TR’s Top Five Museums in Wisconsin (in no particular order):
Having fun at the EAA Museum
>Milwaukee Discovery World at Pier WI
>Kenosha 3 – Civil War, Dinosaur, Public
As you know, we love a good museum. We have previously offered our reviews on both the National Railroad Museum and Milwaukee Public Museum. And we have visited the remaining museums on this list repeatedly. We offer some highlights below.
1) The Milwaukee Discovery World at Pier WI is a very large, hands-on science museum split into 2 separate wings- a technology/manufacturing area and a marine sciences/aquarium area. Admission is steep but they do participate in the ASTC if you happen to be a member (Alert- if your membership base is within 90 miles of Discovery World, you will have to pay full admission!!!). Once again, we suggest that you get a membership to the ASTC. The aquarium is great fun and has plenty of hands-on experiences, like a chance to pet a Ray (they are very cute!) Climbing around on the big boat was also a joy for our young Bluey. Most exhibits in the technology area are elevated and require an ability to manipulate gears, so we recommend this area for children five and up. Our three year old enjoyed his visit, especially the aquarium. But the technology section required full on parental involvement and Bluey was overwhelmed by day’s end. Bring your own food to enjoy inside or out as there is only one very small, expensive café within the museum. Parking in the garage is plentiful and costs extra.
2) The 3 Kenosha museums are tons of fun. Two are located right next door to each other (the Civil War Museum and the Kenosha Public Museum) while the Dinosaur museum is a quick drive from the other 2. The Dinosaur museum is very small with a little gift shop within the main entrance area. There is a nice effort at creating a hands-on exploration station in the basement, but it will only captivate the attention of ages 5 and under. The museum is free and you’ll be in and out within 20 minutes. But you will see more carnosaurs than at museums ten times its size. The Kenosha Public museum is also free. It is a great space for exploring all sorts of historical and fine art exhibits. There are quite a few hands-on areas. It will take you about 1 hour to go through this museum and it is a great stop for pre-school ages on up. The Civil War museum charges $7 admission per person for anyone over 15 years of age. It is a wonderful place to learn about the Civil War. There is nothing specifically hands-on but many of the exhibits are interactive. It will take just over an 1 to explore this museum.
Tip: Kenosha has a wonderful trolley that takes about a 15 minute loop through the town. Well worth it and cheap ($1 for adults)! Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the lakeside views!
3) EAA AirVenture Museum also participates in the ASTC. If you aren’t a member, admission is expensive for all visitors over 5. This museum has a wonderful collection of planes and related memorabilia. Most exhibits are not interactive. But there is a special wing for kids that allows for full on exploration. It takes about 1 hour to go through the entire museum. Remember that this museum has a working airport so you can usually spot some planes coming in and out. Parking is plentiful and free. There are only vending machines and water fountains for refreshments.
All of these museums within our top five are an hour or more drive from Madison, WI. They make wonderful day trips and are popular destinations for our entire family. We’ve been to each museum more than once and look forward to going back again.