A guide to Milwaukee tours

By Jolynn Woehrer & Bobby Tanzilo Published Nov 16, 2000 at 12:09 AM

The city of Milwaukee has a copious aggregate of historical anecdotes. Living on through the architecture, the remnants of Milwaukee's heritage linger with all of us, whether we notice it or not. Historic Milwaukee Incorporated offers a plethora of walking tours that bring the city's vivid past and neighborhoods to life.

If you can't get up that early, don't fret. There are a number of tours offered in the afternoon as well. At 1 p.m. on Saturdays, you could discover Old World Third Street's "German Heritage," check out the life story of the "Historic Third Ward," or encounter Milwaukee's first National Historical District in "Walker's Point Revisited."

A few tours are offered at 1 p.m. on Sundays and 6 p.m. on Thursdays, as well. You could see the remnants of the early Yankee settlers in "Historic Yankee Hill" or return to the early 1900's North Point area in "Water Tower Neighborhood."

Some tours not focused strictly on geographic area are available as well. Take the opportunity to visit the grounds of the National Soldier's Home Historic District and learn about the experience of Civil War soldiers as they returned home. Or sign up for "The Naughty Ladies of Beer Town" and discover Milwaukee's old reputation for its madams and brothels before it was brought to a halt in 1911.

Walking Tour fees are regularly $5 or $3 for an Historic Milwaukee Inc. member and $2 for students and children six and over. Children under six are free. Tours last about an hour and a half.

To reserve a place on any of these tours or to find out meeting locations, call Historic Milwaukee Inc. at 414-277-7795.

Neighbors of Historic Walker's Point have also published a brochure that allows the adventurous to strike out on their own self-guided tour of the near south side neighborhood. The comprehensive brochure is easy to follow and lists historic buildings, as well as restaurants, taverns, shops, galleries and more. Copies can be picked up at the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau, 510 W. Kilbourn Ave.

Of course, you can also take an indoor walking tour of old-time Milwaukee in the Milwaukee Public Museum's wonderful Streets of Old Milwaukee exhibition, which features a reconstruction of the city as it appeared 100 or so years ago. The old shops and homes are based on actual sites and are furnished with historic articles. The museum, at 800 W. Wells St., is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Call (414) 278-2728 for more information.

If walking isn't your speed, take City Wide Tours' "Discovering Milwaukee" sightseeing tour. This three-hour jaunt is led by experienced guides and is $15 for adults and $8 for children. The company also offers a number of "drop-off" tours that allow visitors to explore specific locations -- like the Miller Brewery, Potawatomi Casino, America's Black Holocaust Museum, the Domes and the Pabst Mansion -- on their own.