By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Jul 22, 2021 at 1:16 PM


After a 2020 during which the popular multi-day event – in which Milwaukeeans get to see inside many local landmarks and other buildings, galleries, gardens and neighborhoods of interest – moved online, Historic Milwaukee Inc.'s Doors Open Milwaukee is back in person for 2021.

A full slate of tours will be announced for Sept. 25-26, HMI announced Thursday.

But there will also be a virtual component online from Sept. 25 through Oct. 3.

The list of buildings and other details are expected to be announced in late August.

Doors Open debuted in 2011 and rapidly became one of the most popular local events in the city.

Each year, I offer my picks for the event and I plan to do the same in 2021. Stay tuned for those recommendations after the sites are announced.

Watch historicmilwaukee.org/doors-open for more information.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

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.