family fun - may 2009

Picks of the Month

Two major exhibits are leaving Milwaukee this month and a new one is arriving for the summer. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition leaves the Milwaukee Public Museum May 25. From May 21 to May 25, the Museum will extend hours until 8 p.m., with the last tours at 6:30 p.m. Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home, which continues through May 31 at Betty Brinn Childrenís Museum, encourages families to spend time together outdoors and inspires children to discover and care for the natural resources that sustain our planet. Opening May 23 at the Milwaukee County Zoo is a special exhibit called Wings from Down Under, featuring three types of birds that are commonly found in the wilds of Australia. You can even feed some of the 1,000 grass parakeets, eastern rosellas and cockatiels..

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.

Mom gets in free on Mother's Day, May 10, thanks to the support of Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Special activities are planned.

A "Party for the Planet" May 16 &17 celebrates all things green. The zoo will come alive with the sights and sounds of conservation, including animal talks and hands-on demonstrations.

Wings from Down Under opens May 23 and continues through Sept. 7. More than 1,000 beautiful birds from Australia will fly freely in naturalistic habitats.

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:

ON Mother's Day, May 10, moms receive free admission. Kids can create cards and a paper wrist corsage or bracelet for that special person.

Neighborhood Night May 21 means free admission from 5-8 p.m.

Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home, created here by the Betty Brinn Museum in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, goes on the road after May 31. If you havenít taken youngsters to this special exhibit, you should definitely stop by this month.

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

TITANIC: THE ARTIFACT EXHIBITION continues only through May 25. Authentic artifacts and room-recreations tell the story of the 2,228 passengers aboard the Titanic during her ill-fated maiden voyage. Learn haunting tales of lives abruptly ended or forever altered when the Titanic collided with an iceberg on April 14, 1912.

THE HEBIOR Mammoth, a specimen with great significance to the state of Wisconsin, is now on display. Found less than 30 miles from Milwaukee in Kenosha County, the mammoth is among a group of important findes that help date the early presence of humans in North America.

Special events:

Attend a Motherís Day Brunch May 10 and see two live butterfly releases in the Puelicher Butterfly Vivarium. Call 278-27-28 for reservations.

Programs and special events are scheduled throughout 2009, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the museumís opening in 1884.

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:

• "Ghosts of the Abyss" in which Academy Award winning director and storyteller James Cameron journeys back to the legendary wreck of the Titanic (through June 11, 2009)
• "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure” brings extraordinary marine reptiles of the dinosaur age to life in a remarkable journey into the relatively unexplored world of “other” dinosaurs, those reptiles that lived beneath the water (through Oct. 1).

The Daniel M. Soref Planetarium in the IMAX currently is offering three shows:

• "Night of the Titanic," a tale of how human error and natural disaster sank the "unsinkable" ship (through June 11).
• "Rock Star 2,” a cosmic light show featuring rock selections from the late ‘60s through the early ‘90s (through June 11).
• "Astronaut” answers the question of what it takes to become an astronaut and gives a first-hand look at the lives of the men and women who travel through space through Oct. 1).

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. Scheduled to open after Memorial Day. See KeyMilwaukee.com tours for all the details.

Lake schooner Denis Sullivan returns in June.

"Tesla Lives," electrifying performancesî that look into the genius of Nicola Tesla, are open to the public on weekends.

Continuing exhibits at Discovery World:

"City of Freshwater" focuses on Milwaukeeís leadership role in use of its water resources.

"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

MISCELLANEOUS FUN

PLAY BALL! See KeyMilwaukee.com sports for theMilwaukee Brewer schedule and take the whole family to a game.

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.

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, through May 17; First Stage Childrenís Theater presents a story of adventure and finding oneís own heart ñ a path that canít be found on a treasure map. Staged on the Todd Wehr Theater of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. 273-7206.

19th ANNUAL SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL, May 2; Hales Corners Lutheran Church, 12300 W. Janesville Rd., Hales Corners. Arts and crafts sales, raffle prizes, ethnic foods, genealogy specialists and kids activities. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 421-0666, 425-0846.

STORY TIME IN THE GALLERIES, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr. Family event. 10:30 a.m. 224-3200.

CIRQUE DREAMS: JUNGLE FANTASY, May 5-6; Touring show inspired by natureís unpredictable creations and brought to life by an international cast of aerialists, contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians. The Milwaukee Theatre, 500 W. Kilbourn Ave. For tickets, 276-4545, 908-6001.

MYSO SPRING CONCERT, May 9; Uihlein Hall, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Milwaukee Youth Symphony presents first of three spring concerts, featuring solo harpist Emily Melendes and premiere performances by works of 14-year-old composer Jacob Schermer and concertmaster Wyatt Underhill. 1 p.m. 267-2950.

FESTIVAL CITY SYMPHONY, May 13; Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Kids Pajama Jamboree. 7 p.m. 273-7206.

MAD HOT BALLROOM, May 9; Bradley Center, 1001 N. Fourth St. Family-friendly event where local 4th, 5th and 6th graders compete in third annual citywide ballroom and tap competition. Sponsored by Danceworks. 227-0700.