Sure, you get to pay a lot of taxes and that earns you the right to gripe, but what are some of the other tangible benefits of being a Milwaukee County resident (in addition to the great parks, etc.)?
Well, you might be surprised to find that while some county-run venues offer no benefits exclusively to residents, others provide discounted and sometimes free admission.
Here's a guide to making the most of your Milwaukee County residency:
Boerner Botanical Gardens
9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners, (414) 525-5650
boernerbotanicalgardens.org
County residents above the age of 60, the disabled and students (with a valid ID) get discounted admission, saving $1. Kids ages 6-17 pay $2 less than regular admission. Alas, there is no free day for residents here, as at the Domes (see below).
Cool Waters
Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124th St., West Allis, (414) 321-7530
county.milwaukee.gov/router.asp?docid=9156
The water park in Greenfield Park no longer offers discounted admissions to county residents. Now everyone pays $6.75.
Community Centers
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St., (414) 344-5600
Kosciuszko Center, 2201 S. 7 St., (414) 645-4624
county.milwaukee.gov/CommunityCenters10368.htm
The two county-run community centers offer a range of classes and activities for the whole family and annual memberships are $35 for residents vs. $90 for non-residents.
Golf Discount Card
Milwaukee County Parks Golf Office
9480 Watertown Plank Rd., Wauwatosa, (414) 257-8024
milwaukeecountygolfcourses.com/golf/proto/milwaukeecountygolfcourses/shared_discount/shared_discount.htm
Discount cards are available for county-owned golf courses, which already save a fair bit on fees; up to 50 percent, in fact. But residents pay considerably less for the card. A new card for a resident is $22 and a renewal is just $16. Non-residents pay $45 or $137 depending on whether or not they want to golf at Brown Deer. There are also 2- and 3-year cards available at resident and non-resident rates. Check the Web site above for details.
McKinley Marina
1750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., (414) 273-5224
county.milwaukee.gov/BoatingampMcKinleyMa9139.htm
Most services, from launch fees to slip rentals are discounted for residents. Winter storage, however, is undiscounted.
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 N. Art Museum Dr.., (414) 224-3200
mam.org
Milwaukee Countyians used get in free every Wednesday. But since August 2010 everyone gets in free the first Thursday of every month, courtesy of Target.
Milwaukee County Zoo
10001 W. Blue Mound Rd., (414) 256-5412
milwaukeezoo.org
Milwaukee County residents with proof of residency save $1.75 on regular admission every day. On Wednesdays, residents get in for $8 for adults and $5.50 for children. That's a savings of $5.25 (in-season; $3.75 off-season) for adults and $4.75/$3.25 for kids. Check the Web site to see the zoo's annual family free days, too. There are about six of them each year, usually outside the high season.
Milwaukee Public Museum
800 W. Wells St., (414) 649-9800
mpm.edu
Milwaukee County residents get in free all day on Mondays. Soref Planetarium and Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater offer no discounts to Milwaukee County residents, however.
Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes)
524 S. Layton Blvd., (414) 649-9800
county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm
Seniors (60 and up) that are county residents get a discount on the $6.50 admission, paying $5 with proof of residency. However, all county residents get in free on Mondays from 9 a.m. until noon, excluding major holidays.
Pelican Cove
Kosciuszko Park, 2201 S. 7th St., (414) 384-9498
county.milwaukee.gov/router.asp?docid=9158
Residents and non-residents pay the same here, but since admission ranges from $1 to $2, it's hard to complain.
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 has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
