Our Favorite Milwaukee-Area Summer Date Night Ideas:
We have so many great options for those times that you want to get out with just the adults!
Festivals
We live in the city of festivals, so no Milwaukee summer date night list would be complete without sharing a few!
- Mark your calendars and plan to attend one of Milwaukee’s fantastic annual festivals:
- Check out Summerfest!
- Head to the Wisconsin State Fair and meander through the animal barns, enjoy a milking demonstration, pet baby goats, and cheer on the pig races. While you are there, hop on the SkyGlider for a romantic ride over the fairgrounds
- While you’re there–Don’t forget to take an evening and ride the Ferris wheel! Play some games, eat lots of food, and bring the kids a stuffed animal.
- Go for a day of play at the Renaissance Fair. It’s 30 acres of variety entertainment, jousts, amazing arts and crafts, delicious food, fine spirits, music, dance, parades, and more!
Food and Drink
Foodies and Beverage Connoisseurs, rejoice! Milwaukee has a lot to offer your summer date night.
- Pull out the motorcycle or jump in the minivan on a beautiful day and take a ride to Kiltie. This drive-in restaurant is known for its custard but you can also plan to grab lunch or dinner, too!
- Enjoy a beer in the park at one of Milwaukee’s awesome beer gardens.
- Or grab a pint fresh from the source on a tour of one of Milwaukee’s many breweries.
- Grab a cup of joe at the Lakefront Colectivo, then stroll down Lincoln Memorial Drive and enjoy breathtaking views of downtown.
- Explore a farmer’s market.
- Take a MKE food and city tour, either walking or by bus, and explore different areas of the city, all while feeding the foodie in you. Old World 3rd St Tour is located in one of the old German neighborhoods where you can experience the old-world traditions, foods, and drinks. The Village of Wauwatosa Tour is a pedestrian-friendly village tour with Italian, French, and Belgium cuisines. Plan to go on a Saturday morning so that you can shop the infamous Tosa Farmers’ Market.
- Plan ahead and get two seats to the famous summer Farm Suppers at Parkside 23 in Brookfield. A seat in the tent gets you a 5-course meal complete with beer and wine pairings served al fresco right smack dab in the middle of their on-site farm. These sell out every year for a reason! Can’t quite swing the Farm Supper? Stop in on a Wednesday night for 1/2 price bottles of wine and the Creamed Corn. (Trust us. It’s legendary.)
- Grab dinner on a rooftop at any one of Milwaukee’s rooftop dining spots.
- Track down your favorite Food Truck to get dinner on the run. We particularly love Gouda Girls and Meat on the Street!
- Head to The Umbrella Bar at The Rock Complex in Franklin to enjoy the best sunsets in the city plus watch baseball games down below. They also hold Food Truck rallies featuring Milwaukee favorites
- Savor the interesting ice cream flavors at Purple Door.
- Go on a walking tour of Brady Street, where you will find some of the best sweet shops in Milwaukee. Sciortino’s Bakery has long had the last word in Milwaukee’s offering of delicious baked goods. Stop by for a late-afternoon cannoli on the corner of Humboldt and Brady, then head west and duck into Rochambo Coffee & Tea, Nomad Pub, Balzac, or Up and Under.
- Cedarburg is a great place to fulfill your sweet tooth. A picturesque small-town, Cedarburg is home to bakeries, chocolate shops, wineries, and breweries. Take a couple of hours and walk downtown.
- Grab ice cream or custard at any of Milwaukee’s Best Ice Cream and Frozen Custard spots.
- Did your sitter cancel? We’ve got you covered with A Menu for Date Night At Home
Arts and Entertainment
One of my favorite things about our city is how easy it is to experience the arts and sporting events here.
- Head up to Hubertus (right near Holy Hill.) to a place called Paul Bobrowitz Spectacular Sculpture Garden. Wonder through acres of hand-sculpted artwork which is for sale all throughout his land.
- Grab your favorite book of poetry and a blanket and sit under a tree at South Shore Park, reading aloud to each other.
- Check out more than fifty works of art in the collection at the Lynden Sculpture Garden.
- Check out our Guide to Wisconsin’s Drive-In Movie Theaters. If you’ve got really little ones, you can just let them sleep in the backseat while you watch from the front.
- Cozy up on a blanket and listen to music at Jazz in the Park, located in Cathedral Square.
- Milwaukee has a ton of hidden gems where you can grab an outdoor concert. Added bonus: they are generally free!
- Brewers playing a home game? Score cheap Uecker seats at the box office. Only available on the day of the game.
- Check out some amazing public art in Westown or in Walker’s Point
Summer Date Nights for the Outdoorsy Folks
If you’ve survived a Wisconsin winter, you deserve to get outside and enjoy the nice summer weather!
- Spend the afternoon channeling your inner American Ninja by taking on TNT Adventure Obstacle Course. Make sure to ease the pain of losing by stopping for homemade ice cream at Kelly Country Creamery afterward!
- Rent a Bublr Bike for $6/hour and take a stroll around the city together.
- Go on a horseback ride at Kettle Moraine Ranch.
- Rent a kayak and see the city from a new perspective.
- Climb the North Point Lighthouse.
- Hunt for beach glass at Klode Park Beach.
- Set sail on Lake Michigan on the Denis Sullivan. 2022 Season canceled. We look forward to being welcomed aboard in 2023.
- Check out the blooms at the Boerner botanical gardens. Note: this is a popular venue for pictures, so be careful to avoid photobombing a wedding party.
- Take a blanket out in the backyard and enjoy just being together, gazing at the stars and sharing thoughts, and catching up on each other.
- Go find or decorate a few Wisconsin Rocks!
- Check out the trails at Seven Bridges Park.
- Visit the Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa. Note: Bring your own water and leave no trace!
Only in Milwaukee: Summer date Ideas
Home sweet home. Here are some things you can only do in the 414.
- Head down to the south side of Milwaukee and find the old coal mine, Milwaukee Solvay Coke & Gas Co. You can urban explore and there’s awesome urban artwork everywhere.
- For the best view of Milwaukee walk down to the McKinley Marina. An amazing view of the city at all times, and you can fish right off the edge of the walkway.
- Tour the Milwaukee County Zoo and feed the giraffe for one of our animal-friendly Milwaukee date ideas
- Take a boat cruise in style along the Milwaukee River.
- Pack a picnic and a blanket and follow the path out to the beach at Doctor’s Park in Fox Point. The walk is worth the view.
- Stop in at Milwaukee’s own kit store, Gift of Wings, located at the lakefront. Then fly your newly purchased kite at Lake Park.
- Grab your hunny and take a historical MKE Walking Tour.
- Go on a walking tour in the Historic Third Ward. Added bonus? Explore and sample 5 restaurants along the way.
- Visit the St Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette’s campus! It’s the oldest church in the United States. It’s the oldest structure in Milwaukee and was shipped from France.
- Pack a picnic and venture along the Hank Aaron and Oak Leaf trails in Lakeshore State Park. You’ll find both natural beauty and the perfect spot to enjoy city views.
- Stroll down Main Street in Waukesha and grab some heaping scoops from Divino Gelato before heading toward the river for a romantic walk.
- Stroll the river walk and take a selfie with the bronze Fonz. Tag us on insta (@milwaukeemoms) when you do!
