Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival

The 10th Annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival will illuminate the streets and parks of downtown Milwaukee. Thousands of lights will radiate throughout three downtown parks while sparkling rooflines, brilliant wreaths and Moravian stars set the city’s streets aglow for the six-week festival. Marvel at the spectacular sights of the season aboard the convenient Jingle Bus, a Coach USA bus that takes visitors on a 40-minute tour of downtown’s winter wonderland. For $1 per person, visitors can relish in the holiday spirit while admiring a festive panorama. The tour is narrated by Milwaukee Downtown’s Public Service Ambassadors to acquaint riders with key attractions and landmarks. The Jingle Bus will operate Thursdays through Sundays from 6-9p.m.

14th Annual Christmas in the Country

Christmas in the Country brings thousands of area residents and visitors to the resort to enjoy holiday lights, musical theater, festive food and family fun. The celebration includes more than half a million lights illuminating the sky and forming dramatic displays both inside the resort as well as outside across its 1,300 acres.

Christmas in the Ward

Enjoy the holiday spirit of the Historic Third Ward with Santa, carriage rides, carolers, street entertainers and a wide variety of shops and galleries to explore. Raffle, silent auction and cookie sale too! Tree lighting on Friday evening.

Treasures From Zimbabwe - African Shona Stone Sculpture

Over 200 sculptures by established and emerging artists from 6 in. to 7ft. Serpentine, red jasper, cobalt, opal and springstone. Artists have exhibited in prestigious museums - Rodin Museum, Paris;Museum of Modern Art, NY and Chicago Botanic Gardens. Artists include: Witness Bonjesi, Washington Msonza, John Takawira, Jonathan Mhondorohuma, Gerald Takawira and Colleen Madamombe.

Live Music

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Cocktails & Dinner Cruises and Private Charters

The Edelweiss offers public dinner, happy hour, brunch, and lunch cruises and an array of private charter options. Milwaukee's largest cruise operator and #1 corporate entertainer in the downtown area in season. Cruise capacity up to 150 passengers

Jewish Museum Milwaukee

You are invited to discover the amazing history of the Jewish community in Milwaukee, through the photographs, artifacts and interactive exhibits of the Jewish Museum Milwaukee.

Pizza & Pitcher

$9 Pizza and pitcher of Lite.

Pizza Manufacturing Tour

Palermo's Pizza, Milwaukee's only pizza manufacturing tour.

IMAX Show - Mysteries of the Great Lakes

Across the Great Lakes basin, there has been increasing awareness of the vital role this freshwater resource plays in maintaining the social and economic health of North America. Mysteries of the Great Lakes explores this world treasure, which contains some of the most spectacular wilderness scenery on earth and a fifth of all the planet’s fresh water. Soar with the bald eagle, follow enormous cargo ships as they navigate the Lakes, and dive with a 300-pound lake sturgeon as Mysteries of the Great Lakes takes you through the greatest freshwater system in the world.

Planetarium Show - Seven Wonders

Travel thousands of years back in time to witness the glorious Seven Wonders of the ancient world. See ancient Egypt’s Great Pyramids and Lighthouse of Alexandria, wander through the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and stand in the shadow of the towering Colossus of Rhodes. Seven Wonders will investigate theories of how these marvels were created, then travel through the universe to let us a glimpse the natural wonders far beyond our tiny planet. Narrated by Sean Bean, Boromir from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Les Paul's House of Sound

Experience Les Paul’s House of Sound. The Les Paul House of Sound exhibit is now open at Discovery World. The exhibit is designed around the innovative and creative spirit of Wisconsin native Les Paul. The House of Sound features dozens of priceless and historical items from Les Paul’s personal collection – many never before seen in public. The House of Sound is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Featuring Paintings, Drawings & MORE . . .

Featuring paintings, drawings, and fine original graphic works from the 19th and 20th centuries, antique and classic posters, and outstanding regional artists' painting and sculpture. Among the many artists represented our internationally recognized include: Leonetto Cappiello, Camille Pissarro, Jules Cheret, Frederick Hart, Toulouse-Lautrec, among others and regionally represented artists include: Terry Firkins, Dennis Heimbach, Marie Lewandowski, Reginald Baylor, Francesco J. Spicuzza and Beastie artist, Dennis Pearson.

"Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep"

The Racine Art Museum has commissioned internationally acclaimed jewelry artist Arline Fisch to create a new exhibition for its Windows on Fifth Gallery. The exhibition, "Arline Fisch: Creatures from the Deep", will be a shimmering street-side aquarium of jellyfish sculptures. Bringing her work to a grand scale, RAM’s Windows will showcase Arline’s use of knitting and crocheting techniques to create these larger-than-life sea creatures made of wire.

New, Novel and Never Shown Before 2008: Recent Gifts to the Collection (Part II)

"New, Novel and Never Shown Before 2008: Recent Gifts to the Collection (Part II)" unveils some of the recent gifts received into the Racine Art Museum’s permanent collection in 2007. The gifts include large groups of ceramic sculptures, contemporary baskets, teapots in glass and ceramics, jewelry, textiles, prints, drawings and photographs.

Numismatics! Selections from the MPM Collection

Much more than just minted or printed money, the field of numismatics includes the study and collection of coins, currency, tokens and medals, and the MPM exhibit showcases nearly 200 rare, prized specimens. Most items date from the 1800’s, although a few “curious” currency items reach as far back as 2500 years, and many belong to organizations, regimes, colonies or even countries that no longer exist.

Nunnemacher Arms Collection

Discover a “curators’ choice” of 43 historic firearms from the Museum’s 3,500 piece Nunnemacher Arms Collection. Located at the entrance to the European Village, this exhibit offers a glimpse at the backgrounds and significance of distinctive pieces from the 17th to 20th centuries – an interesting blend of culture, engineering and artistry.

Student Exhibit - Thinking Outside the Treasure Chest

This exhibit is the culmination of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee/MPM Museum Studies Class, a cooperative graduate program between UW-Milwaukee and the Museum. Treasure Chest looks at different definitions of “treasure,” and opens us up to the idea that value can be found in unexpected places and objects. Visitors will see a variety of artifacts, including a vest made of soda can pull tabs, a nineteenth-century German lithopane, Egyptian funerary figurines, and gemstones like amethyst and garnet.

Four Wisconsin Quilt Artists: Alicia Avila, Maribeth Schmit, Nora Radar and Roberta Williams

The exhibit, sponsored by Material Matters and Ye Olde School House, opened on October 8th and runs until January 11th. It is a stunning collection of contemporary and traditional quilts. An Open House is scheduled for November 23rd from 1-4p.m. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

Basketworks: The Cotsen Contemporary American Basket Collection

The exhibition debuts select works from a 151-piece gift donated to the Racine Art Museum by internationally known fiber collector Lloyd Cotsen. Containing works from the late 1980s forward, this show introduces pieces by significant fiber artists who have advanced the medium of contemporary basketry. When added to RAM’s existing collection, the Cotsen baskets create one of the largest contemporary basket collections in any art museum at the United States.

IMAX: "Ghost of the Abyss"

Academy Award® winning director and master storyteller James Cameron journeys back to the site of his greatest inspiration - the legendary wreck of the Titanic. With the most advanced IMAX® photography, you'll explore the entire ship with Cameron and his crew, deck-by-deck, room-byroom, encountering mysteries that have remained hidden for almost a century.

IMAX: "Night of the Titanic"

The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 was part human error and part natural disaster. Weather, ice, sun, moon and stars all played a part in the tragedy. Stand on the deck of the doomed ocean liner the night she sank and discover how a complex series of natural, but unlikely, events sank the "unsinkable" ship.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

Ninety-six years ago, on an otherwise calm April morning in 1912, the world's largest ship, the RMS Titanic, sank during her maiden voyage after a colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. On board were 2,228 passengers, including titans of commerce and industry, artists, senior members of governments, immigrant families dreaming of a new life and more than 890 members of her crew. More than 1,500 people die d. No one believed it could happen. Today, this epic story is revived through Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. See it today at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

American Steel

American Steel: Works from the Collection of Tom and Lorie Annarella American Steel is an exhibition featuring paintings of U.S. Steel by Howard L. Worner along with photographs, prints and related ephemera documenting the tradition of American steelmaking. Compare and contrast the European painting traditions on display with that of Worner in picturing American Steel.

Latin American & Spanish Masters

Featuring Uruguay's premier artist, Ignacio Iturria. 75 artworks by 25 artists. Exhibition expresses the rich Spanish and Latin American heritage and culture through dynamic drawing and color. Artists include Miro, Picasso, Siqueiros, Morales, Lam, Lenero, Thusius, Romulo, Gutierrez, Mojica and Chillida.

The Dancing Horses Show

This dazzling spectacle features an array of horse breeds that perform alongside their trainers in this fantastic cavalcade of equestrian artistry. Visually stunning, and performed in a state-of-the-art, yet intimate, 300 seat theatre, this show is truly a must-see for any horse lover. Wheelchair-accessible, and fully climate-controlled for all seasons, the venue is both comfortable, and accommodating. We also offer customized group itineraries for Corporate Picnics, Convention Spouse Programs, Student and Youth Camp excursions, Scout Badge Workshops, Associations, Societies, and Equestrian Riding Academies.

Stop. Look. Listen: an exhibition of video works

The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University will present stop. look. listen: an exhibition of video works beginning on October 23, 2008 featuring 17 works by 13 artists. Exhibition organizer Andrea Inselmann, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, will present a lecture on Thursday, October 30 at 6 p.m. in Marquette’s Cudahy Hall room 001 that will be followed by a reception in the museum. The lecture and reception are free and open to the public. In the short history of video art, there have been two primary modes of expression, “feedback” and “immersion.” Early closed-circuit video feeds were used as an electronic mirror, instantaneously reflecting whatever came into the camera’s gaze. More recently, there has been a shift as many contemporary artists use a more cinematic, “immersion”–style approach in installations with one or more projected images. This exhibition considers the connections between these two prevalent expressions in video from the last fifteen years, focusing on works that have a significant relationship between sound and image and those that are purposefully silent. Using examples of work by thirteen artists from around the world, the exhibition will show that a response to the moving image can occur on many sensory levels within both “feedback” and “immersion” practices; many of the works try to break down the traditional opposition between viewer and viewed by emphasizing a more inclusive interaction. Artists represented in the exhibition include Janet Biggs, Burt Barr, Johanna Billing, Slater Bradley, Mircea Cantor, Patty Chang, Amy Globus, Jesper Just, Mads Lynnerup, Christian Marclay, Rodney McMillian, Anri Sala and Salla Tykkä.

The Fireside: "A Fireside Christmas"

Each holiday season we delight in bringing you a show that will re-kindle the true Christmas spirit in all of us. Through songs, stories, and dances – both traditional and original – we commit ourselves to capturing the very heart and essence of the holiday season. "A Fireside Christmas" is always new and exciting, with new costumes and sets, new songs and dancing, and new ways to tell the familiar stories of the season. But what never changes is our faithfulness to the traditions and memories of this most joyous time of the year.

Holiday Promotion

Westown Farmers Market

The winter market will offer more prepared foods, soaps, plants, jewelry and crafts. The market will operate the first and third Wednesday of the month from Nov. through Feb.

Cedarburg Artist Guild Blizzard of Art

An exhibit and sale, where all art is priced under $200.00

Register for Winter Session Dance Classes at Danceworks

Registration is now open for winter session dance classes at Danceworks' downtown studio (1661 N. Water St., Milwaukee). Winter session classes run December 1, 2008- March 8, 2009, with a winter break Dec. 21-Jan. 4. Danceworks offers classes for both children and adults, in such styles as ballroom, ballet, modern, hip hop, jazz, African, and tap. Yoga, Pilates, and NIA round out our fitness classes. 50+ classes are also available for seniors who want to stay active (or get active!). Our Studio philosophy is to nurture and develop the spirit and the body through dance technique, physical discipline and self-expression. Our instructors are experienced and working professional dancers and dance educators who have the knowledge necessary to teach varying ages and ability levels. The Danceworks faculty will excite, enthuse, and inspire you to get moving and stay moving. To view a full schedule of classes and to register, visit http://www.danceworksmke.org.

"The Daly News"

A new musical based on a true Milwaukee story! Jonathan Daly, well-known Milwaukee actor and playwright, takes us back to 1940s Milwaukee for a story about his family. To keep his four sons connected to the family, while World War II forced them apart, his grandfather, Martin, created a newsletter he called “The Daly News.” This touching musical memoir about love and the distance between fathers and sons received a very popular public reading as the inaugural presentation in our new Montgomery Davis Play Development Series. Story, book and lyrics by Jonathan Gillard Daly; Music by Gregg Coffin, Larry Delinger & Jonathan Gillard Daly; Directed by C. Michael Wright; Featuring Jonathan Gillard Daly, Jeff Schaetzke & Jack Forbes Wilson.

Next Act Theatre: "Murderers"

Gerald marries his girlfriend’s mom, Minka is out to avenge wrongdoing and Lucille tries to protect her foolish husband from the heat of an old flame. Jeff Hatcher’s delightfully-dark humor and flair for the unexpected will keep you guessing and laughing till the bitter end.

Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

Beginning November 14th, let yourself get carried away. Be dazzled by our holiday decor as you ride through Bayshore Town Center in a horse-drawn carriage. Fare is $5 per adult. Children under 12 ride free with a paying adult. Purchase tickets at the Guest Services Desk. Carriages will pick up and drop off guests outside the Rotunda doors. Fri. 5-9p.m. Sat. 2-8p.m. Sun. 2-6p.m.

The Stackner: "Greater Tuna"

This hilarious comedy takes us to Texas’ third smallest town, where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The eclectic band of citizens that make up this town are portrayed by only two performers.

Holiday Floral Show at the Domes

See the breathtaking Christmas holiday show at the Domes featuring thousands of crimson red and rare hybrid poinsettias. Enjoy free holiday concerts and performances.

East Town Holiday Trees

Join in the fun of viewing and decorating for the holidays.

God Jul Scandinavian Holiday Show

This multicultural God Jul Show features Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian holiday and traditional customs and settings.  

Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra

Leonard Bearstein and his Symphony Orchestra will bring family fun to The Shops of Grand Avenue again this year. Musical Holiday favorites coupled with Leonard's charming wit will ring through The Shops of Grand Avenue again this holiday season.

First Stage: "The Happy Elf"

There's no such thing as an unhappy elf, so when Eubie finds himself in Bluesville, his elf-ness is put to the test as he is determined to make the naughty town smile in time for Christmas. Eubie's enthusiasm will not be denied as he embarks on his quest to raise a Christmas tree in the town square. This heart-warming holiday musical from Harry Connick, Jr. warmly captures the joy of the season.

Mystery of the Christmas Star

Journey back 2000 years to Bethlehem as we seek to discover which ancient star was the one the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus. This modern retelling of the Christmas story also investigates possible dates for the birth of Christ and looks at recorded sightings of significant astronomical events during this important time in history.

Pabst Theater: "A Christmas Carol"

Don't miss the most extravagant and delightful holiday production in Milwaukee. For over 30 years, no show is more anticipated and treasured than The Rep's annual production at the beautiful Pabst Theater. This timeless holiday classic will touch your soul and brighten your holiday season with its message of hope and redemption. Gather your friends and family for a true holiday tradition unlike anything else found in Milwaukee. Generously sponsored by MillerCoors.

Santa Vs. the Snowman

This animated IMAX® holiday favorite tells the tale of a lonely Snowman who gets swept away by the magical wonders of Santa's Village in the North Pole, but soon becomes jealous of Santa and the attention he gets at Christmas time. A hilarious polar war erupts, waged with weapons such as hot chocolate squirt guns, but it's not long before friendship and laughter save the day.

The Skylight: "The Producers"

New York, 1959. Max Bialystock was once the king of Broadway, but now all of his shows close on opening night. Things turn around when the neurotic accountant, Leo Bloom, proposes a get-rich-quick scheme tailor-made for producers who can only make flops; raise far more money than you need, then make sure the show is despised. No one will be interested in it, so you can pocket the surplus. Surely nothing can go wrong with their scheme, right? Well, there’s no accounting for taste!

Kathryn E. Martin: Flotant

Milwaukee-based artist Kathryn E. Martin is interested in the potential materials possess. She finds inspiration and artistic expression in the formal characteristics of ordinary objects. By definition, “flotant” means to fly or stream in the air. Expanding on this notion, she transforms the gallery into a floating marsh. Masses of rims—from approximately 50,000 Styrofoam cups—hover over the walls and spill onto the gallery floor making the large open space feel intimate. Unified through repetition, grouping, proximity, and density, the rims lose their associations with the cups and become an essential part