Discovery World stands on the lakefront at 500 North Harbor Drive, close to the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Summerfest grounds, and it is the city's science center, built around the idea that you learn by touching things. The museum splits its attention between Lake Michigan and technology. On the water side is the Reiman Aquarium, which pairs tropical Caribbean species with native Great Lakes fish and includes touch tanks, plus Great Lakes conservation exhibits that include a working replica of a nineteenth-century schooner and the Milwaukee Water Works exhibit on how water is cleaned and reused. On the technology side the museum is packed with things to press, steer and launch. There are flight and road racing simulators, an Innovation Station, a robot called Gladys, rocket launches, a forensic lab in the style of a crime-scene investigation, a three-dimensional room called The Hive and Les Paul's House of Sound, where children experiment with how sound works. It is aimed at families with school-age children, though adults who like gadgets will find plenty to do, and the lakeside setting gives the whole place a bright, open feel even on a grey day.
Hours and tickets
In the fall and winter the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9am to 4pm and closed Mondays and Tuesdays, while spring and summer hours run every day. It is closed on 26 November and on 24 and 25 December, and special holiday hours apply on a few dates, so check the calendar for your visit.
Buying tickets online saves money, prices can rise on busy days, tickets are non-refundable, and membership includes unlimited visits. Wisconsin families who receive benefits can use a reduced Access Admission with an EBT card and ID.
What to expect
Plan on three to four hours, and arrive at opening if you can, because the simulators and hands-on stations are far more pleasant before the crowds build. Fish feedings take place in the large aquarium tank on Wednesdays, a good reason to pick that day.
Outside food and drinks are allowed, and the museum has a downtown kitchen counter for a lunch break. Free wheelchairs and strollers are available on a first-come basis with ID, and the building has family restrooms, a lactation room and a quiet room for children who need a break from the noise.
Parking and getting there
A heated underground garage sits beneath the building, which is a real advantage in a Wisconsin winter, though parking is charged by the hour and can add noticeably to the cost of a long visit. Walkers from downtown can follow the lakefront toward the art museum. Discovery World fits well with a morning at the museum and a lunch at the Public Market, and it is one of the best rainy-day or freezing-day choices in the city, especially for children who have outgrown a play area but are not yet ready for an art gallery.
Choosing your day
Weekday mornings in the fall and winter are the calmest, school groups are common on weekday mornings during the school year, and weekends fill up from late morning. If you plan to combine Discovery World with another lakefront stop, put it first, since the simulators and hands-on stations are the first things to build a queue. Children who love a particular area, such as the aquarium or the sound exhibit, will happily spend an hour there, so build in slack rather than racing through, and keep the closed dates in mind when you pin your itinerary to a particular day.
What to expect
The experience
A hands-on science museum with a Great Lakes aquarium, simulators, robots and technology exhibits on the lakefront.
Best time
Wednesday morning for aquarium feedings, or any opening hour to beat the crowds.
How long
Three to four hours, longer if children are absorbed in the simulators.
Tips
Buy tickets online, arrive at opening, use the heated underground garage in winter and check the closed dates.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Families with school-age children and curious adults.
- Families
- The best all-weather choice for children, with touch tanks and plenty of hands-on stations.
- Couples
- Better as a daytime outing for the lakeside setting than as a romantic stop.
- Pair with
- The Milwaukee Art Museum and the lakefront walk, or lunch at the Public Market.
- Time needed
- Three to four hours.
Good questions
Where is Discovery World?+
It is at 500 North Harbor Drive on the Lake Michigan shore in downtown Milwaukee, near the Milwaukee Art Museum.
What are the fall and winter hours?+
The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9am to 4pm and closed Mondays and Tuesdays in the fall and winter, and it closes on 26 November and 24 and 25 December. Check the calendar for special hours.
What is there to see?+
The highlights are the Reiman Aquarium, Great Lakes and water exhibits, flight and racing simulators, a robot, a forensic lab and a sound exhibit named for Les Paul.
Is there parking?+
Yes, a heated underground garage sits beneath the building. It is charged by the hour, so a long visit costs more.
Can I bring my own food?+
Outside food and drinks are allowed, and there is also a food counter inside for a quick lunch.
