family fun - july 2010

Picks of the Month

Joining all the residents of the Milwaukee County Zoo for the summer are lifelike dinosaurs in a special exhibit, Adventure Dinosaur! This is a great month to take in one of the finest zoological parks in the country. Get there early and enjoy all the zoo has to offer.

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.

Adventure Dinosaur! roars through Sept. 6. With the support of Lowe’s, more than 25 realistic dinosaurs are presented in an outdoor habitat.

Sunset Zoofaris, popular evenings with live music from 6-9 p.m., are scheduled for June 30, July 7, 14, 21 & 28 and Aug. 4.

Watch two of the most enjoyable residents of the zoo, Amur (Siberian) tiger cubs Tula and Nuri who were born last July. Check out this video.

On June 19 in conjunction with the Milwaukee Public Library, the zoo becomes one of only five zoos and four libraries in the country to participate in “The Language of Conservation” program. The program will involve a permanent poetry installation of more than 50 poems, creatively displayed throughout the animal exhibits as a way to blend the beauty of poetry with the importance of conservation. Pattiann Rogers, a longtime published poet and college professor, will serve as the zoo’s poet-in-residence, selecting the poetry to be displayed in the park.

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:

The Animal Hospital, the newest “trading place” business, is set now open.

Neighborhood Night June 15 means free admission from 5-8 p.m.

Be sure to visit Kohl’s Healthy Kids: It’s Your Move, the newest exhibit area of the Museum, and learn vital health information.

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

Special exhibits:

The Puelicher Butterfly Wing allows visitors to stroll through a lush, tropical garden filled with butterflies, some willing to pause on fingers.

“Cabinets of Curiosity,” themed in honor of the museum’s 125th anniversary, illustrates the vast scope of museum holdings.

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 and upcoming IMAX shows:

“DINOSAURS ALIVE!,” opens June 11; Paleontologists uncover evidence that dinosaur descendants are still among us. Realistic and scientifically accurate computer generated animation brings dinosaurs back to life.

“UNDER THE SEA,” through Sept. 30; Encounter some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea.

“BATMAN BEGINS,” full-length feature, opens June 11.

“THE DARK KNIGHT,” full-length feature, opens June 16.

Current and upcoming shows at the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium in the IMAX :

“BLACK HOLES:THE OTHER SIDE OF INFINITY,” through Sept. 30: There's a place from which nothing escapes, not even light, where time and space literally come to end. It's at this point, inside this fantastic riddle, that black holes exert their sway over the cosmos…and our imaginations.

“GALILEO: THE POWER OF THE TELESCOPE,” through Sept. 30: Two eyes and two pieces of glass revolutionized human understanding 400 years ago. The eyes belonged to Galileo Galilei, and the curved pieces of glass were the lenses of his telescope. In Galileo: The Power of the Telescope – a Daniel M. Soref Planetarium original production – you'll learn Galileo's personal and powerful story, and explore how his discoveries displaced long-held views about the universe.

“INVADERS OF MARS,” through Jan. 2, 2011: Explore the Martian surface as seen by Earth's "invaders" – various spacecraft that have visited the red planet since Viking 1 first landed there in 1976.

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.

Special July programs:

The S/V Denis Sullivan, Wisconsin’s flagship lake schooner, returns for the season.

Save your tickets from all the festivals at the Summerfest grounds this summer for an admissions discount at Discovery World.

“Live at the Lakefront” offers live music and acoustic sunset shows on the lakefront Wednesday evenings through Sept. 1. 5:30-9 p.m. Free.

Continuing exhibits at Discovery World:

"City of Freshwater" focuses on Milwaukee’s leadership role in use of its water resources.

"Les Paul's House of Sound" is a tribute to the famed Wisconsin guitarist Les Paul.

Briggs & Stratton's "Milwaukee Muscle" exhibit allows visitors to design a vehicle of the future.

"Energy & Ingenuity: Harnessing the Power of You" developed by the Wisconsin Energy Foundation.

MISCELLANEOUS FUN

PLENTY of pro sports action throughout the summer. The Brewers are attracting thousands of fans each game. Even football action provided by Milwaukee Iron at the Bradley Center. And this month the 42nd International Cycling Classic brings top cyclists from throughout the world to race at events throughout the Metro Area. See www.keymilwaukee.com/sports for all the details.

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.

SUMMERFEST, through-July 4; Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds) on the lakefront. 42nd edition of the world’s largest outdoor music festival. 273-2680.

FIREWORKS AT THE LAKEFRONT, July 3; Hour-long fireworks show, one of the largest in the Midwest. www.countyparks.com.

HOLIDAZE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION, July 3; Grafton. Parade and fireworks. 262-377-1650.

CAR NIGHTS, July 6, 13, 20 & 27; Harley-Davidson Museum, W Canal St. at 6th St. Vintage cars, family activities, entertainment. 5-8 p.m.

GATHERING ON THE GREEN, July 8-10; Rotary Park, 4000 W. Highland Rd., Mequon. 262-236-0510 or www.gatheringonthegreen.org. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature.

SOUTH SHORE FROLICS, July 9-11; South Shore Park, 2900 S. Shore Dr. Popular South Side neighborhood festival. 483-2160.

42nd INTERNATIONAL CYCLING CLASSIC/SUPERWEEK, July 14-25; Various venues in Metro Milwaukee. See KeyMilwaukee.com sports or visit www.internationalcycling.com

FESTA ITALIANA, July 15-18; Henry Maier Festival Park on the lakefront. One of America’s premiere Italian cultural events. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature.

NATONAL TRAIN SHOW, July 16-18; Frontier Airlines Center, 400 W. Wisconsin. Ave. Showcases all aspects of model railroading including industry's newest products and services from manufacturers and retailers in US and around the world. Noon-6 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 908-6000.

TARGET FAMILY SUNDAY, July 18; Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr. Celebrate the culture of the Caribbean and enjoy free admission.

WAUKESHA COUNTY FAIR, July 21-25; Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Rd., Waukesha. (I-94 to Hwy. J). Oldest & largest county fair in Wisconsin. 3-10 p.m. Wed.,10 a.m.-11 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. 262-544-5922.

GERMAN FEST, July 22-25; 30th celebration of Milwaukee’s German heritage. See KeyMilwaukee.com cover feature.

OLD TIME FIDDLERS’ CONTEST, July 25; Ozaukee County Pioneer Village, 4880 County Highway I, Saukville. Grounds open at noon. 262-377-4510, 262-377-8432.

OZAUKEE COUNTY FAIR, July 28-Aug. 1; W67 N866 Washington Ave., Cedarburg. Free fair, with live music, tractor pulls, demolition derbies, 4-H exhibits and judging and Midway. Noon-midnight Wed., 8 a.m.-midnight Thurs.-Sat., 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. 262-375-6185, 262-377-3030.

WAUKESHA KENNEL CLUB ALL BREED DOG SHOW, July 30-Aug. 1. Waukesha County Expo Center. 1000 Northview Road, Waukesha. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri., 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat., 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sun. 262-548-7200, 262-896-8490.