes insights in addition to parks and the lakeshore.

A historic house museum and architectural landmark in Milwaukee is Pabst Mansion. There, docent-led 60-minute tours are offered, covering the mansion, the Pabst family, as well as the architecture and furnishings. A tour geared toward adults also addresses the development of Milwaukee’s brewing industry and includes a toast with Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Market, cooking classes, and local impressions

Milwaukee Public Market complements the museum and outdoor experiences with a culinary focus. It offers artisan-made and ethnic products as well as freshly prepared food. Cooking classes are also held on an ongoing basis and include printed recipes and tastings of the prepared dishes. This may be interesting for travelers who want to combine a visit not only with a meal but also with a shared activity.

This creates a broad picture of Milwaukee: shoreline and park trails stand alongside museums, historic spaces, bike routes, water access points, and market offerings. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether to focus on the lakeshore and activity, culture and city history, or food and shared experiences. A vacation rental or holiday home in Milwaukee can then be selected more deliberately according to your personal itinerary, without reducing the city to just one holiday theme.

More places to include in your search

If you would like to extend your accommodation search to other places, you can also compare the following location pages: Milwaukee, Greenfield, South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, Wauwatosa, Glendale, West Allis, Cudahy, Brown Deer, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, St. Francis, and River Hills.

For the higher-level travel overview: Wisconsin.