Discovery World

Discovery World is Milwaukee's lakefront science and technology center, occupying a modern building on the harbor with views of Lake Michigan. It combines a freshwater aquarium, STEM-focused interactive exhibits, and the tall ship Denis Sullivan into a uniquely Milwaukee family experience.

The freshwater aquarium is the standout feature, focusing on Great Lakes ecosystems rather than the tropical marine life found at most aquariums. Exhibits showcase lake sturgeon, perch, trout, and other species native to the Great Lakes, with explanations of the ecological challenges facing these waters. Touch tanks let kids handle sea stars, horseshoe crabs, and other invertebrates under staff supervision.

The Technology Gallery has hands-on stations where kids build simple robots, program basic sequences, and experiment with engineering challenges. The music lab contains instruments from around the world -- drums, xylophones, guitars, and electronic instruments -- that kids can play freely. The combination of technology and creativity appeals to a broad age range.

The Denis Sullivan is a 137-foot three-masted schooner docked outside the museum. During summer months, it offers public sailing trips on Lake Michigan where passengers (including kids) help raise sails, steer the ship, and learn maritime skills. The sailing experience is magical -- the Milwaukee skyline receding as wind fills the sails creates a genuine adventure.

Sailing trips require advance booking and cost $25-40 per person on top of museum admission.

The lakefront location is an asset. After Discovery World, families can walk south to the Historic Third Ward (Milwaukee's best food and shopping neighborhood), north to Bradford Beach, or to the Milwaukee Art Museum (the Calatrava-designed building with the iconic movable wings is worth seeing from outside even if you don't enter).