My daughter has a family membership to DW, so I'm a frequent guest. Today's visit was extra special because Summerfest is underway and a cruise ship (failed to take a photo ) was docked right next to DW. We always take a trip up to the Pilot House and then outside onto the high deck for terrific views of the lake, SF grounds, and everything else in the harbor (including a Milwaukee Fire Dept. fireboat). Staff are always welcoming and so very attentive to the children. We always make a stop at the food kiosk to get a snack (a selection of the usual packaged snack foods along with hot dogs and pizza). My biggest complaint is how slow and long the check-in process is. There's usually only one person at the check-in desk, and many days there need to be two. There's a line for members, but unless there are two staff members at the desk, what difference does it make? We waited with everyone else today, which makes having a membership feel like less of a great thing. But there still needs to be a quicker process. Today while I was at the front desk I watched a woman purchase tickets online, and even that was such a long and involved process I think i would've quit and gone home. read more

Discovery World - Children's Museums Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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For the amount of kids and families that come through here, I am impressed at the working displays and overall cleanliness of this museum. We came here on a Saturday and it was moderately busy yet we were able to see everything in a few hours. There are plenty of hands-on activities throughout for all ages and exhibits highlighting local individuals and companies as well. It's hard to say what my favorite area was because I enjoyed everything, but the aquariums, weather/ storm area and the corporate exploration station stick out in my mind as where I had the most fun personally. We didn't shop around the food or gift shop area but that could be an area we explore more next time. Discovery World is well worth the price of admission and the entire family is guaranteed to have fun while learning something new! read more

My family loves a good science museum. Discovery world is one the best we've been too around the US. Offering a good mix of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology exhibits, there's a discipline for everyone. I love the corporate collaborations with some of the areas best known companies. The staff does an excellent job of making sure all the hands on exhibits are in working order, which tends to be the biggest problems at these types of museums. It had been a few years since I was here. I won't make that mistake again. read more

So happy the jellyfish babies are now visible! Staff is always friendly . There's some loud construction going on east side of building that I tried to stay clear of. But it will be nice to see what behind it when it's complete. The go-2 are always promising, but the "moving exhibits" are always a pleasant addition. It will also be so nice when the construction outside of the building is done so the street parking is available right outside the building even though there is a garage. read more

I love bringing my niece and nephew to discovery world. I would say the ideal age range is 6-10. Lots of different things for them to explore. Their favorite spots are the aquarium and walking around the ship. They are always excited to do the virtual reality experience, but the line takes a long time and they always seem to struggle to understand how to move once they have the VR goggles on. read more

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Such a fun time, something for everyone, all ages! Now they are a bit pricey but there's so many different activities to do and if you allocate enough time (2 is enough) you'll get to look around at everything. I absolutely loved the interactive lakes area with local animals and what not. There are spaces to sit and rest and eat, with them having cafes and snack areas. The downstairs aquarium is a must see! read more

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I took my nieces here over the weekend and had the best time. I thought with spring break, this place would be super packed but there was plenty of room to move around and we never waited more than a few minutes for some of the more popular interactive experiences. Highlights included the aquarium area and the robotics section. Honestly, I was expecting my nieces to have fun and for myself to be a bit bored. That was not the case. This place truly has something for everyone. I recommend buying your tickets online as they are a bit cheaper online compared to in person. The surrounding area is beautiful with the lake and nearby park. read more

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Third time in 5 years we've been here. It's never boring. Huge variety of STEAM activities and a cool aquarium. Got to touch sting ray, sturgeon, and hermit crab. Water reclamation sections super accurate, all the gear stuff is really cool, electric stuff is really fun, and they have this build your car to race on a track. Boys are 10 and 12 YO, went on a Tuesday, not busy, had a great time read more

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I love Discovery World Museum always host the fun events, we had an amazing time to the cheers to hospitality event there. Morning vibes vs. nighttime vibes feel so different there! The foodies event, it's always fun chatting with fellow foodies at different table who love food as much as I do! read more

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Cutest place to take kids that have a fascination for aquatic animals and stem. It's so nice that they have a discounted price for people with ebt or state insurance. read more

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New exhibit alert! We are members at Discovery World, because we love it that much! It really never gets old taking out kiddos here. As mentioned in my previous review, there are endless things to see and explore, and just so much learn (even for adults). On our recent visit, we came to learn that there is now a fun new area: the Exploration Station! You can find this on the third floor. Here your kiddos can explore the magic of trains and transportation through hands-on activities like becoming a conductor, operating the ticket window, learning fun facts about transportation and trains through play, and checking out the train table to build tacks and navigate train-cars. There's no shortage of a good-time at Discovery World. read more

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this is such a beautiful children's hands-on museum. when we went, the string ray touch tank was empty because of renovations. a couple of exhibits were broken, but overall a good experience for a saturday morning. not busy, we arrived at 10am. psa discovery world: the spiked soft shell turtle by the great lakes exhibit needs a much bigger tank hes a foot long and in a tank the size of my arm span (and im a short lady) read more

I gave Discovery World 3 stars because I couldn't justify the price. I went with my husband and 1-year old granddaughter and the total for two adult tickets was $50. That did not include the $30 for parking in the parking garage. Total = $80. The heated parking garage was easy to access but very busy. Once we found parking, it was also easy and quick to find the elevator. You can purchase tickets ahead of time, at a kiosk inside, or at the ticket counter. The museum has a small gift shop with cute, fun items for kids. They also have a snack bar in case you need a quick bite to eat but I wouldn't count on having a full lunch there; the food didn't look very appetizing or fulfilling. There were exhibits for children of all ages to engage in. Our favorite part was the aquarium. There are stingrays, lobsters, and sturgeon that you can touch. Our granddaughter really enjoyed seeing the fish. The museum has a lot of windows and offers a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. read more

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I've been here a couple times and every time have had so much fun with my daughter! It's overall actually quite clean, but there are tons of hands on and educational activities for kids. The best part is the aquarium where you also get to pet/touch stingray and various fish. Overall great experience and clean facilities! read more

Such a fun place. Lots of interactive exhibits for the whole family. Learned a lot of things too.

I went here for the first time in January 2025 as a 21-year-old. My friends and I were unsure of what to expect. However, we had an excellent experience here. Despite being targeted toward a younger demographic, we had an amazing time exploring all of the exhibits and making our own laser-cut fish. I would recommend any college student or older to visit here at least once as an adult to experience and understand the more scientific and math heavy aspects of the exhibits. Price is justifiable when you purchase in advance online. Parking near the area is not free, so make sure to budget for that as well. There's a small canteen on in the museum. Staff members were friendly and offered great advice on which exhibits to spend the most time exploring. They did not make us feel unwelcome even though we were there without younger kids. read more

I can't think of one negative thing to say about this place. It is great for all ages. My sons 14 & 12 enjoyed the experience. The location is beautiful! Discovery World has something for everyone. It was a great way to spend an afternoon learning and having fun at the same time. The mini aquarium is a plus for anyone. Just when you think you're done exploring, you find another part of the museum you haven't seen. The flight simulator and driving experience were super cool! I locked in and got the best time of the day. The ship in the sky lets your imagination run wild while looking through the different areas of the ship. I would encourage anyone to visit this place for a wonderful day of learning fun. The stunning views outside of the marina are also a plus where you can take in the picturesque area with a nice walk on the boardwalk. I would love to visit again when we visit Milwaukee. read more

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We don't have any kids, but I remember Discovery World being a lot of fun many years ago, so I knew I had to bring my husband here! We came on a Saturday afternoon and it was very busy with lots of kids running around. Even though this museum is geared more towards kids, I think people of any age would have a great time here. We spent about four hours exploring everything and that was a little tight for everything we wanted to see. My favorite exhibits were the Great Lakes display and the chance to try to out a VR game. My husband really enjoyed the aquarium (with a chance to touch some cool fish!) and the simple machines and gears. We had a truly wonderful time and would even consider a membership here! read more

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I stopped by on a Sunday. This place was not too busy. This place is very good for toddlers and kids. I wouldn't recomment this place for grown ups. In the basement there are some beautiful aquariums. In the first floor there was robotic related stuff. Kids could spend all day in this section. Apart from that there are some Achimedes lever, screw etc which are basic Physics. There was also a small ship kind of a set up where we can sit inside and pretend that it is a whole ship. Overall I though this place is fun for kids, but slightly expensive for what they have. read more

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Located In Milwaukee on the Lake Michigan waterfront. Great place for children to have fun while learning science and the ecology of Michigan. Lots of interactive, hands-on exhibits for the children. With various discounts, the three adults and one child in our group were admitted for a grand total of $80. Discounts available include military, senior citizens, and programs for residents of Wisconsin in certain categories. Highly recommend for families with children. read more

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On our last full day in Milwaukee, it was supposed to pour all day so my husband and I had to think of something to do indoors. We are from Chicago, so we weren't too in touch with the Milwaukee area. Then, I remembered a friend of ours recommended this place for a relaxing time, so we decided to make a last minute decision to come here. The museum is off of the water and almost looks like the museum campus area in Chicago where Soldier Field and all of the museums are. We found the parking garage right away and the parking is pretty cheap thankfully. When entering, you put a credit card in the machine, take it out and park. Then, when you leave, you put the same card in the machine and it will charge you based on how long you were in the lot. Simple and convenient way to park, and we only paid like $8 for parking. When you get into the museum, you get a wristband and you can walk around exhibits and the aquarium. Many children were around, and we quickly learned it's pretty much like the Children's Museum. It was okay and there were plenty of hands on things to do (very informational too!), but when you don't have kids, there's not much to do. It would be a great place to go with your kids, though! We walked through the science part pretty quickly because we weren't exactly thrilled with the how things work aspect of most exhibit areas, but we did learn a lot about guitars and Les Paul! The guitars were cool! Our favorite part of Didcovery World was the aquarium area. We saw a lot of fish and they have a cool overhead aquarium where fish swim over you. They also have floors where fix swim under you! There is an area you can touch sting rays and sturgeon, and it was all very well laid out. I probably wouldn't ever come here again without kids, but we are glad we went for a first time visit because it was an interesting and fun thing to do to pass the time on a rainy day! For kids, this place is awesome! Definitely an innovative and educational place, and most things seem pretty new and clean. All the families around us seemed to be highly enjoying themselves. read more

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Very disappointed waste of money and time there was nothing there like one aquarium with local fish and that's it it's boring and dead no life to the place complete waste of time petsmart got more variety of fish read more

Really fun and interactive museum. Although it's geared for kids, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed it. Mostly science geared interactive displays, but they also have a small aquarium. I would go back again, even as an adult. read more

Discovery World - Entry - Children's Museums Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

You know. My family has been members for the last few years and our kids LOVE THIS PLACE. We did too until "they" decided that "they" would suspend our membership due to unfounded accusations, speculations and assumptions on behalf of some employees. I was told due to the number of times we visited we would get no refund and that our family was no longer welcome on the premises. With no investigation prior to this email that came out of the blue. Upon further inquiry I was able to get a portion of our membership back but no longer able to enjoy Discovery World like our family once had. It's pretty sad when a nice family friendly place is quick to discredit a family ghat has been an on going supporter. It appears we will be finding a different inclusive and wonderful venue to choose to spend our time and money at going forward. read more

We visited here during Christmas vacation on our last day before heading back home. It was worth to check it out since it also had an aquarium which was better than I expected. The science museum section was a bit over my son's head so we breezed through it quickly. Afterwards, we spent more time on the aquarium side which had several levels which was cool. We also liked the boat exhibit and Great Lakes exhibit with rainfall. With our ASTC membership, admission was free and took advantage of their STEM activity of building a gingerbread house from cardboard cutout with hot glue gun and other craft items. read more

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We were in Milwaukee for the long weekend, and walked from our hotel downtown to the Betty Brinn children's museum and then to Discovery World (we stopped for lunch in the cafe in the art museum in between, which was a lovely spot for lunch and the only place to get real food on the winter Saturday we were in this area). It was a full but easy, fun, and good day. Discovery World is a cool small science museum. My 5 year olds favorite part was the aquarium area. There's a cool glass tunnel where fish swim over you, glass floor that they swim under you, an area you can touch sting rays and sturgeon. The great lakes area seemed exciting for the kids to run around, the ship upstairs is cool to play on. The snack shop was little and okay for snacks, but don't plan to eat a meal here. It's easy to bring your own food. read more

Yah it's a children's museum but I was a child once and I still wanted to see it as an adult for the aquarium aspect of it because Milwaukee doesn't have the equivalent of the Shedd aquarium which I enjoyed while living in Chicago. Parking was very easy and rockstar, one car from the front door. Yah it's a children's museum with tons of interactive displays of various themes. It's like the Harley Davidson museum, not too big and an easy walk where you can stay as long and short as you want. The have a cafeteria area for food with specials but not a full blown restaurant that has a seating area with a great view over looking Milwaukee's lake front. The aquarium actually has displays where you can actually touch the what's swimming in them, pass for me but very cool. Full blown sail ship that you crawl all over is cool also. The woman whom was the face of the place at the time did a wonderful job at explaining the museum and was not just collecting a pay check was refreshing because she was passionate with informing us of the museum. Overall it's a great place and not just a children's museum read more

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So I love science museums, I've been to quite a few of them in many states! One of the best things about being in a new place is checking out the science center... I was really psyched when I read about all the exhibits here, and how they had two theaters! But there's expectation and there's reality. I woke up hella early to drive from Janesville to Milwaukee, we thought since they're open Tuesday through Saturday that going early on a Wednesday would make sense. Apparently not! There's a little snack store inside that is only closed on Wednesdays?!? Why? There's one drink vending machine in the building, and it's single dollar bills only. Like people just walking around with pockets of cash! Of course, if you want a bottle of lukewarm Dasani, you can head to the gift shop, which is the smallest gift shop of any science center I've ever been to... they have neither a box of different colored little rocks that are meaningless but you want to buy because they're shiny little trinkets and your goblin brain tells you "they go click clack, you neeeeeeeds!!!" Nor do they have astronaut ice cream; the staple item of a science museum store!!! The audacity. As for the exhibits, most of the cool ones were restricted entry for summer camp kids and educational personnel only, so most people can't get into them, including the majority of the cool ones. I didn't come here to look at some guitars in cases with notes that are supposed to be funny but aren't on them? A lot of it was also in various states of disrepair. And those two theaters? After looking around everywhere, I found one of them, but no entrance, and no clue what was playing, so eventually went back to the entrance and asked, they said that despite having two theaters they haven't shown anything in a long time in either of them. So that sucks. Also, I'm normally ethically opposed to aquariums, but since we were already there, and the rest of my party wanted to go look, and it wouldn't cost us more, we went to look at their aquarium part. A good 1/3rd of their jellyfish were dead in the tank with the live ones. They have a stingray pet tank, and no way to wash your hands before or after, just paper towels. I also feel bad that they mutilate the stingrays to remove their stingers from them so people can reach out and grab them, in a sad little loop they're stuck in all day. Almost none of the marine animals were in big enough enclosures for their species. It's amazing more weren't dead, tbh. I would give this two and a half stars, but it was nice to get out and do something. read more

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Wow! So many things for our kids to do here! We made the mistake not starting out with the technology area first! By the time we're done for the day we realized we should have started there first since there's so many more other things to do. We went on a Tuesday morning, plenty of room to move around. Every exhibit is lovely, so many things to learn from (just wish my toddler let me do it! Lol). I would recommend up to 6 hours, so pack a lunch for a picnic. There's a lawn area for outdoor picnic style. Parking was easy, staff was friendly, facility is in good condition and informative. Overall I am very pleased with the discovery center. read more

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When we visited Milwaukee in the fall this was one of the highlights of our trip. This science museum includes everything from machines, boat-themed stuff, an aquarium, and more besides. I loved that we were able to bring home crafts to assemble later as souvenirs, and it was a really interactive museum with everything from music, sound, VR, science, environment and much more besides. Located right on the water, this museum benefits from the location. It was walking distance from our hotel but there seemed to be ample parking and decent transit options as well. I was admittedly a bit disappointed in the gift shop, having been to many other science museums in my time: I would have loved a larger range of souvenir options from our trip here. Still, this is less a review of the gift shop and the museum was excellent on the whole. The toddler in our group had a great time but so too did the adults (and our group included a large age range). There are lots of stairs in the museum for those who want to use them, but there are also elevators. I do wish that there had been more accessible "family" washrooms for diaper changing, but beyond that the museum is excellent. read more

I wish there were late hours that were just for older children and adults. There were too many uncontrolled small children running from one exhibit to the next just pushing buttons without actually reading how to experience the exhibit. I realize this is summer and a lot of people take their children here to avoid summer boredom, but they should control and supervise rather than let their children run free to be considerate to others who are exploring the museum. I was very disappointed that most of the exhibits I was interested in were blocked off for "campers and staff only." It would be cheaper to let your children run free at a playground than taking them here. There were a few well-behaved and supervised children in the Les Paul sound exhibit who I enjoyed interacting with. read more

Discovery World - Too many parents not watching children - Children's Museums Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I'm embarrassed. I'm from Chicago. And been a member of the museum of science and industry there for years. I love that place. But then I come here to Discovery World, and I realize so many things could be improved about MSI. Like the freshness of the displays. The brand new robots making toys. And how the Tinker studio thing has brand new projects every month. My family had a blast here. The Les Paul exhibit blew my mind. I didn't realize how deep his impact on music and music innovation was. I can't wait to come back and revisit this section to study it even more. What is this place? The Tardis from Dr Who? It's defiantly bigger inside than the outside. But we had a pleasant time in all parts of this place and we only had time to explore a small fraction. Didn't even get to the aquarium side. Another huge plus. With our MSI membership, they let us in free here. I thought we'd get in for 50% off but instead it was 100% off! Their mistake? Happy misunderstanding about how these memberships work? Who knows. 50% off would still have been great. We will definitely be back. I hope our folks running MSI can visit and get some inspiration. read more

I'm glad I brought my kid here at least once during our stay in Milwaukee. It's a cool mix of science/tech with an aquarium. You can also learn about the lake which was pretty cool (it being my first time in Milwaukee). I highly recommend the aquarium for the little ones. (I also enjoyed the aquarium the most haha). There was a small area where the light reflects through the tank above which caused a mini light show that my little man was fascinated by. At first, he was a bit scared because of the way the space was designed but he got the hang of it and seemed to really enjoy his time there. For example, there was a part where the floor was glass and we saw the fish from below. He wasn't sure whether or not it was safe to step, but he soon got the hang of it. I also loved how friendly the staff was at the aquarium floor. Bought my ticket in person ($20 for just my self- kiddo was free). Looked for street parking and found free parking. (I read online that I needed to pay for parking online, but not quite the case y'all). read more

Out of order What an amazing venue. Spending an afternoon here is a great way to get out of the house and kick the winter blues. I'm fascinated by the technology side of the building. Pneumatics, gears, electronics, motors and the like excites my inner kid. The Aquarium side is pretty cool too - touch tanks, pulleys, a giant ship and more with great views of the lake. Definitely on-par with museums in Chicago or other large cities. The only drawback is that maintenance is lacking. Yeah, hundreds of kids a day are going to break stuff like touch screens but I was surprised to see some leaking hydraulic fluid too, eww! Save a few bucks on parking - there are normally open spaces on the end of Wisconsin Ave and you can check out The Calling and bridge to the art museum as you walk a few blocks. read more

Discovery World - Children's Museums Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I decided to take my 8 year old here while on spring break. We purchased tickets and parking online prior. Turns out I didn't need to purchase parking as there wasn't even anyone there to check! $10 in parking down the drain. I could have paid at the pay station for the time we actually spent there, not a full two hours of parking. A lot of displays were closed. It was honestly A LOT of people for "reduced capacity" between the time slot of 10-12. We were done within 40 minutes because we had to skip over a lot of exhibits due to the crowd. It was difficult to navigate and actually see everything that was available. We will probably go again once all exhibits are open but it's not really worth the trip right now. read more

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I'm specifically reviewing parking here. My visit to Discovery world with family today was devoted to attending a Makers Market. Parking inside was not possible, but we found easy access across the street. Easy, yes, until you want to leave. I anticipated the $15 fee (exorbitant, but not uncommon to be stiffed at cultural locations), but I wasn't ready for the 20 minute stroll to get back into the parking garage. You'll certainly get your steps in as you work to get back into this place. Signage sucks. read more

Nice place but needs some update. However, children had a lot of fun! I am a little worried though. Not being from this country, I found odd the man in a wig and dress working at the front desk. Should not be around the children, is clear he is disturbed person. Have heard many bad scary things about this. Otherwise, good place. read more

Ridiculous while hosting Maker's Faire 2022. DW is hosting Milwaukee Maker's Faire, an annual exhibition of STEM, craft and art by local creatives. People LIVING the exact kind of wonder and appreciation for science and learning that Discovery World purports to inspire in young people. The Faire will draw adults and parents that may not have otherwise come to Discovery World but instead of using the opportunity to show off the museum, aquarium and Kohls Design It! Lab to new potential fans, DW is penny pinching and charging a separate admission for those areas. A poor choice, but fine. But what is really embarrassing is how they are forcing their young docents to actively hunt down and confront any Maker Faire attendee who drifts into a permanent exhibition area. It is ridiculous and embarrassing for Discovery World. Instead of using their docents to welcome newcomers, they are rudely and aggressively ostracizing visitors. Kohls Design It! Lab should have been TIGHTLY INTEGRATED INTO Maker's Faire. Instead, NorthWestern Mutual has their own youth design team occupying the main Maker's Floor and Design It! Lab employees are sequestered upstairs, completely cut off from the Maker's Faire! Embarrassing display of mismanagement and out of touch penny pinching. I hope DW does better in the future. read more

I honestly didn't expect much from this museum because it looked small ( especially compared to its neighbor to the south (Chicago's Museum of science and industry is HUGE). That being said, it does not detract from the overall experience. I actually really enjoyed this museum! There is plenty of interactivity to keeps both kids and adults entertained. I also love that they incorporated an aquarium (albeit small) that is serviceable. There are plenty of interesting and unique exhibits ranging from physics to guitars to Great Lakes. One thing I absolutely love is the automation/robotics exhibit. There's a machine where could customize your toy from a series of 4 options. It's so cool and functions as a free souvenir. I was quite pleased with it! They also have a workshop upstairs where you build structures out of cardboard. This place loves to give their customers a memorable experience that they can remember. I also like that once I entered, the whole museum was open to me... no special exhibits with an up charge! This is a must if on Milwaukee for everyone! read more

Very interesting and interactive hybrid science center/aquarium. Lots of exhibits and fun things for kids and adults alike. We spent 2 hours here and felt like there was still more to see. Good location against the lake and easy to get to. read more