Drinking a beer in the Domes: The Milwaukee Record Review

In 2024, following nearly a decade of endless campaigns and task forces, Milwaukee County finally embraced an ambitious plan to “reimagine” the Mitchell Park Domes. The $134 million multi-year plan will not only repair the aging south side landmarks, it will create a new children’s garden, a new nature learning center, a new cafe, and an expanded gift shop. The plan, which hinges on support from the County, state and federal tax credits, and private philanthropy, is still in its early phases.

At a meeting last September, Friends of the Domes Executive Director Christa Beall Diefenbach said one of the many goals of the “Domes Reimagined” plan is to increase visiting times from roughly one hour to two to three hours. Because let’s face it: as wonderful as the Domes are, it’s pretty easy to walk through all three and see everything there is to see in an hour or less.

And yet there already exists a way to extend the life of your Domes trip, a way to wring out every drop of conoidal pleasure from the Desert Dome, the Tropical Dome, and the ever-changing Show Dome. It’s a method that is both very, very simple and very, very Milwaukee:

DRINKING A BEER.

Yep, if you’re 21 or older, you can totally buy a beer at the Domes. Not only that, you can crack open said beer in the Domes atrium and drink said beer while you wander the Domes proper looking at flowers, cacti, and those doves that live in the Desert Dome.

Don’t believe us? Behold the cooler just to the left of the admissions window:

The cooler is stocked with 16-ounce cans of Miller Lite, Modelo, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Lakefront Brewery brews, and more. There’s also non-alcoholic refreshments like water, soda, Gatorade, and pouches of Capri-Sun (hell yeah), but the fact that you can buy a beer at the Domes—and the fact that you would want to buy a beer at the Domes—has always struck us as funny. And great.

So what does it feel like to enjoy a cold one while frittering away an hour amongst thousands of trees, thousands of plants, and, depending on the time of year, a bunch of model trains? We messed around at the Domes on a recent Monday afternoon, plunked down $6 for a can of PBR, and found out. (Sorry, Lakefront: we thought a PBR would be funnier. Also, the current steampunk-y train show that runs through March is terrific.)

The Domes experience tends to operate at one of two speeds: super busy weekend madness, or laid-back weekday meditation. Our Monday afternoon visit was definitely on “laid-back weekday meditation” speed, which made our can of beer all the more enjoyable.

We sipped and strolled through the Tropical Dome. We felt self-conscious at first, wondering if the selfie-snapping 20-somethings and moseying retirees would give us and our glaringly obvious can of beer the stink eye. But this is Milwaukee, Wisconsin, folks. It was strange that we were the only ones drinking at 2:30 p.m.

The back section of the Tropical Dome was closed off, so we couldn’t tip one back with the koi and carp in that little pond. We didn’t see any apparent reason for the closure (remember those “fallen chunks of concrete” back in 2016?), but we obeyed the sign nonetheless. Here’s hoping the “Domes Reimagined” project is a big success! (The reliance on federal funds in 2025 and beyond gives us pause…)

UPDATE: We’ve been informed that the closure was due to the “regular pruning and cutting back of plants.” Good to hear! [h/t Brian]

Finally, what really needs to be said about enjoying a light domestic brew in a humid 80-degree dome? Sure, it was practically 70 outside on this particular Monday, but whatever. This was TROPICAL.

Next we headed to the Desert Dome. Cool and arid, it was a nice counterpoint to the near-sweltering Tropical Dome. The Desert Dome has always been our low-key favorite Dome, mostly due to the towering cacti and that little sign that says “FUTURE TEQUILA FARM.”

We didn’t spot the Desert Dome’s resident doves, but we still enjoyed the beautifully landscaped view. Also, we noticed that Steve, the Desert Domes’ bearded dragon, was absent, and that his whole aquarium setup was missing. Back in 2023, we heard Steve wasn’t doing well, so we assume he’s moved on to the great Desert Dome in the sky. R.I.P. Steve. You would have loved this article.

Steve in 2017

UPDATE: We’ve been informed that Steve simply “retired” in November 2024, and that he moved in with a Domes employee “to live a life of lizard luxury.” We regret our previous assumption that Steve had passed on. Long live Steve! We hope you love this article. [h/t DJ Hostettler]

As mentioned earlier, the Show Dome’s current train show, “Gardens & Gears,” is wonderful. Even more wonderful? Polishing off a 16-ounce can of PBR while gazing out at it. Pure Milwaukee bliss.

Even more wonderful than that? Finding a little fairy garden tucked away in the back of the Show Dome! These adorable little shrines can typically be found in all three Domes, and they always make us happy. Didn’t we write an article about them years ago? [searches site] Ha! We did!

And, well, that was it! We finished our PBR, tossed it in the proper receptacle, and called it a day. All told, we spent approximately 75 minutes in the Domes. Not bad! Add a new cafe and all that stuff and a two-hour visit suddenly seems legit. (The atrium has a vibe all its own, doesn’t it?)

As an aside, we always used to dream about getting into model railroading when we retire. You know, puttering around for days on end, setting up little towns and villages, and enjoying an adult beverage or two while doing it. But now, since the idea of “retirement” is laughable for about 7,000 reasons, maybe we’ll get into it sooner than later. Why not!

Or maybe we’ll enjoy the other little things in life, the things we have access to right now. You know, like drinking a beer in the Domes. On a Monday. For no real reason other than because you can. Things like that may not seem like much right now, but they’re incredibly important. Savor them. Savor the Domes. Savor the city. Savor everything you possibly can before it’s too late.

Drinking a beer in the Domes: The Milwaukee Record Review: 10/10 Domes.

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