After many years of public and private investment, Milwaukee has reshaped a tourism identity beyond its proud heritage as the home of Miller Beer. Words like beautiful, progressive, genuine and diverse come to mind. The first sign of its interlinking diversity is the way downtown nicely splits into a West Town, East Town, Historic Third Ward interlinked by expanding the Riverwalk. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

    In the central Lakefront, you’ll be smitten by the commanding Brise Soleil wing sculpture atop Milwaukee Art Museum. Easily the best iconic sculpture for an American museum, the movable “Wings” will fix in your memory like the Gateway Arch does for St. Louis. A peek inside the museum reveals world-class exhibits by great American artists of all stripes.

   At the southern Lakefront, Summerfest is by most accounts, the America’s largest festival – a worthy king in this “City of Festivals.” The African World Festival stands out among its many ethnic sub-festivals. Historic Third Ward, a former warehouse district next to the southern Lakefront, is home to more than 20 galleries, restaurants, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and the Broadway Theatre Center. More upscale boutiques, condos, Public Market, and Riverwalk’s southern expansion will amplify its status as a premier tourist destination very soon.

    East Town hosts the Marcus Center for Performing Arts, Broadway in Milwaukee, numerous cafes and galleries lining Water Street and Broadway. Saunter over to the Riverwalk where restaurant patrons gather and gawk over the canal passenger boats and river views. Lunch and a boat ride eases your worries as the world above passes by. The broad selection of live theatres and museums keeps West Town buzzing most nights after dark. Pass a little time at the shopping centers along Wisconsin Ave, which let you comfortably walk between buildings during inclement weather.

    Milwaukee sporting life is well suited to the region. In cold months, take in concerts in one of several theatres or enjoy the NBA Bucks basketball team at Bradley Center -- all downtown. Of course there’s the famed Green Bay Packers football stadium and their rabid Milwaukee fans who drive 2 hours north for home games. In warm months Milwaukee is a golfing, fishing and camping haven that exploits the area’s numerous lakes and crisp clean air. Baseball fans are awestruck by the Brewers’ award-winning Miller Park. The architects brought their “A” game when designing all the family friendly features in this one.

    For gaming entertainment, the Potawatomi Bingo Casino is a short taxi ride from West Town. Martin Luther King Drive Business District extending north of West Town has a surprising wealth of sophisticated restaurants, boutiques, and day spa. Near MLK Drive, Griots at America’s Black Holocaust Museum will stir your mind with a greater consciousness of the impact of slavery on our great country.

   At the same time, the director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum will cite chapter and verse of Wisconsin’s history defying Fugitive Slave Laws and its legacy of self-sustaining communities created by proud Black citizens. Harambee House, Underground Railroad sites, and Black theatre companies make a popular contribution to the area’s soulful attractions. In keeping with the city’s festive reputation, Juneteenth Festival attracts up to 250,000 guests on Martin Luther King Drive and the Father’s Day Festival serves FREE barbeque chicken – now thats a hook!

    Possessing one of the lowest crime rates for a big city and one the nation’s best urban waterfronts, Milwaukee has a small city feel, with big city appeal. The entertainment venues and well-rounded collection of wholesome attractions are ideal for family visits not centered on a major theme park. Even though Brise Soleil is the city’s well-earned icon, maybe the identity Milwaukee has been searching for simply revolves around family.