Food & Drink
WI · Metro pop. 1.6M
Milwaukee
Beer halls, a lakefront, and an art museum with wings that open. Ninety minutes from Chicago on the Hiawatha.
A postcard from the city
Milwaukee opens its wings toward the lake — Calatrava's art museum, then the breweries behind it, then the Third Ward galleries and the beer halls and the Harleys. A lakefront city with a working-brewery heart.
Rails Midwest · City Guide
Milwaukee wears its beer heritage with grace and without irony—there's something honorable about a city that knows what it does well and does it proudly. The Third Ward's revitalization has brought excellent restaurants and galleries alongside working breweries, while the lakefront offers surprising beauty. Amtrak's Hiawatha connects Milwaukee to Chicago in just 1.5 hours, making it an easy escape from the big city. The German immigrant character remains legible in the architecture and food culture.
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Orient yourself
Milwaukee at a glance
The station, airport, and places worth walking to — tap a pin.
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Our picks
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Where to stay · near Milwaukee Intermodal Station
Hotels
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What to do · book ahead, skip the line
Experiences
Food & Drink
Culture
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Getting here & around
Getting to & around Milwaukee
Flying in from abroad, connecting from elsewhere in the US, arriving by Amtrak — and then getting around once you’re here, without renting anything.
By Air
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stops from most US cities and European capitals — then take Amtrak from Union Station to Milwaukee.
MKE → downtown
Amtrak Hiawatha actually stops at the airport's own MKE station — 20 minutes to downtown Milwaukee, under 90 minutes to Chicago Union.
By Train — Amtrak
The Amtrak Hiawatha offers seven daily round-trips to Chicago (about 1h 30m), making Milwaukee perfect for a day trip or overnight stay. Trains arrive at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, a 2007 renovation that also houses Greyhound and BadgerBus and sits three walkable blocks south of the Historic Third Ward.
Connecting on Amtrak: The Hiawatha runs seven daily round trips from Chicago — the closest the US has to a proper European regional train. The Empire Builder and Borealis call at Milwaukee Intermodal on their Chicago–St. Paul corridor.
Hiawatha
From Chicago
1h 30m · 7 daily departures
Public Transportation
The Hop streetcar is free and was routed to meet the trains — its M-Line links Milwaukee Intermodal Station to downtown, the Historic Third Ward, and the Lower East Side, with an L-Line spur to the lakefront. That covers most of what you came for on foot-and-rail alone. MCTS buses reach the breweries, the Calatrava, and the rest of the county.
The Hop streetcar (free)MCTS buses
Day trip · 2 h north by Borealis
Wisconsin Dells
The Borealis stops at Wisconsin Dells en route to Minneapolis–St. Paul, making it a natural overnight add-on from Milwaukee. Board northbound, stay one night, carry on the next morning — or reverse the loop heading south.
Sandstone gorges cut by the Wisconsin River set the scene: 150-foot bluffs, the Original Wisconsin Ducks amphibious tour (running since 1946), and a genuinely dramatic river landscape. The waterparks arrived later and are aggressively, cheerfully over the top — Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge among them. It's campy and its own thing, which is most of the appeal.
Good to know
Questions travelers ask
How do I get to Milwaukee by train?
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stop service from most US cities and most European capitals — then take Amtrak from Chicago Union Station to Milwaukee. See the Getting there section above for the specific trains and typical journey times.
How many days do I need in Milwaukee?
Two to three days suits most travelers — enough to explore food & drink, culture, architecture, and to hit the main neighborhoods without feeling rushed. Add a day if you want to take a day trip out (Chicago are close by rail).
Can I visit Milwaukee without a car?
Yes — every destination we cover is walkable from its Amtrak station or well-served by local transit. Milwaukee's downtown is large and transit-connected, and ride-share fills the gaps.