Tomorrow marks the first day of winter in Milwaukee. Winter around these parts can be long, cold, cruel, soul-crushing, and spiritually draining. Worst of all, Milwaukee’s winters can be extremely boring…but they don’t need to be. As we begrudgingly welcome another winter to Milwaukee, we figured it might help you if we put together a list of 90 different ways to pass the time, keep busy, and stay entertained during the 90 days of winter. We encourage you to bookmark this page and check back on occasion when you’ve lost all hope. We’ll get through this, Milwaukee…probably. Okay, here’s the list.
1. Go to a Bucks game
2. Attend our N/A Day “Dry January” Beverage Festival at The Cooperage on January 7.
3. Experience the Milwaukee Public Museum before it moves
4. Check out Milwaukee Art Museum (and other area art galleries)
5. Bundle up for Mitten Fest at Burnhearts on February 4.
6. Rent a Winter Chalet at South Shore Terrace
7. Get a private karaoke suite from Amped and/or go to a bar’s karaoke night
8. Spend a day in a suburb you’ve barely been to. West Allis, anyone?
9. Stock up at the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market
10. Go to an Admirals game
11. Go to a Milwaukee Wave game
12. Play games at X-Ray, Up-Down, or one of the region’s many other arcades
13. Try out a “new to you” local taproom or distillery that opened or relocated recently
14. Go to a movie at one of the city’s independent theaters, such as Oriental Theatre, Avalon Theater, or Times Cinema
15. Go to The Domes and help save The Domes
16. Take a winter hike on a trail in the Milwaukee County Parks system
17. Take a pasta making class at Semolina
18. Hang with cats at Sip & Purr Cafe
19. Explore the Central Library
20. Sip and paint at Farmhouse Paint Bar & Hall
21. Catch a stand-up show at The Laughing Tap or Milwaukee Improv
22. Take an improv course or watch improv show at ComedySportz
23. Spend a day bowling (and playing pinball, arcade games, darts, and pool) at Landmark Lanes
24. Go skating at Red Arrow Park, Wilson Ice Arena, Pettit National Ice Center, or other area rinks and ponds
25. Join a shuffleboard league at NorthSouth Club
26. Run a 5k or 10k like The Cupid Shuffle
27. Have a ball at Bounce Milwaukee
28. Take in a drag show at This Is It, D.I.X., Hamburger Mary’s or various other establishments
29. Spend hours exploring the city’s many antique malls
30. Volunteer somewhere
31. Donate blood
32. Hit some balls at a golf simulator or Luxe Golf Bay
33. Shoot your shot at one of the city’s two selfie museums
34. Game Show Battle Room!
35. Laser Tag? Pretty sure that still exists somewhere around these parts.
36. WhirlyBall
37. Axe throwing at AXE MKE or Fling Milwaukee
38. Spend hours thumbing through albums at independent record stores
39. Take a factory or brewery tour
40. Ring in the New Year by taking the Polar Plunge
41. Go to the National Bobblehead Hall Of Fame And Museum
42. Eat, shop, and explore the Sherman Phoenix
43. Spend a day at America’s Black Holocaust Museum
44. Attend a Marquette or UW-Milwaukee basketball game (or other sporting event)
45. Take a Historic Milwaukee tour
46. Attend author event at Boswell or Lion’s Tooth
47. Go to a concert, especially if it’s supporting local artists at independently-owned venues
48. Go to Winter Wonders (through January 1) and Winterfest at Boerner Botanical Gardens on January 29
49. The Goblin King Masquerade Ball at Turner Hall on Saturday, January 7
50. Watch the Milwaukee Ballet
51. See a performance at local playhouse or a Broadway show at Marcus Performing Arts Center
52. Go dancing at Mad Planet or another area dance club
53. Rent a heated hut in At Random’s “Magic Forest”
54. Unwind and unplug at Float Milwaukee
55. Take a cooking class at Milwaukee Public Market
56. Visit the Milwaukee Zoo, see the Wild Lights exhibit and take part in the Samson Stomp & Romp
57. Sign up for a winter volleyball league
58. Join a Milwaukee Recreation team, club, or class
59. Join a book club through the Milwaukee Public Library
60. Play some indoor mini golf at Nine Below
61. Scale a climbing wall at Adventure Rock
62. Finally try Football Bowling (a.k.a. “Fowling”) at First And Bowl
63. Do some winter disc golfing
64. Hit up a pool hall, such as Romine’s, Scaffidi’s Hideout, or Landmark Lanes
65. Get a sugar rush on unlimited soda at the Sprecher tour
66. Visit the Harley-Davidson Museum
67. Play bingo at Potawatomi
68. Check out Monster Jam at Fiserv Forum January 21-22
69. Get revved up at Flat Out Friday and Mama Tried from February 17-19.
70. Rent Snowshoes or other outdoor equipment from the Urban Ecology Center
71. Enjoy Milwaukee Comic Con at Wisconsin State Fair Park on February 11
72. Attend the Great Lakes Pet Expo or various other trade shows at the Fairgrounds
73. Get ringside for Mondo Lucha at The Cooperage on January 20
74. Ice Bear Fest at Third Space Brewing on January 28
75. Take an acting class at Milwaukee Rep
76. Work up a sweat at a hot yoga studio
77. Try a new or unfamiliar restaurant (bonus points if it’s not in your neighborhood)
78. Hit up Koz’s Mini Bowl before it’s sold and inevitably becomes something bad
79. Sign up for Ladies Rock camp, which runs January 13-15
80. Get some culture at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
81. Fill up at the Milwaukee Chili Bowl on February 5
82. Have brunch or dinner outside…kind of in a Lowlands Winter Dome or a Zocalo Heated Hut
83. Make your way to Anime Milwaukee at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center Hotel from February 3-5
84. Make your way to the Midwinter Gaming Convention at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center Hotel from January 12-15
85. Bundle up for Wückfinter when it likely returns to the Ray’s Wine & Spirits parking lot the last Sunday in February
86. Test your knowledge at bar trivia
87. Head to the 2nd annual Bluegrass Winter Heater at Anodyne’s Walker’s Point Roastery on January 28
88. Find a local maker market or vintage flea market pop-up somewhere in town
89. Go to a planetarium
90. Build your dream meal at one of Milwaukee’s food halls
We hope this helps! Good luck getting through winter, Milwaukee. We’ll need it.
