Fun and Friendly Milwaukee: Best Stops for a Family Getaway

In 2014, ABC Travel Guides for Kids named Milwaukee the top destination for family travel, and the city once called Brew Town was officially recognized for its kid-friendly appeal. Choose from any of the following attractions to spark your entire family's imagination.

Discovery World

500 N. Harbor Drive

At Discovery World, kids learn about hydraulics, energy production trends, and microorganisms — all in the name of having fun. In fact, they won't even realize they're learning as they lie on a bed of nails, create sound waves using a guitar, pet a stingray, and use touch screen controls to create personalized products. Don't be surprised to look around and see adults enjoying the exhibits as much as the children.

Milwaukee County Zoo

10001 W. Bluemound Road

Open 365 days a year, Milwaukee County Zoo spreads across 200 wooded acres and is home to more than 2,000 animals. The entire family can take a train ride around the perimeter of the zoo, watch an educational wildlife show, see sea lions frolic, and whiz down the 500-foot zip line above the zoo grounds.

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Betty Brinn Children's Museum

929 E. Wisconsin Avenue

The Betty Brinn Children's Museum is famous for two reasons. It's Milwaukee's only museum designed for the 10 and younger crowd, and it uses innovative play to help little ones build cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills. Although exhibits like The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head and Bugs on the Balcony sound like silly fun, they are actually designed to spark imagination and start young children down a lifelong road of learning.

Miller Park

1 Brewers Way

No need to worry about a rainout at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. Located at 1 Brewers Way, the stadium is fully covered by the only fan-shaped retractable roof in the MLB. When it's time to take a break from the game, kids will have a blast playing at the onsite KidsZone, complete with a miniature version of Bernie Brewer's famous slide.

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Harley-Davidson Museum

400 W. Canal Street

If you're a bike lover, why not share that passion with the kids? Although it may not sound like a family-friendly place to visit, the Harley-Davidson Museum may surprise you. Children are invited to build their own virtual motorcycles and try on Harley-Davidson gear at Imagination Station.

Safehouse Restaurant

779 N. Front Street

Impress almost any kid with a meal at Safehouse, a spy-themed restaurant located in an alleyway near the river. You have to provide a password to enter and pass a clearance test to prove you're not double agents. Once inside, junior spies have their own special menu, including cheese curds cleverly disguised as mini plastic explosives, green bean missiles, and spy sliders.

Cranky Al's

6901 W. North Avenue

Many locals claim Cranky Al's offers the best doughnuts in the entire Milwaukee area as well as pizza sauce that blows others out of the water. Why not take the family and weigh in on the issue? After a day of sightseeing, a family-friendly restaurant where no one gets uptight about kids that are a little boisterous is a treat. You can sit back, try out the food, and relax.

Have you visited one or more of these Milwaukee attractions? We'd love to hear about your favorites on our Twitter page.