EXPLORE THE CITY ON FOOT

Lace up your walking shoes and discover Downtown’s gems with this slow stroll through the heart of the city. Approximate distance: 2.3 miles

1 CITY HALL

200 E. Wells St.

When City Hall was completed in 1895, it was one of the tallest buildings in the nation, and it remained Wisconsin’s tallest building until 1973. The 112.5-ton bell in the tower is named for Milwaukee’s first mayor, Solomon Juneau.

2 GROHMANN MUSEUM

1000 N. Broadway

This museum, on the MSOE campus, showcases a collection of art dedicated to the ever-changing nature of human labor.

3 OLD ST. MARY PARISH

844 N. Broadway

This church, built in 1847 by German immigrants, is the longest continually operating church in the city.

4 CATHEDRAL SQUARE PARK

500 E. Wells St.

In 1854, more than 5,000 abolitionists gathered outside the jail that was at this location then and freed fugitive slave Joshua Glover. Look for the historical marker in the northeast corner of the park.

5 MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM

700 N. Art Museum Dr.

Visitors are captivated by the “wings,” formally known as the Burke Brise Soleil, which are made up of 72 steel fins with a wingspan of 217 feet. Weather permitting, the fins open and close each day at 10 a.m., noon and 5 p.m.

6 GASLIGHT BUILDING

626 E. Wisconsin Ave.

This art deco stunner was completed in 1930. The 2-ton flame has been predicting the weather since 1956. The nighttime light show was upgraded to spectacular effect in 2016.

7 FEDERAL COURTHOUSE

517 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Although it’s imposing on the outside, this building’s most impressive part is the five-story open atrium in the lobby, which gleams in the sunlight provided by the glass roof capping the space.

8 PFISTER HOTEL

424 E. Wisconsin Ave. Opened in 1893, this hotel is considered Milwaukee’s most famously haunted building.

9 MACKIE BUILDING/ GRAIN EXCHANGE

225 E. Michigan St.

Completed in 1880, the building is celebrated for its beautiful Grain Exchange room, which was used as a place for traders to conduct business until the mid-1930s.

10 BRONZE FONZ

RiverWalk, entrance closest to Water & Wells streets

If you’re in the vicinity, it would just be wrong not to pay your respects to the statue of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, one of the most famous fictional characters ever to come from Milwaukee.