Amazing Cultures of Milwaukee

As the biggest city in the state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee is a melting pot of cultural, social and ethnic groups. Once known as a blue-collar Midwestern city famous for its brewing traditions, Milwaukee has seen a construction boom that has made it the state's main economic and cultural center. Alongside the many art galleries, museums, theatres and restaurants that celebrate the city's wide diversity, Milwaukee holds a wealth of festivals as well — deservedly earning the nickname "City of Festivals."

Milwaukee's galleries and museums have made it one of the best cultural arts communities in the region — it was even ranked nationally by an association partnered with the National Endowment for the Arts. Beyond the forty-plus galleries spread across the city, Milwaukee also holds some of the best museums in the country:

I · Milwaukee Art Museum

One of the largest museums in the country, with almost 35,000 works of art in its collection. You'll find sculptures, drawings, paintings, photographs and prints from some of the most famous artists in the world — Andy Warhol, Frank Lloyd Wright, and masters of modernism Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. It is also home to the largest collection of works by Georgia O'Keeffe.

II · Grohmann Museum

Located at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, the Grohmann Museum houses the world's most extensive collection of art dedicated to the development of human work — over 1,300 paintings, drawings and sculptures by American and European artists depicting labor in all its forms.

III · Milwaukee Public Museum

Located downtown, the Milwaukee Public Museum is run by a non-profit organization and features works representing both natural and human history.

Milwaukee is home to a wide variety of ethnic cultures that have brought diversity and traditions from all around the world.

Every year, major festivals celebrate the unique foods, music and entertainment these cultural groups bring to the city — together attracting more than half a million visitors annually. Among them: German Fest, the African World Festival, Indian Summer, Festa Italiana, Polish Fest, Irish Fest and Mexican Fiesta, just to name a few.

Music plays a major role in the culture of Milwaukee — one of the few places in the state with live music just about every night.

The city keeps a thriving nightlife, its bars, pubs and clubs filled with talented local artists playing everything from country to rock. Top venues such as the Marcus Amphitheater, the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and the Pabst Theater attract some of music's biggest names. Events like 'Jazz in the Park' and 'River Rhythms' provide free live music through the warmer seasons. But the best-known musical event of all is Summerfest — considered one of the largest music festivals in the world, drawing hundreds of artists and over a million music fans every year.