Milwaukee Art Museum
The arts take flight at Wisconsin's premier arts institution. The centerpiece of Milwaukee's lakefront entertainment district is the spectacular Burke Brise Soleil. Part of the Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion addition at the Milwaukee Art Museum, this majestic sunscreen juts out above Lake Michigan giving the city wings. An unprecedented spectacle of architecture and engineering, the highly-lauded Calatrava sunscreen has a wingspan of 217 feet, which unfolds and folds twice daily creating an awe-inspiring representation of a bird taking flight. The Burke Brise Soleil is a brilliant prelude to the many astounding architectural design elements of the museum including the Eero Saarinen modernist War Memorial Center. Designed to resemble a floating cross, Time magazine called it "one of the country's finest examples of modern architecture put to work for civic purposes."
Beyond the world-renowned architecture, visitors discover an impressive permanent collection with more than 20,000 holdings spanning from antiquity to present. Works by Degas, Monet, Warhol and Picasso adorn the gallery walls, as does one of the largest collections in the world by Wisconsin native Georgia O'Keefe. Wandering through the museum grounds, visitors find a network of sculptured gardens, plazas and fountains designed to compliment the museum's architecture.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is an unforgettable venue for events. Several elegant spaces are available including the 265-seat Lubar Auditorium, the outdoor Baumgartner Terrace and the grand Windhover Hall featuring 90-foot-high ceilings situated directly beneath the museum's signature Burke Brise Soleil. The Milwaukee Museum of Art is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM and Thursday until 8 PM. General admission is $14 for adults, $10 for students and $12 for seniors ages 65 and older. Admission for children under 12 is free. For more information: 414-224-3200
