family fun - july 2008

Picks of the Month

This month is packed with special family events. Let’s pick one for smallest members of the family and one for teens and adults. The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum has something for the little folks as it opens “The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head” July 17. Families with children from 3-10 should make sure they see this one. It was developed by the Milwaukee Museum and goes on the road Sept. 7 to other museums. Several new exhibits at Discovery World are great for teenagers. They include “Les Paul’s House of Sound,” “Milwaukee Muscle” and “Energy & Ingenuity.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO

10001 W. Bluemound Road. Just 10 minutes from downtown Milwaukee at Highway 45 and Interstate 94. Open 365 days a year. Ph. (414) 256-5412 or www.milwaukeezoo.org.

It’s always a good time to visit the Milwaukee County Zoo, one of the premier zoological parks in the country.

Sunset Zoofari evenings July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 keep the zoo open from 6-9 p.m. for summer concerts with some of Milwaukee’s most popular bands.

The popular Sting Ray and Shark Reef exhibition has returned to the zoo and continues through Sept. 7

BETTY BRINN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

929 E. Wisconsin Ave. Ph. 414-291-0888 Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. www.bbcmkids.org

Programs include:

• Tot Time, ages 1 to 3 with parent or caregiver, 10:30 a.m. Tuedays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays. Toddlers will enjoy sing-alongs, finger-play, stories, and art experiences. Adults learn how these experiences impact early childhood development.
  
  
  
• Pre-School Pop-in, ages 3-5, 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Pre-schoolers participate in music, movement and visual art activities that encourage early reading and introduce beginning math concepts. Adults learn about age-appropriate activities that stimulate a child's development.

Special events:

“The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head,” a new exhibit created in Milwaukee, takes visitors on adventures led by one of the world’s best known interactive toys. Opening July 17.

Neighborhood Night July 17 means free admission from 5-8 p.m.

THE MUSEUM CENTER
800 W. Wells St.

Includes Milwaukee Public Museum, one of the world's best natural history museums (Ph. 278-2700); and the Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater 414-319-IMAX. www.mpm.edu

Messenger of Friendship: The adventures of Kasumi Tsukuba, through Aug. 12 – Learn about one of the 44 Japanese friendship dolls still in existence. 278-2728.

NUMISMATICS! Selections from the MPM Collection, through Aug. 7; Nearly 200 rare coin and currency specimens. 278-2728.

"Wisconsin Archaeology: Pieces of the Puzzle" displays artifacts from the museum collections, including some from Aztalan, the state's most significant archeological site.

The Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater in the Museum Center, the only IMAX theater in the state, doubles as a state-of-the-art digital planetarium.

Current IMAX shows playing include "Grand Canyon Adventure," an exhilarating river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River, through Sept. 4; “Mysteries of the Great Lakes," takes viewers through the greatest freshwater system in the world, through March 19, 2009; and “Dinosaurs Alive!,” a realist and scientifically accurate computer generated animation that brings dinosaurs back to life, through Oct. 2.

The Daniel M. Soref Planetarium in the IMAX currently is offering three shows: "Rock Hall of Fame," a light show plus music through Sept. 4; and "Seven Wonders," which takes viewers back in time to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and travels through the universe to provide a glimpse of natural wonders beyond our planet, through March 10, 2009.

Call 414-319-4629 for IMAX planetarium show times and reservations.

DISCOVERY WORLD at PIER WISCONSIN

500 N. Harbor Dr. 765-9966. The newest addition to Milwaukee’s world-class lineup of museums and visitor attractions is the home of the 19th century re-creation of a Great Lakes sailing vessel, the Denis Sullivan. Until the ship is returns for the summer season, the Discovery World Museum offers saltwater and fresh water aquariums, interactive exhibits created by several of the city’s leading corporations and the HIVE, a virtual-reality chamber that puts visitors into 30 simulated environments.. Open to the public from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun. www.discoveryworld.org.

Milwaukee’s popular Segway tours have moved to Discovery World. See KeyMilwaukee.com tours for all the details.

New exhibits at Discovery World:

• "Les Paul's House of Sound," a tribute to the famed Wisconsin guitarist Les Paul.

• Briggs & Stratton's "Milwaukee Muscle" exhibit, which allows visitors to design a vehicle of the future

•"Energy & Ingenuity: Harnessing the Power of You" developed by the Wisconsin Energy Foundation

Milwaukee’s popular Segway tours now start from Discovery World.

MISCELLANEOUS FUN

COMEDYSPORTZ at 420 S. 1st St. continues to provide improvisational comedy suitable for the whole family. Shows every week 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday.  Also 10 p.m. Friday amateur (18+) stand up session. Call 272-8888 for show times and reservations or visit www.comedysportz.com. Be sure to use our KeyMilwaukee.com coupon for extra savings.

SUMMERFEST, through July 6; Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds) on the lakefront. 41st edition of the world's largest outdoor music festival features musical entertainment on 11 different stages, sampling of the area's restaurants, comedians, children's play area, daily demonstrations and activities, shopping and more. 800-273-3378.

FIREWORKS AT THE LAKEFRONT, July 3; Hour-long fireworks show, one of the largest in the Midwest. www.countyparks.com

MILWAUKEE VINTAGE INDY CAR EVENT, July 11-12; Milwaukee Mile, Wisconsin State Fair Park, 7722 W. Greenfield Ave. Vintage Indy cars displayed and driven around the Oval. 815-568-8888.

GREEK FEST, July 11-13; Wisconsin State Fair Park, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave. Annual celebration of Greek heritage and traditions, with food and entertainment. Noon-10 p.m. each day. 266-7000.

SOUTH SHORE FROLICS, July 11-13; South Shore Park, 2900 S. Shore Dr. One of the city’s largest and oldest neighborhood festivals offers food, music, kids games and rides, arts and craft show, bike ride, parade and fireworks. 671-4712.

US BANK (PGA) CHAMPIONSHIP, July 14-20, Brown Deer Golf Course. The only stop on the PGA golf tour in Wisconsin and northern Illinois this summer. See story in KeyMilwaukee.com sports.

WAUKESHA COUNTY FAIR, July 16-20; Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Rd., Waukesha. (I-94 to Hwy. J or (exit 294, south to Northview Rd., west to fairgrounds). Oldest and largest county fair in Wisconsin. 3-10 p.m. Wed., 10 a.m.-midnight Thurs.-Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. 262-544-5922.

FESTA ITALIANA, July 17-20; Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds). 223-2808. See KeyMilwaukee.com cover feature.

INTERNATIONAL CYCLING CLASSIC/SUPERWEEK, July 17-27; Multiple locations in the Milwaukee area and other Wisconsin sites. 40th annual cycling series is the largest, multi-category cycling event in the U.S. For rundown on races in Shorewood, Milwaukee, Cedarburg, Whitefish Bay, Racine, Kenosha, Hales Corners, Ripon and the Holy Hill area, see KeyMilwaukee.com sports.

CEDARBURG GERMAN FEST, July 19-20; Cedar Creek Park. German music and performance groups, live cuckoo clock show, German cuisine, games for all ages and international auto show. Also sheepshead tournament and farmers market at the nearby Cedarburg Cultural Center. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 800-237-2874.

GERMAN FEST, July 24-27; Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds). 464-9444. HYPERLINK www.germanfest.com

WAUKESHA KENNEL CLUB ALL BREED DOG SHOW, July 25-27. Waukesha County Expo Center. 262-544-6911.

OLD FIDDLERS CONCERT, OZAUKEE COUNTY PIONEER VILLAGE, July 27; Ozaukee County Pioneer Village, Saukville. Grounds open at 11 a.m. 262-377-4510, 262-377-8432

OZAUKEE COUNTY FAIR, July 30-Aug. 3; W67 N866 Washington Ave., Cedarburg. Free fair, with live music, tractor pulls and demolition derbies, 4-H exhibits and judging, horse hows and Midway. 8 a.m.-midnight Wed., 8 a.m.-midnight Thurs.-Sat., 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. 262-375-6185, 262-377-3030.

WISCONSIN STATE FAIR, July 31-Aug. 10; 640 S. 84th St. Agriculture, food, shopping, national headliners, free stages of entertainment, and much more. Building Hours: daily 9 a.m. -10 p.m., 8/10 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fair hours: 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-midnight Fri. & Sat., 8/10 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adult/$8, Seniors 60 years and older and disabled persons/$6, Youth 7 – 11/$3, Children 6 and under/FREE. 266-7000, 800-884-FAIR (3247). www.wistatefair.com