1. Go Old School on the East Side
All the retro joy of a Saturday on the East Side is within a sub-five-minute walk. Start at Landmark Lanes (2220 N. Farwell Ave.) for a quintessentially Milwaukee leisure activity: bowling. The place is way more than just lanes – play retro arcade games, toss darts, shoot pool and, as often is the case around these parts, enjoy a beer or two. The Oriental Theatre is just next door, a gem of a movie palace unlike any other in Wisconsin. Catch a showing underneath the watchful eyes of the Buddha statues that line the historic theater. End your day with a jaunt just across the street to Von Trier, the lovingly restored bar full of old European atmosphere, with a menu of hearty German beers and dishes.
2. Have a Mother-Daughter Day
The wide variety of stores – from boho chic at Anthropologie to outdoorsy ruggedness at L.L. Bean – at The Corners of Brookfield makes it perfect for a cross-generational shopping spree. Take a break for lunch or dinner at Margaux Brasserie, where you’ll feel like you’ve stepped through a secret portal to Paris. If you don’t want this day to end, head to Sunset Playhouse for live entertainment featuring local talent.
3. Be a Tourist in Your Own City
Does Milwaukee have enough secrets to hold a longtime resident’s interest on a tour? The folks behind City Tour think so. On their Iconic Milwaukee Tour, you’ll see a mix of flashy favorites – the Milwaukee Art Museum, lighthouses and the Deer District – plus some lesser-known surprises and treasures. Large groups ride in a bus, but in the warm-weather months, the smaller open-air eco cruisers are a hit.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
4. Take a Cooking Class
5. Become an Expert Barista
6. Try Glass Blowing
7. Learn How to Rollerdance
8. Play Pinball
Want to flip out with some fast-paced competition? Pinball fits the bill. Your crew can play all Saturday on 30-some vintage and modern machines for just 20 bucks a head at Garcade in Menomonee Falls. If you’d rather go a la carte and don’t mind a little overstimulation, try Up-Down arcade bar; its 15-plus pins cost just one 25-cent token to play. For a more chill experience, head to bars like Blackbird or Veggas Pub – or find machines all over town.
9. Spend Nothing
Just because you’re frugal doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Start your spend-nothing day at the Central Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library (814 W. Wisconsin Ave.). If it’s 11 a.m., you’re just in time for a free tour of the historic Neo-Renaissance-style building. Then, browse the books, movies and puzzles – all available to borrow, as long as your library card is current. The library also offers free tickets to some of the city’s beloved institutions such as the Milwaukee Art Museum, Boerner Botanical Gardens, Betty Brinn Museum, Milwaukee County Zoo, Discovery World and more, so choose which will be the next stop. Finish your day of thrift with some fresh air and beautiful views at Lakeshore State Park (500 N. Harbor Dr.), Wisconsin’s only free state park.
10. Visit Milwaukee County Zoo in spring to see the baby animals.
11. Enjoy a Sheboygan Art Day
12. House-Peep in Lake Geneva
13. See Fast Cars in Elkhart Lake
14. Enter Another World at King Spa
15. Find a Treasure at a Card Show
You don’t need to be a hardcore card collector to enjoy a glimpse at sports nostalgia and the shiny new chase cards that have helped “the hobby” explode in popularity in recent years. The best regular card show in Milwaukee, hosted by Fat Daddy’s Sports, is the first-Saturday-of-the-month event at the Salvation Army in Oak Creek.
16. Sit in the Front Rooowww
You know that Jacob Misiorowski throws hard. But seeing – even hearing – that sizzling fastball up close is just something else entirely. Splurging for great seats at AmFam Field allows you to have an informed opinion on the umpire’s bad call, to eavesdrop on a dugout conversation, to watch the Brewers in a way that TV or ordinary tickets just can’t capture. Do it without blowing your entire year’s budget by checking ticket resale platforms regularly or being willing to go alone.
17. Take the Miller Brewery tour… again.
18. Try a Winter Wake-Up
Indulge in a Scandinavian tradition right here in Milwaukee. Hot Spell Sauna offers a Nordic sauna, parked outdoors at McKinley Marina, lined with cedar and heated by a wood-burning stove. Once you are all warmed up, take a cold plunge into Lake Michigan. It’s a Saturday afternoon you’ll never forget.
19. Have a Doggy Day
Devote some quality time to your pooch with a tour of the Third Ward. Start with a visit to Downtown’s first dog park, which opened last August at 103 W. Clybourn Ave., next to the river under I-794. After your baby is tuckered out, grab a tavern-style pizza and beer at the dog-friendly Riley’s Social House (411 E. Menomonee St.). Finish the doggy day with a sweet treat – for canines only! – just around the corner at Salty Paws Ice Cream (121 N. Jefferson St.).
20. Enjoy a Scenic Drive
Wisconsin has enough natural beauty that a drive can actually be the end, not the means. Exhibit A is the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, 115 miles of winding back roads through a rolling patchwork of farm fields and forest. The route shows best in fall, of course, but it’s pretty any time of year – particularly the Dundee and Greenbush areas along the Sheboygan-Fond du Lac county line.
21. Watch the sun rise over Lake Michigan, then stop for breakfast at the Café at the Plaza.
22. Make it a Ski Day
23. Go Bird-Watching
24. Bask in the Sun at Bradford Beach
25. See the Changing Leaves at Grant Park or Holy Hill
26. Shop American Science and Surplus
Some stores serve as stark reminders of why online shopping can’t compare to strolling the aisles IRL. American Science and Surplus is one such store, and then some. Long underwear, radio parts, mannequin heads, tank helmet liners and what seems like a million types of glass containers – you could easily get lost and end up spending way more than you intended, but it’ll be worth it. 6901 W. Oklahoma Ave.
27. Catch a Matinee at Next Act, Milwaukee Rep, or Skylight Music Theatre
28. Host a Board Game Party
29. Try an Activity Bar
30. Take a Yoga Class
31. Scooter around the lakefront.
32. Shop and Dine at Glorioso’s
When you walk through the door of Glorioso’s, you can see the next five days of your life framed in food. It isn’t hard to lose yourself a bit here – and not because of its size. No, this store is Goldilocks in its just-rightness (neither too big nor too small). It’s a place to get inspired, even if that translates to a grab-n-go Muffaletta sandwich or square of Nonna-approved lasagna to reheat at home. The dried pasta aisle is a revelation – variety beyond your dreams – and if you love cheese, the selection favors both the Italophile and the Wisconsinite. It’s a steadfast reminder of the Little Italy this neighborhood used to be. 1011 E. Brady St.
33. Go for a Ride in the Forest
For a double dose of nature, wander through the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit on horseback. The gentle giants at Wild 3L Ranch know the 100 miles of trails so well that they can traverse them in the pitch black – and they sometimes do at the end of an all-day ride. You’ll start with a few hours in the woods, where you can experience a trot and even a canter. Then your group will mosey into Eagle, dismount at a literal hitching post behind a metaphorical watering hole and enjoy a meal. The nighttime journey back to the trailhead is an hour unlike any other, with the forest settling in for the night, the trail becoming decreasingly visible, and your horse confidently soldiering on. No need to wait for summer – rides are offered year-round, weather permitting. (The horses do not go out if there is rain, ice or the temperature is below 28.)
34. Experience Art Al Fresco
Few places offer the art museum experience in an outdoor environment. That’s what makes the woodlands at Lynden Sculpture Garden shine. Each season brings a new setting to the 50 sculptures, so it’s worth revisiting – especially for photographers. If you’re craving more art afterward, drive by the Mary Nohl House on Beach Drive in Fox Point. It’s not open to the public, but you can peek through the fence. (Be respectful of neighbors.)
35. Chase Waterfalls at a Local Park
Wehr Nature Center, Franklin: A loop trail takes you along the shoreline of Mallard Lake and to a rewarding view of the Whitnall Park waterfall, which cascades into Root River.
Grant Park, South Milwaukee: The historic Mill Pond Dam was built in the 1840s to power a mill for grinding barley, wheat and corn. Today, it’s a commanding overlook in the urban sanctuary that is Grant Park.
Greenfield Park, West Allis: Hidden from the road and off the beaten path, this manmade waterfall flows into a small lagoon and neighbors the Oak Leaf Trail. It’s liveliest after a rainfall.
36. Go Skydiving
Want to spike your heart rate as fast as possible? Make your way to the Wisconsin Skydiving Center. For the first 60 seconds, you’ll experience the rush of free fall before the instructor, who is strapped to your back, pulls the chute. After that, it’s 10 minutes of floating to the ground.
37. Day drink and take a nap.
38. Get Crafty at Glassnote Candle Bar
This Cream City brick makerspace at Glassnote Candle Bar feels more like a friend’s living room than a business. It’s a perfect spot for a cozy hangout with pals who enjoy crafty activities. You’ll pick your scents from an apothecary full of essential oils and make your candle in a reusable Milwaukee tumbler. The process is educational and involves lots of lovely aromas. There’s a full cocktail and mocktail bar, along with yummy coffee and tea offerings while you work.
39. Volunteer at a Local Organization
Milwaukee Riverkeeper: An interactive map shows local efforts across the city and burbs, which means it’s a breeze to help clean one of Milwaukee’s freshwater resources. Dress for the weather and be prepared to get a little wet.
Nourish MKE: Founded in 1978 and now boasting the largest network of community food centers in Milwaukee, Nourish offers lots of ways to support its mission, ranging from restocking shelves to assisting shoppers.
Bridge Builders Milwaukee: On Bridge Builders’ Saturday Serve Days, which typically happen once a month, May through October, volunteers help neighbors who need painting, staining, fencing and landscaping work.
40. Go on a Sweets Crawl
41. Sip a Brewery Flight
42. Go Vintage Shopping
43. Visit The City’s Many Art Galleries
44. Bike the Hank Aaron State Trail
… but, like, not the whole trail. Skip the first few charmless miles by beginning at Hawley Road and 60th Street and biking east past American Family Field and through the industrial Menomonee Valley to Second Street in Walker’s Point, where the off-street trail ends. Good stops just off the route include a spin through the historic complex of buildings of the Soldiers Home at the VA Center, a beer at Third Space Brewing and a burger at Sobelman’s (turn off at Emmber Lane for both). Out and back, this middle section of the trail is an easy 8 miles.
45. Gaze at a Garden with Friends
Eager to catch up with an old friend? Plan an outing to one of our area’s public gardens. The quiet beauty is conducive to connection and conversation. Boerner Botanical Gardens offers a display of successional blooms, May through October. At the Mitchell Park Domes, you’ll find three different ecosystems: tropical, desert and floral. Alice’s Garden builds community through urban farming. A walk through the herb-lined labyrinth is a must.
46. Go Fly a Kite
47. Explore Oconomowoc
48. Visit MAM Storytime
49. Discover Dinosaurs
50. Take a Discovery Flight
If flying is the superpower you most crave, then devote a Saturday to finding out how it actually feels to be in the cockpit. Spring City Aviation offers $150 discovery flights in a Cessna out of Timmerman and Waukesha County airports. Your instructor will guide you through takeoff, turns and cruising thousands of feet in the air.
51. Eat and play at 3rd St. Market Hall.
52. Spend Some Time on a Boat
Pontoon: With capacity for roughly 10 of your closest friends, pontoon boats are essentially floating parties. Cruise along the river and inside the breakwater on Lake Michigan.
Paddle Tavern: The aquatic version of the terrestrial Pedal Tavern comes with a designated driver and photographer. Whoo-ing is encouraged.
Kayak: See the city from a whole new perspective and get some exercise while you’re at it. Milwaukee Kayak Co. or Brew City Kayak offer rentals.
Flashy Rides: Looking to draw a bit more attention? All eyes will be on you in the waterborne Tiki Lounge or the circular Donut Boat.
