As the seasons change from the chill of winter to the green growth of spring, Milwaukee flourishes with possibilities, activities and events. All around town, from the crack of the bat at a Brewers game or the rolling credits of the Milwaukee Film Fest to the budding Boerner Botanical Gardens or bustling beer gardens, there’s a fresh energy in the season of new beginnings. Here are eight great things to do in Milwaukee this spring.
Boerner Botanical Gardens
Opening May 1, Boerner Botanical Gardens is a space where you can watch the city really come alive. Here, you'll find blooming magnolias and daffodils, or keep an eye out for the buds of tulips or perennials to explode with life as May moves along. To plan your next visit, you can check the full list of what’s in bloom here.
Beyond the flourishing Boerner Botanical Gardens, you can turn over a new leaf at the many Milwaukee County Parks, including Lake Park and Doctors Park. You can also stroll through a flourishing floral wonderland any day of the week under the cover of the arching beehive-shaped enclosures of the Mitchell Park Domes as you explore plants and flowers from the desert and the tropics and even a floral show dome that rotates throughout the year.
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
The interior of the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum is breathtakingly beautiful any day of the year. An incredible study on the ornate features of interior design, the Italian-style villa features many different styles and disciplines. But spring through early fall is when this attraction really shines, and the star of the show, its gardens, come to the fore. These flowing floral displays begin just outside of the museum itself and stretch practically to the beach below. Walk down and explore the rows and rows of planters loaded with your favorite flowers before stopping at the bottom to marvel at the majesty of this lakeside landmark.
Milwaukee County Zoo
If you’re telling us you don’t want to see a red panda, you’re a lion. With the warmer weather ahead, more and more of the zoo’s 2,200 animals will venture out of their indoor enclosures to frolic about in the spring air. Load up the family and roam the 190-acre park for a walk on the wild side to see lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) as well as hippos, otters, bats and, yes, the majestic red pandas, too!
Milwaukee Film Fest
Alongside the blooming flowers and budding trees, each year, the City of Festivals flourishes with a cinematic pulse that only one of the region’s top film fests can provide. The Milwaukee Film Fest returns on April 24 – May 8, with everything from locally produced features to internationally-renowned filmmakers, hilarious shorts to moving documentaries. It’ll make you laugh. It’ll cry. It will ensorcel and dazzle you. And it’ll have you coming back for more. Peep the lineup, find everything you need to know about this year’s festival and get your tickets today!
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball
We know, we know, isn’t baseball more of a summer thing? Well, with Opening Day in our rear view, the Brewers’ season is officially in full swing! The return of the MLB season is one of the first signs that warm days are on their way. This year, the Crew are back to defend their N.L. Central crown, aiming for three consecutive division titles and looking for a hot start to the 2025 season. Under the direction of 2024 Manager of the Year Pat Murphy, young phenom Jackson Chourio, 2018 N.L. MVP Christian Yelich, rising star Brice Turang, All-Star Catcher William Contreras and an exciting roster of veterans and up-and-comers alike, it won’t take much for you to see why this is our Crew.
The Brewers may be the first to kick off baseball season, but Milwaukee’s got so much more of America’s favorite pastime in store for you and your crew. Coming a little later in the spring, the Milwaukee Milkmen, Lake Country DockHounds and Lakeshore Chinooks bring family fun—and more than a few puns to boot—to the Greater Milwaukee area.
Milwaukee Bucks Playoffs
It’s Deer hunting season in Milwaukee! The Bucks are headed to the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, and you’re invited along for the ride as the 2024 NBA Cup champs chase a second piece of hardware to close out the 2024-25 season. Led by perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s Official Hype Man, Bobby Portis, and a talented roster, the Bucks are looking to once again show the league why they Fear the Deer. Gear up, cheer the Deer, and remember, Bucks in Six. Always.
Beer Gardens
In the Midwest, when it’s over 60 degrees, you can find us on a patio with a cold drink in our hand. While there are tons of patios and rooftops that are open year-round, a unique fixture to the Milwaukee landscape is our beer garden culture. At parks throughout the city, you’ll find pints and steins of cold brews underneath the shade of umbrellas. Most beer gardens open in mid-to-late spring, and offer a laidback, family-friendly atmosphere to relax and spend some time enjoying the warmer days ahead. Whether it’s the popular waterfront staple, South Shore Terrace Kitchen & Beer Garden, the riverside Estabrook Beer Garden or the Juneau Park Beer Garden, located downtown, this is one Brew City experience you can’t pass up.
Hiking & Trails
Run, don’t walk, to these trails and paths. The city’s many multipurpose paths are designed for you to run, roll or stroll with ease. With spring fever at an all-time high, what better way to get out and blow off some steam than by hitting the trails? There’s the gargantuan, 135-mile Oak Leaf Trail that picks up downtown and weaves its way through the entire county. There are also the Hank Aaron State Trail, which leads to American Family Field, Wisconsin State Fair Park and more, as well as the Beer Line Trail that winds through many of the city’s neighborhoods.
Nature lovers seeking a lush escape will find no shortage of hiking trails. Schlitz Audubon Nature Center’s six miles of trails take you on a journey through wetlands and woodlands, leading you to sweeping views of Lake Michigan from the beach. There’s also the welcoming wild woods of Grant Park, with its storybook aesthetic of Seven Bridges Trail, or the 237 acres of Havenwoods State Forest, a real hidden gem tucked away on the city’s northwest side.
