What a treasure Milwaukee has in this art museum! When I moved here 18 months ago, the first thing…read moreI did that made me feel like I was truly home was to buy an annual membership to the museum. It was worth every penny, and it's especially easy to get my moneys worth because the museum is only about a 10 minute drive away from my Bay View home. My latest foray to the museum was to see the Gertrude Abercrombie installation, which I highly recommend. Then again, I can recommend anything going on at the MAM.

IG: diamante.lara.milwaukee…read more the art is wack but it's a great place to take photos. Everything in there has zero value.

We made advance reservations & parked in the complimentary lot across the street. Admission is…read more$19 per person, reduced for seniors, children, and free for members. The building is under construction, we entered through the gift shop. We showed our NARM card for free entry. We started with an informative film about the history of the Pabst Mansion. Fifty of us were on the tour, we were broken into 2 groups & I followed Molly throughout the house. She pointed out interesting pieces & fascinating stories. Our hour long tour of the Pabst Mansion was a fascinating:90. We learned about the home, Pabst family & details about the architecture and furnishings of the home while exploring the 1st through 3rd floors. This house had electricity, inside plumbing, a telephone, central heat & 10 bathrooms. In 1892, Captain Frederick & Maria Pabst completed construction of their mansion, It was designed by George Bowman Ferry and Alfred Charles Clas, & cost $254,000. These art collectors, filled their mansion with priceless treasures. During the years of the Pabst family's ownership, the house was the scene of many fine parties and receptions, a wedding & in the end, their funerals. The Pabst descendants sold the house in 1908 and for 60 yrs. was the archbishop's residence When it was sold in 1975, the mansion was nearly torn down but become a museum & was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pabst Mansion certainly comes alive during Christmas time with whimsy and play amidst history…read moreand class. It's my favorite time to visit since each room is activated with holiday decor, festive cheer, and pops of color! Year after year, a team of volunteers help staff transform the Pabst Mansion into this whimsical exhibition adding to the MKE beer baron's living experience. Each year, the colors and decor changes adding a unique experience every holiday season! Times entry and same day tickets are available in advance or at the door, though "at the door" occurs at street level in an adjacent building. A very small free parking lot is up the hill onsite next to the mansion but additional free parking is available across the street and is labeled with signage. If you haven't had the chance to visit during the holiday season, I do recommend it as something different to do during the colder months!

If you've ever seen a Harley Davidson rolling down the highway, you should absolutely go and visit…read morethis museum. We took the entire family and each of them had fun looking at the different motorcycles and interacting with the exhibits. I would recommend this museum to anyone who has even any remote interest in a great brand that's had its handprint on American culture since 1903.

I took advantage of the $4.14 ticket deal on 4/14 day. It was my first visit to Harley Davidson…read moremuseum and I was impressed! The customer service counter had motorcycle windshields which I thought was clever. I appreciated that the staff member let me know the bathrooms are on the first floor so I went there first before heading to the start of the museum on the 2nd floor. So many motorcycles to see! It was fun to see how they have progressed over time. The engine wall was beautiful, very aesthetically pleasing. I most enjoyed the displays that included anecdotes from the riders. If not going on 4-1-4 day, the museum is $25.

Thanks Yelp, for the tickets. Without you, my husband and I probably would not have made it to this…read moreyear's event. The one building that we wanted to see was the Frank Lloyd Wright-built house on the corner of Burnham St. and Layton Blvd. The line to tour the house, as expected for any FLW tour, was long and moved slow and that was only because they were limiting the number of people allowed in the home at one time, as the house is currently occupied. The current tenant, a professor of architecture at UWM, was nice enough to greet each tour group. He shared a little history of the house as well as what it was like to live there. We also saw the Arthur C. and Leonora M. Votteler Manegold House located on the corner of Scott St. and Layton Blvd., and Fire Station 26 located at the corner of 26th and Scott streets. The history of both buildings was very interesting and sparked both of our interests in learning a bit more about architecture in Milwaukee. I kept the tour booklet so that I can visit some of the "exterior only" tour sites at my leisure throughout the rest of the year. I hope we can attend next year because there are several buildings/homes that I would love to check out and a lecture that sounds interesting. 106/2015

The is nothing like it anywhere!…read more Historic Milwaukee, Incorporated is an active group dedicated to the history of Milwaukee, and not just to the preservation of Milwaukee's architectural gems but to the celebration and general enjoyment of those gems. Two major events each year allow thousands of folks to enjoy them. The two annual events are Doors Open Milwaukee in September and the Spaces & Traces neighborhood tour each May. (I actually participated in a couple of the Spaces & Traces tours many years ago, as a member of a club, providing vintage automobiles to add a touch of authenticity to the subject neighborhood, but I digress.) Spaces & Traces has been a part of Milwaukee for 34 years. In 2015, Spaces & Traces returned to Layton Boulevard. Over a century ago, 27th Street was way out in the country, a part of the old Town of Wauwatosa. It was the site of a celery farm and summer homes for well-to-do Milwaukeeans. As the city grew outward, this stretch of 27th Street became Layton Boulevard and was supposed to be the new Gold Coast for Milwaukee. Some spectacular homes were built on Layton Boulevard but it never developed as such. Like its counterpart to the east, the area developed into an ethnicity diverse neighborhood with a myriad of churches and styles of homes. Some participants in this year's Spaces & Traces opened up their homes, allowing us a glimpse into life in the neighborhood in the early 20th Century. A home designed by Milwaukee's prolific architect, Alexander C. Eschweiler, was open on Layton Boulevard. Severely damaged by a 2002 fire and by fire fighter efforts to save it, the home is being lovingly restored by descendants of the second owner. The fire company that helped save the house is a block away and was also open for touring! The School Sisters of St. Francis were kind enough to open their facility, including tours of their chapels, one being the location of a talk by noted local historian, John Gurda, who gave us an informative talk about the growth, ethnicity and development of Layton Boulevard and the nearby Silver City neighborhood. Also open for touring this year were two of the six Frank Lloyd Wright designed American System homes. Wright envisioned several homes for moderate income American families. He advocated the construction of homes off site and assembled at the build site. Unlike a prefabricated home, Wright advocated the cutting and fabrication of components at a factory, then shipping them to the site for assembly. He claimed this "American System" would cut waste and reduce labor costs by requiring fewer craftsmen at the job site. Only a few examples of his American System Homes were built, including these rare structures on Burnham Street. As always, there were far more properties open than is (likely) possible for one person to tour, but what I did see, and learn about Milwaukee, was well worth my effort. Here's a thank you callout to our Yelp rep, Rachel F., for opening the Yelp connection with Historic Milwaukee! Thanks to Historic Milwaukee, to the hundreds of volunteers, Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin and especially thanks to the owners who opened their doors to us to see into the past. Don't miss Spaces & Traces next year - and I'll be looking for you at Doors Open Milwaukee in September!

I am obsessed with Ten Chimneys!!…read more The backstory is fascinating. This wonderful, glamorous Broadway couple found their way to the sweet little mid-west town of Genesee Depot is intriguing on it's own. Their summer home is lovely. I can feel the parties and good times that surely took place in years gone by. Everything has been lovingly preserved by those in charge and offer a wonderful glimpse into this adored couple's lives. The grounds are the perfect backdrop to the home. The entire estate gives off a quiet and relaxing vibe. It makes me understand why, on their time off, they would long to come home to Ten Chimneys. There were 2 tour times offered. Everyone takes a small bus from the starting point. A talented docent brings you on a detailed journey back in time and into the private world of Alfred Lunt and his wife Lynn Fontanne. Of course, there is a gift shop to visit after your tour. Be sure to check out the customer restrooms. The ladies room is glamorous with ladies finery and there is a huge King's throne in the mens room! Don't miss the walking tails if you want to take in a bit more nature!

As a classic film and theater nerd, Ten Chimneys holds a special place in my heart. The former home…read moreof Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, the home and grounds are impeccable and just they was as they Lunts left them. Thanks to some love from investors, their stories are preserved and memorialized through the maintenance of Ten Chimneys and the many individuals from all over the world who come to this tiny Wisconsin town to remember them and Hollywood's days gone by. Cross the same threshold that the likes of Vivien Leigh, Helen Hayes, Lawrence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn, Noel Coward, Alexander Woolcott, and so many others crossed, as you become part of the storied list of visitors. Tours must be arranged in advance.

No urban spelunking adventure in Walker's Point is complete without a visit to the Lamer's…read moreBuilding. Located just down the street from Botanas on 5th and National, this 1880 building has been lovingly restored by its owner, artist and sculptor Celine Farrell. It houses her studio, Grove Galleries, as well as rotating exhibits in Comb Gallery and N. Adam Beadel's studio honoring the lost art of Linotype, Team Nerd. The space is beautiful with features including cast iron window frames, high ceilings, exposed beams and hardwood floors. The hand tile work evokes the period and pays homage to its former use as a shoe store. In Team Nerd's space, Beadel has a working letter press from circa 1917 as well as an extensive collection of Linotype letters. He spins the wheel, and one by one his pieces are created, in the same fashion of the period. Next to the press is a vintage paper cutter, circa 1909, that is operated by throwing a large switch with the arms. A bevy of examples of pressed art adorn the walls. On a particular visit to Comb Gallery, owner Khine Cho Hline displays examples of Farrell's cast iron sculptures and prints in the adjoining gallery which features a generous loft space. Behind the gallery is Farrell's studio and the second floor is living space. Farrell is proud to provide tours of the space she elegantly transformed into a showcase of creativity for artists in the area. Her finished result is a treasure in the up-and-coming neighborhood. Comb Gallery is open Thursday and Friday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Team Nerd and Grove Galleries are also open by appointment.

I love everything about this event…read more For an entire weekend in September, nearly 175 buildings are free to enter and open to the public. There's everything from guided tours to pamphlet assisted self-guided tours to spots where you simply stop in and have a look around. We got to see inside places that we would never have otherwise had the opportunity to see. It's an amazing opportunity to get to know Milwaukee a little bit better (even if you're native to Milwaukee!) and the stories behind some of the beautiful buildings and architecture in our fair city. The stops we made this year were: +All Saints' Episcopal Cathedral +Ambassador Hotel +Basilica of St. Josaphat +Calvary Cemetery Chapel +Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist +The Fire Station on Broadway (the oldest fire company in Milwaukee, founded in 1839) +Frank Lloyd Wright's Burnham Block--American System-Built Homes +Summerfield United Methodist Church All the stops were extraordinary in their own way. My favorite was the Basilica. I had never been inside and it's breathtaking. Frank Lloyd Wright's Burnham Block was also fascinating and probably the most heavily guided of all the places we explored. My son enjoyed the Calvary Cemetery Chapel the most for the creep factor (a small chapel on the top of a hill surrounded by graves and containing crumbling tombs? He was delighted). Pro tip: They have a website which details all the stops. Our plan was to utilize that throughout the day to figure out where to go. However, (due to high volume traffic, I'm sure) the website was super slow on Sunday when we went. So, we used it to figure out our first stop (Ambassador Hotel) and then picked up the Doors Open paper guide there (which has all the same info as the website and each stop had a stack of them). I am seriously already looking forward to next year. Get to it!

Review 2400!! Doors…read moreOpen is one of my favorite MKE events, mostly because I am a huge nerd who loves architecture and our beautiful city! Fortunately I managed to marry a man who loves MKE history too, so we try to never miss this weekend. If you have not gone here are some of the stops I've really enjoyed: *Masonic temple on 30th and Wisconsin *Frank Lloyd Wright homes on Burnham *The Federal Courthouse *The model RR club in an old train station - this is the first year they've participated an it's truly a hidden gem! *Tge Joan of Arc chapel on MU's campus It's free, it's fun - be a tourist in your own town! Historic Milwaukee does a great job pulling this together every year - it just gets bigger and better. Many thanks to all the volunteers and docents who help make this event what it is. Also, they now have a mini block party on Michigan Ave - don't miss having a tasty drink from Swinging Door and a delicious empanadas from the Olano's cart!

Saw "& Juliet" at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, in Uihlein Hall…read more Our seats were in the Loge section, row C, seats 311 to 308. Plenty of volunteers were stationed throughout to help direct people to their seats. Beverages and snacks were available in the atrium. For bathrooms, I would recommend heading down to the atrium level rather than staying on the upper floor. The upper floor restroom is smaller, and the line was quite long. Sound and view from our seats were both good. The 2026/2027 season is posted now, and there are several shows on it I'd like to see. Being able to catch these here without having to travel to Chicago is a nice perk.

I've always thought that the theater could use a higher incline. It's such a large theater, but it…read morecan get pretty uncomfortable in the back, with views very obscured by taller gents seating in front of you. Obviously orchestra seats are the best. As are the front loge seats. But unlike, say the Fiserv where you get a good view from any seat, further back seats here can get pretty uncomfortable. One little bit of luck I had seating on row W was that this was the second to the last row on orchestra floor, but the last row was set up with sound tables and no one was seating there during my show. And because I had a really tall guy seating in front of me, I couldn't see anything, but I could actually flop up the fold down chair and sit up high without obscuring anyone behind me and get an unobscured view myself. So if I want cheap tickets in the back, get the very back row and sit up like that to get a better view lol. It's not comfortable though.