HGTV, Milwaukee Style

Those breathtaking estates and exotic locales you see on House and Garden Television don't have anything on Milwaukee. Splendid architecture from several different eras and jaw-dropping gardens dot the cityscape and invite visitors to escape into their grandeur.

Start your journey off with a stop at the finest example of a Flemish Renaissance Revival Mansion in America. Built in 1892, The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion was home to one of Milwaukee's most famous beer barons. The home was considered the jewel of Milwaukee's famous avenue of mansions, called Grand Avenue, and represented the epitome of America's Gilded Age Splendor in Milwaukee.

Head over to Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum where you'll find a magnificent Italian Renaissance-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan. Built in 1923, the villa is home to a beautiful 16^th century Italian garden complete with a cascading "water staircase". Inside you'll find an impressive collection of both permanent and changing decorative arts exhibits.

Bartlotta's Lake Park Bistro in picturesque Lake Park is the perfect spot for lunch. Sit on a scenic bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and enjoy authentic, French country bistro cooking. After your meal, work off some calories by exploring Lake Park. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the legendry landscape architect behind New York's Central Park., Lake Park is home to one of the few remaining prehistoric Indian burial mounds in Milwaukee, the North Point Lighthouse and keeper's quarters, and a sporty little pitch-putt golf course.

Next stop, Boerner Botanical Gardens. Referred to as "Milwaukee's Living Museum," these gardens became the official test site in 1960 for All America Rose Selections, one of only 23 in the country. Currently, over 400 varieties of roses and flowers are undergoing trial and are accessible for viewing.

After exploring the gardens, take a step back in time at Trimborn Farm Park. Experience a unique example of a mid-19^th century industrial and farming complex. Still standing are nine original buildings, including lime kilns, Greek revival farmhouse, granary built with brick nogging and one of the largest stone barns in Wisconsin. Delve into Victorian-era industry, reminisce about 19th century farm life, and witness Wisconsin culture come to life as embodied by the immigrant entrepreneur Werner Trimborn, his family and his employees.