Location: Milwaukee
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7 Art Museums in Milwaukee That You Shouldn't Miss
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is perhaps best known for its famous breweries and the Major League Brewers, but there's more to the city than beer and baseball. Milwaukee is rich in historical and cultural attractions, making it the perfect place for a weekend of exploring. Check out the newly expanded Milwaukee Art Museum or the Mitchell Park Horticultural Society, which hosts an annual show of the same flora and fauna seen in Georgia O'Keefe's paintings. Those interested in the city's history can visit the grand Pabst Mansion, former home of one of the city's famous beer barons, or the Milwaukee Public Museum, to see what life was like in Old Milwaukee. If the kids are along, don't miss the Milwaukee County Zoo or the Betty Brinn Children's Museum. Of course a trip to the "Genuine American City" would not be complete without a tour of the Miller Brewing Company and a Brewers game at Miller Park.
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1. Milwaukee Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,730 reviews
Museum boasts an extensive collection of nearly 20,000 works, representing such artists as Pablo Picasso, Georgia O'Keeffe and Andy Warhol.
Reviewed By agustine934 - San Antonio, United States
The museum, design by Santiago Calatrava (well-known Spanish architect) is a real gem; the collection is perfectly curated and the exhibition halls are wonderful; The museum holds one of the largest collections of works by Wisconsin native Georgia O'Keeffe. Other artists represented include Gustave Caillebotte, Nardo di Cione, Francisco de Zurbarán, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Winslow Homer, Auguste Rodin, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Gabriele Munter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Robert Gober, and Andy Warhol, however in my (humble) opinion the American Folk art collection is the most valuable thing they have. Spending a couple of hours at this museum is totally worth it. Do not miss it!
2. Lynden Sculpture Garden
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 52 reviews
The Lynden Sculpture Garden offers a unique experience of art in nature through its collection of more than 50 monumental sculptures sited across 40 acres of park, lake and woodland. Open to the public Wednesdays and Sundays. Call or visit the website for seasonal hours.
Reviewed By sclptr - Charleston, United States
Nestled on the north side of Milwaukee in River Hills the Bradley Estate known as Lynden Sculpture Garden is a world class collection of sculptures sited in the environment. There is a small fee to roam the grounds but it is well worth the price. Relaxed with a friendly staff make your visit an experience where you can see major sculptures as they were intended to be seen. The landscape is beautiful and there are lots of special events offered throughout the year along with workshops and children’s activities. It’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Easy access and free parking.
3. Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 60 reviews
Overlooking Lake Michigan, the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum is an Italian Renaissance-style villa designed by architect David Adler in 1923 as the residence of Lloyd Smith of the A.O. Smith Corporation, his wife Agnes and their family. The villa’s courtyards, terraces and Renaissance garden flowing down to the lake make it unique in Milwaukee. The permanent collection features fine and decorative arts from the 15th through the 18th centuries. The museum is also home to the Cyril Colnik Collection and Archives. Colnik was Milwaukee’s master decorative iron artisan from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.
4. Haggerty Museum of Art
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
The Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty Museum of Art at 13th and Clybourn Streets in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the campus of Marquette University, was established in 1984. Haggerty, a Marquette alumnus and co-founder of Texas Instruments, and his wife donated their art collection to the university. But the seed for "the Haggerty," as it is popularly known, was planted in 1889 when the Rev. Stanislaus L. Lalumiere donated "Pere Marquette and the Indians," a painting by Wilhelm Lamprecht to then Marquette College. In the late 1970s, Marquette's Fine Arts Committee collaborated to build a permanent home for the university's art collection. The construction site was decorated by a mural called "Construction Fence" by American artist and social activist Keith Haring. The Haggerty features eight to nine exhibitions each year, including the Italian Renaissance, American self-taught artists, works addressing social change, modern American printmaking and photography and contemporary art from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Wisconsin. The museum has a permanent collection of over 4,500 paintings, sculptures, photographs and other visual art pieces. Among the distinguished artists who are represented are Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Andy Warhol.
5. Charles Allis Art Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 25 reviews
Designed by prominent Milwaukee architect Alexander Eschweiler for Charles Allis — the first president of Allis-Chalmers — and his wife Sarah in 1911, this Tudor-style mansion and art collection was built with the purpose of bequeathing it to the public to delight, educate and inspire. The permanent collection features 19th-century French and American paintings, Chinese and Japanese porcelains, Renaissance bronzes, Japanese netsuke, and original furnishings. Curated exhibitions are mounted several times each year along with a variety of other arts programming.
6. Portrait Society Gallery
Portrait Society Gallery is one of Milwaukee's most progressive contemporary art spaces. Exhibition change every two months and include photography, video, installation, painting by emerging and mid-career artists.
7. The Warehouse
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
