Black Cat Alley is an eclectic art experience in Milwaukee. It's what Black Alley calls "an outdoor…read moreart gallery" or simply said a collection of cool murals. I love seeking out new street art, so I added this alley to my Milwaukee itinerary. You can say it was right up my alley. LOCATION: I Uber'ed to the East Side to the Axe Bar (AXE MKE) which is right next to the alley. You'll find the alley behind the historic Oriental Theater at the intersection of North Avenue and Ivanhoe. Entry from Prospect Avenue and Ivanhoe are both available. Personally, I get lost everywhere and found it right away entering from the Prospect Avenue. The locals must not all know about this alley because my Uber driver was unfamiliar with this location. The area has some cool businesses, grab some food nearby! ART: Free and open 24/7. You'll find 21 murals by 24 different artists in the alley. You'll find the stories behind the art on Black Cat Alley's website or via QR codes next to the art. All murals are vibrant and creative. It's an equivalent of a museum where you'll linger by the art and try to find some meaning. The art is by global artists from places like Germany, Colombia, and others. My favorite mural was Catalina Bayona's "We Are All Immigrants" depicting wild animals and migration. It's very powerful when you think about it a little longer. All art is photogenic but be sure to check what releases you'll need for any commercial use. I wish that every city had art alleys. It's such a creative way to beautify cities. I look forward to my next visit to Milwaukee and another visit to the alley. I'll read up more about the art here before my next visit.

[Please keep in mind I travel a lot and hunt graffiti everywhere so this review is a direct…read morecomparison to other graffiti areas.] It's a small alley dedicated to graffiti. Some professional, some tagging. Some look like they were commissioned, some you can tell some were definitely done on the fly. It's not the best graffiti but I appreciate that Milwaukee has a small dedication to one of my favorite things- graffiti. Also- it's a safe alley. We went early in the morning and got donuts nearby. Drove by again a day later and a boba place is right around the corner.

Art fills the streets of Milwaukee. I'm amazed that it doesn't get destroyed being outside &…read moreexposed to the elements. No one has stolen or destroyed all of the unique & beautiful pieces. Every corner had a box with maps & descriptions. Found the life size statue of the Fonz here because Happy Days took place in Milwaukee. I think Laverne & Shirley were more iconic Milwaukee's; they need a statue!

Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual world class sculpture installation along Wisconsin Avenue, and is…read moregreat for self-guided walking tours. We hit up the installation every year, and the fourth annual event in 2020 had more than a few stellar pieces. Standouts were Nari Ward's Apollo/Poll neon, Alex Katz Park Avenue Departure, pieces by Thomas J. Price and Julian Opie, and Tony Tasset's Blob Monster was a visual show stopper. There's plenty of signage to help you learn about the artwork, and with pieces installed from MAM to the Wisconsin Center, it's a nice easy two mile round trip walking tour. Audio Tours and even a musical audio pairing can be found on Sculpture Milwaukee's website. Guided docent tours or trolley tours seem to be offered from time to time, as well as curated virtual talks with the artists. A few pieces have ended up in the permanent collection, installed around City Hall, or around Wisconsin Avenue such as Roxy Paine's "Cleft" metallic tree. This is a world class annual installation, and definitely deserving of more awareness and Milwaukee's attention.

What a nifty way to spend an afternoon. Provided that you're a vaguely cerebral (fair to say,…read more"nerdy") older sort, especially if you're a fella (I wouldn't recommend the place for most kids - especially not a gaggle of tween girls). All manner of The Work of Man memorialized in sculpture and painting, with a particularly nice Carl Spitzweg side gallery (worth a visit if you ever admired Norman Rockwell's "The Bookworm" - the original of which is also there, right outside the Spitzweg room - because you'll find its inspiration). Oh, and it's five bucks (I didn't even ask about the Senior Rate). And be careful not to trip over the students sunbathing on the grass in bikinis when looking at the magnificent sculptures in the rooftop garden.

Been living in the neighborhood almost a year and never gave thia place a secons thought. Realizing…read moreit was right next door to one of my favorite coffeeshops (Discourse) and that it was only $5, I gave it a shot. This is one of the best kept secrets in Milwaukee, honestly. The artwork on display is incredible, with some genuinely masterful pieces, as well as more modern interpretations. Mostly paintings with some sculptures, iron work, and videos. They even have a rooftop which offers incredible views of the skyline and features several large sculptures, just bw aware that it's closed for winter. I took an hour and a half to get through it, and that's just taking a peak at the rooftop. I would say you could spend upwards of 2 hours here with little difficulty.

Spillover II is the statue at Atwater Park. With all art, it's a personal opinion, so in my…read moreopinion this is a lovely piece. Unique, fluid and peaceful. It has enough letters to occupy the space up close but from far away it blends into a mirage. I wonder what the statue thinks of having to stare at Lake Michigan all day. I would try it for a day if I could.

A life-size bronze sculpture of the happy days legend Henry Winkler. I was curious why he's here…read moresince he's from New York City and understand. I read the "Bronze Fonz" statue is in Milwaukee because the popular TV sitcom Happy Days, which starred Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, was set in 1950s Milwaukee. The statue, located on the city's RiverWalk, was erected in 2008 by Visit Milwaukee to honor the iconic character and boost tourism, becoming a popular landmark and selfie spot. However, we walked and walked and walked, and I never found him. We saw another strange set of Riverwalk statues. I'm glad we came back in the morning and found the Fonz. He was surrounded by tourist and sad people talking to them themselves passed out on the bench. My GPS said there's a safe house around the corner.

The Fonz: "AYYY!" [Milwaukee WI]…read more It was a bit challenging finding parking here since there was construction going on at E Wells Street. We circled the area for a while trying to find a spot and couldn't find one nearby. We eventually found street parking at the Milwaukee City Hall and walked across towards the Pabst Theater on E Wells Street and there by the Milwaukee River... is the Bronze Fonz! "Whoa" LoL! Flashback!! there he was, a life-size statue of Fonzie doing the double thumbs up while saying his iconic catchphrase "AYYYYYY!" ahhh! These Days Are Ours... Happy Days! For the younger generation, Happy Days was one of the most iconic TV shows of all time, featuring Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as Potsie, and Donnie Most as Ralph Malph, but the star of the show was Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli. The show aired from January 15, 1974 to July 19, 1984 "Ayyyyyy!" Review #3835

We hadn't intended to visit the Charles Allis Art Museum over our weekend in Milwaukee, but when we…read moregot our tickets to tour the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum a short walk away, they said our ticket also got us into the Charles Allis. So we walked over to check it out. The building feels much less like an art museum than a historic house. The house was completed in 1911, and it is beautiful. We did a quick self-guided tour through each of the rooms, but we didn't stay long. There's art in each of the rooms, pieces collected by Charles Allis. I wouldn't go out of my way to go to this museum, but it's not a bad place to visit if you're in the area and have a few minutes to spare.

Good little museum specializing in "19th Century French and American Paintings, Chinese and…read moreJapanese porcelains, Renaissance bronzes, Japanese netsuke, and original antique furnishings." (To quote their website). My son and I enjoyed our visit on a MAM reciprocity day. We were greeted warmly, and given a map and information on the temporary exhibit and permanent collection when we entered. The survey of Wisconsin art "Forward..." new art by seemingly younger artists, was cool, and hung throughout the Museum. The exhibit was a nice compliment to the older art, which includes pieces by Winslow Homer. Part of the charm of visiting the Allis Art Museum is seeing period art displayed in a period space. Rooms dedicated to the Barbizon or Hudson River Schools are also amazing for their period furnishings and history. See the Billiards room in the basement for a single lane bowling alley reminiscent of "There Will Be Blood", and also a creepy shower with a "Needle" faucet- What? The newer Rahill hall looks like a big old dance hall, and would be a cool space for a small event or mixer. I'm surprised to be only the sixth reviewer for this gem of a museum.

We went there during the Milwaukees Doors Open, it has beautiful view over looking Lake Michigan…read more Going downhill you will also find a big lawn area and garden. In the villa, it has so many rooms that is also a museum.

Even though the Villa Terrace is an art museum, the real superstar here is the Villa/property. From…read morethe moment you step into the courtyard - complete with an impressive sculpture of Mercury - you're going to feel as though you were transported to a small Italian village. It's an exquisite time capsule of a place. And the views of Lake Michigan are the cherry on top. Your entrance ticket grants you access to both floors, the courtyard, the outside terrace and the grounds that you can walk down. There's small art exhibits that get rotated out every few months and plenty of community events including yoga, sound baths and a cafe in the warmer months. This place also moonlights as a wedding venue (in case you're about to tie the knot!) Entrance is $15 pp but there are free days offered throughout the year including during Milwaukee's annual museum days. And if you have a Milwaukee County library card you can checkout a pass for Terrace Villa which is how we got to experience this hidden gem.

A great way to learn the history of Pabst beer right where it was born…read more Our tour guide was great and the tour very educational. It's a treat to walk around and explore the building, specially on a cold day of winter. This is a fun thing do with friends & family visiting. The staff is nice. Highly recommended! P.S. Make sure you tip your tour guide!

This is NOT a conventional brewery tour like the Miller Tour here in Milwaukee or the Budweiser…read moretour in St. Louis. That's because the Pabst brewery closed over 30 years ago and moved to San Antonio. This is where Pabst started and the tour was my favorite of the 3. You can buy your ticket (adult $14) at the coffee shop on the corner and that's where the tour starts. My tour was on a Tuesday and is called the Tall Boy Tour. That's because they give you a 16 oz can of your beer of choice to start. I picked a PBR Light and then we watched a short movie about Pabst. Our tour guide was excellent. I can't remember if his name was Joe or Pat (had long black hair with a beard) but he was very knowledgeable, used humor and made the tour interesting and enjoyable. We went through several old buildings listening to the interesting story of the company (that started in 1844) and the Best family that started it and Capt. Pabst that it was ultimately named after. The tour ends in the nice gift shop. I recommend this tour!

I noticed Kathy Griffin was performing at the Pabst Theater so I knew I had to check this theater…read moreout. The theater is in a great location within walking distance to many of the hotels. Upon entering the theater, small bags and purses were checked then the usher checked our tickets. The historical theater's lobby is ornate. There's a small lounge on the side of the main entry. This area is defiantly additional holding area. The cleaned washrooms are located on the ground floor. The ushers were friendly to show us to our seats which was located in front of the red skirt. The theater is compact with great views of the stage. Overall, I thought this theater was great and I would return for another show.

Pabst Theater is a beautiful classic theater. Outside its gran exterior looks impressive. Inside…read morethe beauty continues. The staff were so helpful and polite. Several staff members offered to assist us to our seats. Views from our seats were fantastic. It seems all seats offer a nice view of the stage. The show started right on time and was incredible!

OK. I'm not really a fan of a tower. It's a landmark with history. But we had good memories of St…read more Mary hill. Roller blading and Mountain biking for blowing off steam while going to school at UWM. Some times we would meet at Lake park. We had fun, never really had a chance to really enjoy the history or read the sign, all I could say was it looked really old. OG- Original Goth.

How to review an inoperative water tower that's 140 years old (thanks Mike P!) and serves as a…read moreMKE/east side landmark? You just go with your gut, people. This water tower is: -an historic structure -an historic structure that's very aesthetically pleasing -still there because people haven't been idiots and torn it down -something that adds to the cultural landscape of the city; I'd be remiss not to the mention the whole "preserve historic structures and whatnot" deal we have going on here w/ myriad organizations both public and private -a landmark for "Water Tower Hill;" it's sort of the gateway to the lakefront in a way -pretty cool, you guys Five stars for an inoperative water tower because of history and aesthetic and value that's not quantified in conventional, consumerist ways. Win!