Discover Downtown Indoors

Discover Downtown Milwaukee from indoors! Just west of the Milwaukee River sits Milwaukee’s historic Entertainment & Shopping District. At the center of this area is the multi-block Grand Avenue Mall, which opened in 1982 and operated with mixed success until 2002. It was severely underutilized until 2018 when the transformation into The Avenue began. Woven into this narrative are a number of interesting individuals including the Plankinton family, William Green, Liberace and more.

This tour will explore some of the key historic individuals and businesses along W. Wisconsin Avenue as well as a conversation about adaptive reuse, public art and modern infrastructure, all while staying cozy indoors!

After the tour, check out the Third Street Market Hall or Canary Coffee Bar. Nearby, you can see the newly created Vel R. Phillips Plaza.