As with everything these days, we urge you to call ahead to check opening hours, which may be limited during the coronavirus outbreak.
Looking for fun stuff to do in and around Milwaukee for kids of all ages? From smelling the roses at Boerner Botanical Gardens to visiting Old World Wisconsin, this list is chock full of suggestions, both popular and little-known, to keep your little ones entertained all year long.
Read on and have a blast. If you have more suggestions, share them with us and your fellow readers by using the Talkback feature at the bottom.
- Visit the Domes
- Make friends with the animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo
- See a big movie or the stars at the Daniel M. Soref National Geographic Dome Theater & Planetarium
- Make the second rattlesnake rattle at Milwaukee Public Museum (snake button!)
- Discover art at the Milwaukee Art Museum
- Smell the roses at the Boerner Botanical Gardens
PHOTO: VISIT Milwaukee
- Pedal a swan paddleboat on the Veterans Park lagoon
- Take a splash at one of Milwaukee County Parks pools or splash pads
- Explore the Betty Brinn Children's Museum
- Say the password to access lunch at the Safe House
- Enjoy a play at First Stage Milwaukee
- Find something unusual at American Science and Surplus
- Get the perfect yo-yo at Art Smart's Dart Mart & Juggling Emporium
- Watch the roasters at Colectivo Coffee on Humboldt
- Go fly a kite at the lakefront
PHOTO: VISIT Milwaukee
- Play laser tag at Kids In Motion
- Strap on skates and take to the ice at the Pettit National Ice Center
- Crawl through the play tubes at American Family Insurance Field
- Slide into the water park at Inglenook Hotel
- Drive your parents crazy by taking them to Chuck E. Cheese's
- Feed fish and other aquarium life at the Urban Ecology Center
- Eat a slice of apple pie or pick a pumpkin in autumn at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago
- Get airborne at the Wauwatosa Skate Park
PHOTO: VISIT Milwaukee
- Enjoy story time at one of the Milwaukee Public Libraries
- Roller skate at Skateland
- Take a walk on the Milwaukee River Trails
- Ride the East Troy Electric Railroad
- Step back in time at Trimborn Farm & Curtin House
- Write a fan letter to your favorite Brewers, Bucks or Packers player
- Watch the planes take off at Timmerman Field
- Cruise Lake Michigan on the Denis Sullivan, the world's only recreation of a 19th century sailing vessel
- Skip rocks on Pewaukee Lake
- See how the other half lived at The Pabst Mansion
- Visit Villa Terrace and pretend you're in Italy
- Commune with nature at the Riveredge Nature Center
- Get your parents to take you to a Brew City Bruisers bout
- Get a taste of farm life at Green Meadows Farm in East Troy
- Ride the bumper cars at StoneFire Pizza Co.
- Jump around at Bounce Milwaukee
- Check out how Wisconsin residents lived in the 1800s at Pioneer Village
- See how root beer is made at Sprecher Brewery
- Tour the lakefront at warp speed on a Segway
- Volunteer at the Wisconsin Humane Society or simply visit to check out the cute, fluffy, four-legged creatures
- Feed the geese at the Veterans Park lagoon (but no bread, please)
- Hike on the wooded paths at Lake Park
- Learn about nature at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
PHOTO: Visit Milwaukee
- See what frontier life was like at Old World Wisconsin in Eagle
- Ride the The Hop
- Bike the Hank Aaron State Trail
- Hit golf balls at a driving range
- Bowl a few games at Bay View Bowl or Koz's Mini Bowl
- Jump in the lake and play on the cool equipment at Atwater Beach
- Grab a bucket and go fishing with dad
- Go sledding on St. Mary's hill
- Play pinball in the Landmark Lanes arcade
- Enjoy Pete's Pops on a hot day
- Stroll along the Riverwalk and see the big neon fish
- Try out Adventure Rock's climbing wall
PHOTO: Adventure Rock MKE
- Savor the flavor of the day at Kopp's
- Go miniature golfing
- Take a geocache tour
- Picnic among the art at Lynden Sculpture Garden
- Plant a garden
- Visit the cool Old World sausage shop at Usinger's
- Share Milwaukee history at the Forest Home Cemetery
- Play ping-pong at Evolution
- Chase butterflies at the Wehr Nature Center
- Connect with a curveball at batting cages
- Drive up to Leon's for a burger and fries, '50s style!
- Get your (board) game on at Hangout MKE
- Cheer for the Bucks at the Fiserv Forum
- Sample step dancing at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center
- Cuddle with the kitties at Sip 'n' Purr cat cafe
- Find a treasure at the Mars Cheese Castle
- Experience the down-home fun of Lakeshore Chinooks baseball
- Learn something new at Discovery World
PHOTO: VISIT Milwaukee
- Take part in a nature program at Havenwoods Environmental Awareness Center
- Watch Packers training camp at the Don Hutson Center in Green Bay
- Brush up on Milwaukee's story at the Milwaukee County Historical Society
- Take a class at Danceworks
- Explore an island at Lakeshore State Park
- Eat a pizza while you see at movie at Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse
- Request your favorite song at Organ Piper Pizza
- See a movie at the Hi-Way 18 drive-in theater
- Take a scuba lesson at Port Deco Diversin Port Washington
- Join the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra
- Marvel at the falls in Menomonee Falls
- Go horseback riding in Ozaukee County
- Have lunch at Red Robin
- Convince mom and dad to drive you down to Great America
- Learn about maritime history at the Port Exploreum in Port Washington
- "Ride" a Harley at the Harley-Davidson Museum
PHOTO: VISIT Milwaukee
- Try one of the new foods at Summerfest
- Take a tour of the post office
- Eat Kettle Korn
- Take music lessons at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
- Climb to the top of the steeple at Holy Hill
- Eat something on a stick at the Wisconsin State Fair
- Go back in time at Old Falls Village Museum
- Learn how to solve a Rubik's Cube
- Enjoy open gym time at Swiss Turners
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.