What to do in Milwaukee when it rains
The weather needn't spoil Milwaukee. Its galleries, museums and indoor markets are at their best on a grey day, with cafés on every corner.
Museums
Spend a few hours in the city's museums — many are free, and a rainy day is the perfect excuse to take your time.
- Harley-Davidson Museum® 400 W Canal St, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Milwaukee Art Museum 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Milwaukee Public Museum 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
- Discovery World 500 N Harbor Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Betty Brinn Children's Museum 929 E Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Pabst Mansion 2000 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
Art galleries
Duck into the art galleries; they're quiet, warm and rarely busier than on a wet day.
- Milwaukee Art Museum 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Black Cat Alley E Ivanhoe Pl, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Dream Lab 738 S 3rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- Arts @ Large, Inc. 1100 S 5th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- Var Gallery 643 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- David Barnett Gallery 1024 E State St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
Historic sites
Explore the indoor historic sites and their covered galleries.
- Miller High Life Theatre 500 W Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203, USA
- Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery 917 W Juneau Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
- Bryant's Cocktail Lounge 1579 S 9th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- Bradley Symphony Center 212 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203, USA
- Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- North Point Lighthouse Museum 2650 N Wahl Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
Covered markets
Browse the covered market — street-food stalls, local makers and somewhere dry to graze for an hour.
- Milwaukee Public Market 400 N Water St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- 3rd St. Market Hall 275 W Wisconsin Ave Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53203, USA
- Whole Foods Market 2305 N Prospect Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
- Metro Market 1123 N Van Buren St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Pick 'n Save 605 E Lyon St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Cermak Fresh Market 1236 S Barclay St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
Cafés
Claim a window seat in a cosy café and watch the rain instead of walking in it.
- Café Benelux 346 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Colectivo Coffee Lakefront 1701 N Lincoln Memorial Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Stone Creek Coffee - Factory Café 422 N 5th St, Milwaukee, WI 53203, USA
- McDonald's 1614 E North Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Glorioso's Italian Market 1011 E Brady St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- McDonald's 707 S 1st St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
Indoor shopping
Hit the covered shopping streets and centres — everything under one roof.
- The Avenue 275 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203, USA
- Mitchell Street Mall 1020 W Historic Mitchell St, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- East Pointe Marketplace 605 E Lyon St, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA
- Lapham Square 921 W Lapham Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- Freshwater Plaza by Wangard Partners, Inc. S 1st St &, E Greenfield Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USA
- Proclivities 1120 W Burleigh St, Milwaukee, WI 53206, USA
Venue suggestions powered by Google — tap a name for the map, and always check opening times before you go. 36 places listed; the list refreshes regularly.