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 lesser-known, to keep you and your little ones entertained all year long.

Read on – and have a blast this Great Milwaukee Summer!

Partner Pick

Optimist Theatre Presents: Shakespeare in the City Watch free, live, professionally-produced performances from several companies in neighborhood green spaces throughout the greater Milwaukee area, including:

• Hamlet, by Optimist Theatre, a one-woman, 100% Shakespeare production starring Milwaukee’s very own Libby Amato.
• Another Midsummer Night’s Dream, by Available Players, an original piece written and directed by Milwaukee playwright Liz Shipe.
• The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet: Kinda Sorta, by Schmitz ’n Giggles Shakesparody Players, this triumphant return is written and directed by Patrick Schmitz.
• Macbeth by Pocket Park Puppet Players, as can only be accomplished by puppets. Puppets with knives.

PLUS: Optimist will also present Shakespeare-focused theatre games and workshops with The PLAY’s the Thing. Find out more

1. Visit the Domes
2. Make friends with the animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo
3. See a big movie or sit under the stars at the Daniel M. Soref National Geographic Dome Theater & Planetarium
4. Make the second rattlesnake rattle at Milwaukee Public Museum 
5. Discover art at the Milwaukee Art Museum
6. Smell the roses at the Boerner Botanical Gardens
7. Pedal a swan paddleboat on the Veterans Park lagoon
8. Make a splash at one of Milwaukee County Parks pools or splash pads
9. Explore the Betty Brinn Children's Museum
10. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to have a family-friendly lunch at the Safe House (Make sure you know the password!)
11. Enjoy a play for all ages at First Stage Milwaukee
12. Discover something unusual at American Science and Surplus
13. Get the perfect yo-yo at Art Smart's Dart Mart & Juggling Emporium
14. Watch the roasters at Colectivo Coffee on Humboldt
15. Go fly a kite at the lakefront with the help of Gift of Wings

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16. Play laser tag at Kids In Motion
17. Cool off, strap on skates and take to the ice at the Pettit National Ice Center
18. Crawl through the play tubes during a ballgame at American Family Insurance Field
19. Slide into the Springs Water Park inside the Ingleside Hotel
20. Drive your parents crazy by taking them to Chuck E. Cheese's
21. Feed fish and other aquarium life at the Urban Ecology Center 
22. Eat a slice of apple pie – a fall favorite, delicious in any season! – at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago
23. Get airborne at the Wauwatosa Skate Park
24. Enjoy story time at one of the Milwaukee Public Libraries
25. Roller skate at Skateland
26. Rock out at The Lil Gig, featuring kid-friendly fun at the Northwestern Mutual Community Park during Summerfest 

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27. Take a walk on the Milwaukee River Trails
28. Ride the East Troy Electric Railroad
29. Step back in time at Trimborn Farm & Curtin House
30. See a family-friendly flick at one of Milwaukee's movie theaters
31. Watch the planes take off at Timmerman Field
32. Cruise Lake Michigan on the Denis Sullivan, the world's only recreation of a 19th century sailing vessel
33. Skip rocks on Pewaukee Lake
34. See how the other half lived at The Pabst Mansion
35. Visit Villa Terrace and pretend you're in Italy
36. Commune with nature at the Riveredge Nature Center
37. Venture around a free open-air art gallery scattered all around Downtown with Sculpture Milwaukee
38. Get a taste of farm life at Green Meadows Farm in East Troy
39. Kick it at a soccer game with the Milwaukee Torrent 

Partner Pick

Make this summer your masterpiece On the lakefront and in the galleries, come face to face with art that tells stories, sparks creativity, and brings you closer together. Start planning your visit at mam.org

40. Check out how Wisconsin residents lived in the 1800s at Pioneer Village
41. See how root beer is made at Sprecher Brewery
42. Cheer on the pig races and all the other animals at the Wisconsin State Fair
43. Volunteer at the Wisconsin Humane Society or simply visit to check out the cute, fluffy, four-legged creatures
44. Feed the geese at the Veterans Park lagoon (but no bread, please)
45. Hike on the wooded paths at Lake Park
46. Learn about nature at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
47. See what frontier life was like at Old World Wisconsinin Eagle 
48. Take a tour of the city with The Hop
49. Bike the Hank Aaron State Trail
50. Hit the links with a few holes on Milwaukee's golf courses

Partner Pick

Gift of Wings Buy and fly a kite from Milwaukee’s full service kite & aviation store. Gift of Wings produces many kite festivals and free movie nights throughout the year. Find out more

51. Bowl a few games at Bay View Bowl or Koz's Mini Bowl
52. Jump in the lake and play on the cool equipment at Atwater Beach
53. Grab a bucket and go fishing with dad
54. Explore the city's landmarks big and small, famous and hidden, during Doors Open Milwaukee
55. Rock out at Bayshore's Sounds of Summer or one of the city's other glorious free summer music series

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56. Enjoy Pete's Pops on a hot day (but quickly before it melts!) 
57. Stroll along the Riverwalk and see the big neon fish
58. Try out Adventure Rock and their impressive climbing wall
59. Savor the flavor of the day at Kopp's or one of the city's many tasty custard options

60. A regular golf course too big for the kiddos? Go miniature golfing instead!
61. Enjoy an outdoor movie right by the lake with Gift of Wings summer family movie series
62. Picnic among the art at Lynden Sculpture Garden
63. Plant a garden
64. Take a bite of history with a stop at the Old World sausage shop at Usinger's
65. Share Milwaukee history at the Forest Home Cemetery
66. Shop and savor the Downtown atmosphere at one of the city's Night Markets

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67. Chase butterflies at the Wehr Nature Center
68. Connect with a curveball at a batting cage
69. Drive up to Leon's for a burger and fries, '50s style!
70. Take a one-tank getaway somewhere close to Milwaukee – but far enough to still feel like an adventure
71. Look to the sky to see the Air & Water Show above the lake this July
72. Sample step dancing at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center
73. Cheer on the Brewers (and the racing sausages) at American Family Field
74. Find a treasure at the Mars Cheese Castle
75. Experience major-league-level fun at a Lakeshore Chinooks baseball game
76. Learn something new at Discovery World
77. Have fun and a feast with the games and eateries inside 3rd Street Market Hall
78. Cool off in style at Bear Paw Adventure Park with a water park, adventure activities and more

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79. Brush up on Milwaukee's story at the Milwaukee County Historical Society
80. Take a class at Danceworks
81. Explore an island at Lakeshore State Park
82. Celebrate a Rainbow Summer with the Marcus Center with art, music, vendors and more running July 23-27
83. Request your favorite song (with a tasty slice) at Organ Piper Pizza
84. Take in a movie under the stars at a drive-in theater
85. Take a scuba lesson at Port Deco Diversin Port Washington
86. Join the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra
87. Marvel at the falls in Menomonee Falls
88. Go horseback riding in Ozaukee County
89. If you can't catch Giannis for a selfie at Fiserv Forum or Barnacle Bud's, snap one in front of his giant Downtown mural 

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90. Have fun both young and old at one of Milwaukee's friendly beer gardens
91. Learn about maritime history at the Port Exploreum in Port Washington
92. "Ride" a Harley and more at the Harley-Davidson Museum 
93. Head back to the past with a visit during Renaissance Faire, beginning July 6
94. Take a tour of the post office
95. See a family-friendly concert or performance at one of the city's many stages
96. Take music lessons at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
97. Climb to the top of the steeple (and earn a slice of their famous pie) at Holy Hill
98. Figure out which of the new cream puff flavors are the best at the Wisconsin State Fair – or just stick with an old classic on-a-stick.
99. Go back in time at Old Falls Village Museum
100. Mooooooo-ve it on over to a Milwaukee Milkmen baseball game