DOORS OPEN MILWAUKEE is a beloved tradition in Cream City. Every year buildings throughout the city open their doors to show off their architecture and design. This year, 29 new facilities joined in on the fun and we compiled an alphabetical list so you know where to go to see what’s new at Doors Open Milwaukee 2019.
Read MilMag’s Picks For Doors Open Milwaukee 2019
All photos courtesy of Historic Milwaukee
1.
310W
310 W Wisconsin Ave
Designed by Chicago architects Perkins + Will in 1983, Time Equities Inc. has opened up this deep-blue, 14-story office complex for Doors Open to dazzle the public with its $30 million makeover.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
2.
5070 N 35th St Building, (Former Pieper Power HQ)
5070 N 35th St
Standing on 35th Street for over a century, this building is a three-story industrial loft, sporting brick walls, a pilastered facade and segmental arch windows.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
3.
707 Hub at Marquette University
1102 W Wisconsin Ave
Branding itself as an “innovation space,” the 707 Hub is a new building on Marquette’s campus dedicated to fostering creativity and emboldening entrepreneurial students with resources like open workspaces and a pitch stage.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
4.
Arts @ Large
1100 S 5th St
Working out of a renovated 1890 Patrick Cudahy building, Arts @ Large’s vibrant community center (decked out with a student art gallery, art studios, a café and a catering kitchen) hosts workshops, classes, events and parties. Stop by this weekend between 10:30-11:30 a.m. and noon-1 p.m. for live music.
Saturday: 10 am–2 pm, Sunday: 10 am–2 pm
5.
Beyond Vision
5316 W State St
Get a behind-the-scenes look at one of only two machine shops in the United States run by workers who are visually impaired. Beyond Vision employs innovative, accessible technology to provide employment opportunities for the visually impaired.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
6.
Brewcity Bruisers
415 S 3rd St
Milwaukee’s roller derby team, the Brewcity Bruisers, is letting the public into its typically-closed practice facility (a garage from 1919) for Doors Open. Inside you can see the team’s collection of vintage roller derby memorabilia
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
7.
Central Standard Craft Distillery
2330 W Clybourn St
The 10,000-square-foot production facility of Central Standard Craft Distillery floor is open to the public to see where all the company’s spirits are made.
Saturday: 10 am–3 pm, Sunday: 10 am–3 pm
8.
Century City I (Good City Brewing)
3945 N 31 St
You might be familiar with Good City Brewing’s craft beer and industrial-chic taproom, but you probably haven’t seen their 54,000-square-foot office and warehouse space. This weekend, you can take a tour to learn the history of the building and the brewery.
Saturday: 11 am–4 pm, Sunday: Not Open
9.
Chase Tower
111 E Wisconsin Ave
Built in an international style with a dark green facade, Chase Bank inhabits this 22-story building from 1961, the first skyscraper built in Milwaukee after the second World War. In the lobby, the Sculpture Milwaukee installation by Carlos Rolón is the largest sculpture in the region.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
10.
Cream City Hostel
500 E Center St
The first Milwaukee hostel in the Riverwest neighborhood — called Cream City — opened earlier this year and is welcoming the public to tour inside during Doors Open.
Saturday: 12 pm–5 pm, Sunday: 12 pm–5 pm
11.
DoMUS Apartments
441 E Erie St
Take a self-guided tour of a model apartment home, clubroom space and riverwalk at this 132-unit apartment building built in 2017.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 12 pm–5 pm
12.
Firehouse Station 27
2647 N Bartlett Ave
Established in 1903, Firehouse Station 27 is the third firehouse to open for Doors Open. Firefighters will be on site to talk about their jobs and answer your questions.
Saturday: 1:30 pm–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
13.
Hands in Harmony Piano Studio
3301 W Highland Bl
Opened up as a piano studio in 2018, Hands in Harmony is housed in a 1926 home designed by Alexander Eschweiler. Stop by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to catch the Art Truck Studio, where family-oriented art activities will be lead by Artists Working in Education.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
14.
Lakefront Brewery—Distribution Facility
3519 N Hubbard St
Lakefront Brewery’s warehouse ships an average of 50 pallets of beer every week, powered by renewable energy. At the facility you can see their solar panels and barrel-aged brews.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–3 pm
15.
Marquette University High School
3401 W Wisconsin Ave
Guided tours through this historic school, established in 1857, will highlight its rich history educating students in the Jesuit tradition.
Saturday: 10 am–2 pm, Sunday: 10 am–2 pm
16.
Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language
2430 W Wisconsin Ave
Formerly the Milwaukee County Dispensary and Emergency Hospital, the building was eventually acquired and repurposed by the Milwaukee Public School District.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
17.
Milwaukee Ballet
128 N Jackson St
Be among the first guests to see the Milwaukee Ballet’s new home in the Third Ward. Tours will take visitors through the costume shop, rehearsal studios, performance studio and dedicated community space.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
18.
Milwaukee Central Seventh-day Adventist Church
2229 N Terrace Ave
Saturday: 1 pm–5 pm, Sunday: 1 pm–5 pm
19.
Plum Media
1418 W Saint Paul Ave
Once the home of Milwaukee Casket Company, this building is now houses a state-of-the-art media production company and neo-gothic design. If seeing it face-to-face isn’t enough, self-guided tours offer an augmented reality experience where the building’s historic renovation unfolds before your very eyes with video and 360-degree images.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
20.
Saint Kate—the Arts Hotel
139 E Kilbourn Ave
Milwaukee’s newly-renovated and only arts hotel is available for guided tours during Doors Open. Highlights include the hotel’s unique Canvas rooms, each designed by a local artist, and a trip through the hotel’s various art galleries.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
21.
Sherman Phoenix
3536 W Fond du Lac Ave (entrance off parking lot on 36th St)
Formerly a bank, this building has since been redeveloped into a food hall, wellness center and cultural hub. On a self-guided tour, you can visit any of the building’s 29 retailer tenants who will be selling food and wares.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
22.
St. Augustine Church
2530 S Howell Ave
Built in 1908 and designed by Milwaukee architect Peter Brust, this church is packed to the brim with artistic flourishes and architectural eye candy. Visitors can explore the church on self-guided tours, and volunteers will be on site to answer questions about the building, architect and congregation.
Saturday: 10 am–3 pm, Sunday: 12 pm–5 pm
23.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
2812 W Wisconsin Ave
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was built in 1917 by George Bowman Ferry, the same architect of the Pabst Mansion and Central Library. The highlights of the building are its stained glass and rich wood accents.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
24.
Story Hill FireHouse
407 N Hawley Rd
Built in a bungalow style by the Milwaukee Fire Department in 1926, this former Firehouse is now a vibrant events venue in the Story Hill neighborhood.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
25.
Tamarack Waldorf School
1150 E Brady St
Visitors to the Tamarack Waldorf school will learn more about the holistic, integrated education style of Waldorf schooling while appreciating the building’s gothic and romanesque styles.
Saturday: Not Open, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
26.
UWM Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Building
3200 N Cramer St
Remodeled in 2018, the Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Building provides an accessible working environment to UWM students. Visitors will learn about a wide variety of tools, materials and student innovations.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
27.
UWM Lubar Entrepreneurship Center
2100 E Kenwood Blvd
UWM’s new 24,000-square-foot entrepreneurial center provides resources to the entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers of UWM’s student body.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open
28.
West River Partners, LLC
3700 N Fratney St
Initially an industrial building from the early 20th century, the West River Partners building is finding new life with vibrant and diverse new business tenants including a Silicon Valley IT company, wetsuit manufacturing, beverage distribution and custom woodworking. Highlights include the building’s historic architecture and “secret” courtyard.
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: 10 am–5 pm
29.
WRTP/Big Step Center of Excellence
3841 W Wisconsin Ave
Saturday: 10 am–5 pm, Sunday: Not Open 
