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The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
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The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
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The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
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Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
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Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
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Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
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All the United States Wisconsin Milwaukee

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Milwaukee

27 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Updated January 15, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

American Science & Surplus

Robots, lasers, and whoopee cushions, oh my!
A restored Wright house on the Burnham Block.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Frank Lloyd Wright's Burnham Block

Six tiny houses built for working class people form the largest intentional cluster of Wright homes anywhere.
The Domes.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Mitchell Park Domes

A unique botanical garden housed in three giant geodesic domes.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

SafeHouse

A place to eat for on-the-run agents and espionage enthusiasts.
Mansion Exterior

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Pabst Mansion

A giant, Gilded Age mansion that once belonged to the beer baron of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Art Museum

This striking art museum holds an amazing series of curiosity cabinets.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Shaker's Cigar Bar

Once a speakeasy operated by Al Capone, this Milwaukee cigar bar is now a haven for ghost hunters.
Original wooden bowling lanes and pin boys

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Holler House

The oldest certified bowling alley in the United States is in the basement of this century-old bar.
See All 27 Things To Do in Milwaukee

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

SafeHouse

A place to eat for on-the-run agents and espionage enthusiasts.
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Zany Collections That Prove Wisconsin's Quirkiness

Pick an object. It could be a bottle of mustard. Or a life-size troll sculpture. Or a metal sculpture with big Victorian-steampunk energy. It doesn't really matter, as long as you collect or create so many of them that your collection becomes a roadside attraction and a cherished local landmark. A remarkable number of Wisconsinites have chosen this life path, and the result is a truly remarkable collection of collections scattered across the state.

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Explore Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A
Architecture 7
Bars 4
Art 3
Houses 3
Architectural Oddities 3
Outsider Art 3
Homes 3
Museums 3

Milwaukee Leaderboard

Places Added

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    2
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    2
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    1
  4. Rachel
    1
  5. tkillems
    1
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Add an unusual place to Milwaukee.

Places Edited

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    12
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    4
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    3
  4. Darrell Powers
    3
  5. nbj914
    3
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Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

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    23
  2. jjskiddlescrum
    21
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    20
  4. stevenjwhitemusic
    20
  5. kevbot
    20
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Visit a place in Milwaukee.

Recent Milwaukee Activity

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    wants to go to American Science & Surplus

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    wants to go to Renaissance Book Shop

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    wants to go to Mary Nohl House

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  • lisashelhart

    has been to Pabst Mansion

    about 21 hours ago
  • lisashelhart

    has been to The Bronze Fonz

    about 21 hours ago

Stories About Milwaukee

How Milwaukee Is Celebrating the Typewriter’s Long, Local History

In June 2023, Milwaukeeans celebrated 150 years of typewriter history.
by Jennifer Byrne
July 5, 2023
Treasure hunter Tom Klein believes the statue of John Plankinton in Milwaukee’s Plankinton Arcade is one of the clues to The Secret’s buried treasure.

Hunting for 'The Secret' Treasure Buried in Milwaukee

Has this couple finally found fantasy author Byron Preiss’s hidden treasure?
by Tea Krulos
March 14, 2023
A member of the Milwaukee Krampus Eigenheit was one of dozens of furry, horned menaces swatting onlookers with switches during the annual Milwaukee Krampusnacht.

Krampus Is the Christmas Icon We Need—And Maybe the One We Deserve

At Milwaukee’s Krampusnacht, we go in search of the essence of Santa’s unholy enforcer.
by Gemma Tarlach
December 9, 2022
After closing in 2008 and becoming an online museum in 2012, America’s Black Holocaust Museum reopened in February 2022 in a sleek new building in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville, the historic hub of the city’s Black community.

A Revived Museum Presents the Full History of Black America

America's Black Holocaust Museum reopens in the historic hub of Milwaukee's African American community.
by Beck Salgado
February 24, 2022
Pneumonia fronts may be accompanied by low shelf clouds, and may travel several miles inland from Lake Michigan.

What the Heck Is a Pneumonia Front?

The explanation behind a "drastic," bone-chilling, mysterious weather event in the Upper Midwest.
by Gemma Tarlach
June 2, 2021

Podcast: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Burnham Block

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
April 13, 2021
Ernie’s training culminated with a parking-lot demonstration of sniffing prowess.

The Milwaukee Dogs That Learned to Sniff Out New Zealand Mud Snails

In a Wisconsin basement, two Labradors learned to detect tiny aquatic hitchhikers.
by Ashley Stimpson
January 11, 2021
An image from the 1931 cookbook Recipes The Modern Pabst-ett Way.

When the Government Banned PBR, Pabst Made Cheese Instead

Selling dairy products helped the brewery survive Prohibition.
by Mark Hay
April 7, 2020

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