family fun - march 2008

Picks of the Month

It’s tough to single out just one event this month. The variety of family-friendly possibilities is as great as it has ever been, ranging from a train show and a dog show to a special St. Patrick’s Day family evening, a robotics show and an outstanding electronic games exhibition. Two special touring exhibits continue to be must-see events, one for young families and another for those with older children. For the family with children under five, take time for Curious George: Let’s Get Curious at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. Families with older children won’t want to miss Body Worlds: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

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.

Family free day March 1 means no admission charge, courtesy of North Shore Bank and Fox6.

Egg Day is celebrated March 22 with a traditional Easter parade, a bunny treat search and colorful crafts.

BETTY BRINN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

929 E. Wisconsin Ave. Ph. 414-291-0888 Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-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 Museum is open on Monday, March 24, to mark the opening of Spring Break. Special activities are planned the whole week.

Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! continues through June 1. Created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, the special exhibit introduces young children to the little monkey’s world and leads visitors on a fun, interactive math, science and engineering-based adventure.

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

Continuing through June 1 is the spectacular exhibit Body Worlds1: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies. Timed entry.

“Science Saturday for Kids: No Bones about It” March 15 is a science-themed class for children held during the BODY WORLDS exhibit. Kids will learn about bones and compare their own to those of some giant mammal bones. $25, $20 for members. Adults accompanying children are free. Registration: 278-2714.

More Than Meets the Eye: The Art of Deception, a project by the UW-Milwaukee/Museum Studies Class, continues through April 5. 278-2728.

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 are Alps, featuring spectacular giant-screen imagery, through March 20, and The Human Body, which draws on sophisticated graphics to provide a dramatic picture of the human body. The Human Body runs through  June 12 and complements the BODY WORLDS exhibit at the museum. Grand Canyon Adventure, an exhilarating river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River, opens March 21 and continues through June 12.

The Daniel M. Soref Planetarium in the IMAX currently is offering three shows: Honey, I Shrunk the Solar System, which shows the planets shrunk by a young girl, through March 20; Rock Hall of Fame, a light show plus music through Sept. 4; and Secrets of the Zodiac, a look at the celestial system and why it has been so instrumental to humans, through June 12. CSI: Cosmic, which looks for life in the extreme conditions here on Earth and journeys through the solar system to investigate neighboring planets for hospitable conditions, opens March 21 and continues through Sept. 4.

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. While the ship is gone for the winter, the relocated and expanded Discovery World Museum offers saltwater and fresh water aquariums and interactive exhibits created by several of the city’s leading corporations. Open to the public from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun. www.discoveryworld.org.

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.

THE LION KING, through March 2; Milwaukee Theatre, 500 W. Kilbourn Ave. Disney’s spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor and the score by Elton John and Tim Rice. 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 8 p.m. Fri.; 2 & 8 p.m. Sat.; 1 & 6:30 p.m. Sun. 273-7206, 276-4545.

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS ANNUAL TRAIN SHOW, through March 9; Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes); 524 S. Layton Blvd., enter parking lot from S. 27th St., between I-94 West and National Ave. 649-9830.

CHILDREN’S SLEEPING BEAUTY, through March 22: First Stage Children’s Theater presents a bolder, funnier retelling of the classic tale at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. Most appreciated by adults and young people 6 and older.

BODY WORLDS, through June 1; Milwaukee Public Museum, corner of 7th St. (James Lovell) and W. Wells St. Groundbreaking exhibit exploring the mystery of human anatomy and physiology. Timed entrance. Call 414-223-4676.

INDIAN SUMMER FESTIVAL WINTER POW-WOW, March 1-2; Wisconsin State Fair Park, Wisconsin Products Pavilion 640 S. 84th St. Traditional pow-wow with singing, dancing marketplace with more than 50 vendors, frybread and Indian tacos. Free admission to 10 a.m. Sun. prayer ceremony. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. 604-1000.

WISCONSIN KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW, March 1-2; Wisconsin Expo Center, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave. See over 1,200 dogs representing over 125 different breeds. 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.

SPRECHER EASTER BUNNY EVENTS, March 2 & March 9: Sprecher Brewing Company, 701 W. Glendale Ave. in Glendale, hosts the Easter Bunny on two Sundays designed to provide fun for adults and children. For the younger set, events from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. will include games, coloring books, tours, Root Beer tastings and photos with the Easter Bunny that can be put on bottles of Sprecher Root Beer. Brewery tours every half hour throughout the day. 414-954-2739.

42nd ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S PARADE AND PARTY, March 8; Downtown Milwaukee. More than 120 units including Irish dance groups, pipe and drum corps. Steps off at noon from Old World 3rd St. and Wisconsin Ave. in front of the Shops of Grand Avenue. The parade proceeds east to Plankinton Ave., north on Plankinton Ave. to Kilbourn Ave., west on Kilbourn Ave. to Old World 3rd St., north on Old World 3rd St. to Juneau Ave., east on Juneau Ave. to Water St., south on Water St. Noon. 276-6696.

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL SPORTS SHOW, March 12-16; Wisconsin State Fair Park, Wisconsin Expo Center. Outdoor sports exhibits and interactive fun for the entire family. Fishing, boating, hunting, and camping displays and entertainment. Noon-9 p.m. Wed., Thurs., Fri.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. 800-472-2070

FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION, March 14-15; Midwest Airlines Center. High-school-aged young people learn more about what engineers and researchers do. Teams of young people and their mentors work to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. 908-6001.

ST. PAT’S SHOW WITH JOHN MCGIVERN, March 17: The Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., offers a one-hour, family-friendly performance with Irish dancers and Milwaukee’s favorite comedian, John McGivern. Also traditional Irish dinner from 4-7 p.m. (reservations required by March 14). 345-8800.

MIDWEST GAMING CLASSIC, March 29-30: The largest all-encompassing electronic gaming event in the Midwest is being held this year at the Olympia Resort & Spa in Oconomowoc, WI. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. March 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 30. www.midwestgamingclassic.com.