HMI Doors Open 2011 Recommendations
Imagine this for a moment — you’re a kid in a candy store, and as things go, this candy store is opening for the first time ever and only for one weekend. Oh gosh. You’ve dreamed of this cornucopia of confections so many times before, you know every name and shiny wrapper in the store… but your eyes are bigger than your stomach. How can you pick just a choice few, knowing your slight allowance won’t let you have all that you want? It’s the best and worst kind of agony.
Below, find a few ideas on how you can dig into Milwaukee during the first annual Doors Open Milwaukee:
Nik Kovac is the Alderman of Milwaukee’s 3rd District.Nik’s Picks:
US Bank Observation Deck Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility Milwaukee County Transit Fleet Maintenance Building
Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery |
Ian Abston is the event coordinator at OnMilwaukee.com & founder of Newaukee.Ian’s Picks: Great Lakes Distillery  Hotel Metro
Hotel Metro |
John Gurda is a longtime Milwaukee historian.John’s Picks: For people who haven’t been downtown in a while, I’d recommend seeing some of our civic icons, including City Hall, Central Library, and the County Historical Society. I’ll be visiting as many buildings as I can this weekend, but three are highest on my list: US Bank Observation Deck Milwaukee River bridge houses (Kilbourn, State, Wells)
City Lights |
Pegi Christiansen is an arts organizer, writer, performance artist, & chair of In:Site.Pegi’s Picks:
Calvary Presbyterian Church Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility Northwestern Mutual |
Michail Takach is PR & social media consultant for Historic Milwaukee.
Michail’s Picks:
Pritzlaff Building
For decades, this tired old building stood empty, coal-stained and brokedown on a forgotten corner of downtown, virtually the last man standing in a long-vanished industrial neighborhood. Since it was long-surrounded by fast-moving, one-way streets, and cut off from our pedestrian downtown by the freeway, the Pritzlaff Building wasn’t the easiest building to access, and it certainly wasn’t the prettiest thing to look at. Nowadays, it’s no longer the grave marker for Old Milwaukee, but instead the gateway to a reborn and revitalizing Fifth Ward community. Within the past two years, the building has come alive, opened its doors and become an urban adventurer’s dream venue. In the past two years, I’ve seen everything from fire-dancing floorshows to pissed-off punk bands to high-concept art shows in this space. And through it all, this old-time hardware emporium retains its gritty 1880s mercantile feel, one that really brings you back to the rough-and-rugged roots of Milwaukee in an authentic way. See it now, before someone cleans it up and makes it “respectable.”
Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery
Ask any Milwaukeean over the age of 30 what they remember about touring the brewery, and they’ll definitely mention three things: the Old World Guest Center, the iconic statue of King Gambrinus, and of course, the beer. But most Milwaukeeans don’t realize they can still enjoy this experience — 15 years after Pabst ceased production here — at the last outpost of Old World hospitality on the west side, Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery. Best Place has done an amazing job of preserving not only the architecture and history, but the emotional connection to a brand that we used to call our own. Beer lovers will be wowed by the amazing collection of retro memorabilia that decorates the gift shop, and the fact that they can still enjoy an ice cold Pabst right on the spot. Following the return of King Gambrinus after 15 years away, visitors can once again take photos with him (and Captain Pabst) — and share them on the Best Place website. It sure beats the Bronze Fonz!
US Bank Observation Deck
Okay, okay, I know. This seems like the obvious choice. But once you’ve taken a panoramic look at our city from the 41st floor of Wisconsin’s tallest building, you’ll understand. It’s a humbling paradox to see all three of Milwaukee’s original settlement points at the same time, from 600 feet above Wisconsin Avenue, and realize how far and wide we’ve sprung from those birthplaces. Whether you’re admiring our wide open, emerald lakefront, the spires and peaks of downtown buildings, or just the sheer amount of life happening all around you, your breathless view from the top will really change your idea of “Milwaukee” forever. Make this your first Doors Open Milwaukee stop, not your last. You never know when you’ll have a chance to reach these heights again.
Guest post by: Adam Carr
A lifelong Milwaukeean, Adam Carr is a storyteller and radio producer. After two and a half years as producer at 88Nine RadioMilwaukee, he’s currently freelancing and looking for new ways to explore narrative.
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- May 7, 2015 - Nik Kovac received $50 from Ian Abston
I know that for some, touring churches is not high on their list. Think of this. We have no monument to our immigrant past. Instead they built them themselves. In the days when immigrants were flooding into this city they built these magnificent churches that will be with us for years. These congregations were not wealthy nor did they merely use these buildings to worship. The church was a place to go to hear your native language, pass on your culture and maybe find out where there was a job prospect or an opportunity for a place to live. Even though some of the churches do not represent the faith they were built for, they still commemorate the courage these folks had and the contribution they made to this city.
Great event to showcase my birthplace!
I gotta check out the us bank obsv deck. Any details on when this (and others) will start/be open?
@riverwestein If you click on the Us Bank Observation Deck title in the article it should take you to a page with that information… Otherwise go straight to doorsopenmilwaukee.org
I should’ve mentioned this in the article — Doors Open put together some awesome in-depth tours that will be rich and in depth experiences (listed here: ). Also, they’ve put together a handy and extensive guide to the sites based on interest, what they call Build Your Own Urban Adventure (check it out here: )
This event is mind-blowing and this article on it is incredible. One weekend is woefully insufficient. Does anyone know if this might become a regular event? Annual?? I love this profoundly, but can’t possibly cover enough ground over two days. This is a brilliant way to showcase the city and protect our irreplaceable assets.