Discovery World (500 N. Harbor Dr.) is Milwaukee’s science and technology museum located right along the lakefront. Explore this facility where you can change the weather in its interactive Great Lakes exhibit or get up close and personal with aquatic life at the Reiman Aquarium.
After exploring Discovery World indoors, head outdoors aboard its S/V Denis Sullivan vessel. The 137-foot replica of a 19th century Great Lakes schooner has several sailing options with public sails, private charters, and onboard educational programs. (UPDATE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the S/V Denis Sullivan will not be sailing during the 2022 season. It will remain docked outside of Discovery World for maintainance and repairs until further notice).
Also, on the lakefront is the “flying” Milwaukee Art Museum (700 N. Art Museum Dr.). The art museum’s Santiago Calatrava-designed “wings” open when the museum opens, close when the museum closes, and flap at noon - when weather permits. Underneath those wings is a rich collection of 30,000 works of art as well as outdoor spaces to engage with the surrounding natural beauty.
Literally attached to the art museum is the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center (750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.) looking out over Lake Michigan. This Milwaukee landmark was designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and dedicated on Veterans Day 1957. Today, you can wander the indoor and outdoor halls of military history with truly stunning lake views all around you.
Further up on the North Shore is Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (1111 E. Brown Deer Rd., Bayside). The 185-acre nature center provides forests, ponds, prairies, and trails along Lake Michigan's shoreline. And a robust raptor program brings you face-to-face with 15 birds of prey.
Milwaukeeans don’t just have fun on the water. We also research and innovate with it.
In 2009, visionaries and business leaders from Milwaukee’s numerous water-based industries collaborated to establish The Water Council (247 W. Freshwater Way). The
same year, the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences became the nation’s first graduate school dedicated solely to the study of freshwater.
In 2013, the council opened the Global Water Center to house water-related research facilities and accelerator space for emerging water-related companies. The industrial building’s renovation soon became a catalyst for development of the nearby Reed Street Yards. Focused on the international water industry, this mixed-use urban site is an education, research, and technology zone. And Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District is nationally renowned for its wastewater treatment, flood management, and green infrastructure
Article originally published on 4/28/2022