This Wisconsin winter has felt a little unusual for its lack of snow. But while you’re waiting for Mother Nature, we found some wintry activities that don’t require snow!
Snow or not, it’s still cold in Milwaukee. And hot cocoa can help with that.
There’s liquid chocolate at Goddes and the Baker in Brookfield, chocolate caliente at Dia Cafe in Greendale, and hand-ground European style cocoa at La Reve in Wauwatosa.
We found the 14 best spots around town for a comforting cup of hot cocoa.
Local ice skating rinks are running as usual, and there’s no snow required.
Skating is free at many local ice rinks, with a small fee for ice skate rentals.
You can ice skate in the heart of downtown at Red Arrow Park on a rink that’s actually bigger than Rockefeller Center! Polar Pals can be rented for just $1 to help your kids learn to skate.
Nearby at the Kern Center, they offer public skating times on their indoor ice rink.
Konkel Park is another great destination for families who want to glide around the ice. They offer free skate rentals while supplies last and free skate instruction on a first come, first served basis.
Keep an eye on the Milwaukee Public Market’s social media for announcements about the Dinky Rink, expected to open again this year. It’s the city’s tiniest ice rink.
And no roundup of ice rinks for Milwaukee is complete without mentioning the Pettit Center, home to two international-size ice rinks and a 400-meter speed skating oval.
Public skating times, rental skate fees, and occasional promotions are listed on their website. They also offer ice skating classes for all ages throughout the year.
Here’s the full list of the 10 best places to ice skate around Milwaukee.
Local tubing destinations got a good base of snow earlier in the season, and have made their own snow to make up for the lack of precipitation.
Sunburst was named one of the op 10 tubing parks in the entire country by USA today, with 45 lanes of tubing chutes with a quarter-mile run and 90 foot drop. You can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
The Rock Snowpark is another local favorite, and they offer glow tubing on select Saturday nights!
See all of the tubing, skiing and snowboarding destinations around Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee area is chock full of kid-friendly museums to explore on a cold day. This week is a great time to visit because it’s Milwaukee Museum Days and many destinations are offering admission discounts.
Walk through the aquarium at Discovery World, have Storytime in the Galleries at the Milwaukee Art Museum, or visit the new Pet Vet exhibit at Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.
Other options that are off the beaten path includes the Pabst Mansion, running family-friendly tours on Saturday mornings, and the Bobblehead Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of bobbleheads.
Want more ideas? Check out these 20 Milwaukee museums your kids will love.
Winter is the right time to explore the area’s vast array of indoor playgrounds.
Our favorite play cafes include Little Sprouts Play Cafe (Shorewood and Mequon) and Bug & Goose Play Cafe (Elm Brook and Delafield). Their thoughtful play spaces are intimate and cozy, and they offer hot drinks for the parents.
Your kids will love burning off their energy at trampoline parts like Rockin’ Jump, Sky Zone Greenfield, and Urban Air.
New indoor playgrounds in the area include the New Berlin Activity and Recreation Center, Nugget Nation MKE in Brookfield (opening soon), and Kids Empire, opening in the Summer of 2023 at Bayshore.
See the full list of 25 Indoor Playgrounds around Milwaukee.