family fun - august 2008

Picks of the Month

August is a great time for a trip to the zoo. Enter through the new visitor center, watch the flamingos while you enjoy a snack or take a ride on a zoo tram or train. The Milwaukee County Zoo is one of the finest in the country and a treat for youngsters of all ages.

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.

Live music and food from 28 area restaurants are on tap from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily Aug. 14-17 at the annual Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Zoo a la Carte.

It’s Children’s Weekend at the Zoo Aug. 23 & 24.

The popular Sting Ray and Shark Reef exhibition returned to the zoo this summer and continues through Sept. 7

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:

Don’t miss Cartoon Network’s Get Animated, a free event from noon-4 p.m. Aug. 10 in O’Donnell Park in front of the museum. Get Animated is designed to motivate, energize and educate kids from 6-11 about healthy choices.

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

SPUDFEST: An End-of-Summer Adventure from 6-9 p.m. Aug.23 involves five different adventure stations, a chance to meet Mr. Potato Head, fun in the Mr. Potato Head exhibit and special refreshments. Tickets are $7 for museum memers, $9 for non-members. 390-KIDS, ext 242.

“The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head,” a new exhibit created in Milwaukee, takes visitors on adventures led by one of the world’s best known interactive toys. Continues through Sept. 7.

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

Messenger of Friendship: The adventures of Kasumi Tsukuba, through Aug. 12 – Learn about one of the 44 Japanese friendship dolls still in existence. 278-2728.

NUMISMATICS! Selections from the MPM Collection, through Aug. 7; Nearly 200 rare coin and currency specimens. 278-2728.

"Wisconsin Archaeology: Pieces of the Puzzle" displays artifacts from the museum collections, including some from Aztalan, the state's most significant archeological site.

Student Exhibit: Thinking Outside the Treasure Chest – Explore different concepts of treasure through a variety of objects, including a vest made of soda can pull tabs, Egyptian funerary figurines and gemstones like amethyst and garnet.

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 include "Grand Canyon Adventure," an exhilarating river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River, through Oct. 2; “Mysteries of the Great Lakes," takes viewers through the greatest freshwater system in the world, through March 19, 2009; and “Dinosaurs Alive!,” a realist and scientifically accurate computer generated animation that brings dinosaurs back to life, through Oct. 2.

The Daniel M. Soref Planetarium in the IMAX currently is offering three shows: "Rock Hall of Fame," a light show plus music through Sept. 4; and "Seven Wonders," which takes viewers back in time to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and travels through the universe to provide a glimpse of natural wonders beyond our planet, through March 19, 2009, and “Star Light Star Bright”, which turns the planetarium into a magical place for pre-schoolers, through Dec. 31, 2009.

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. See KeyMilwaukee.com tours for all the details.

New exhibits at Discovery World:

• "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

• A special Harley-Davidson exhibit is open to the public Aug. 24, 26 & 27 before the Harley-Davidson 105th celebration.

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.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS, 10 home games: Even visitors who are mildly interested in Major League Baseball realize how hot Milwaukee’s Brewers are. As a result, home games are frequently sell-outs so buy your tickets early. See KeyMilwaukee.com’s sports page for the schedule and then buy your tickets.

WISCONSIN STATE FAIR, through-Aug. 10; 640 S. 84th St. Agriculture, food, shopping, national headliners, free stages of entertainment, and much more. Building Hours: daily 9 a.m. -10 p.m., 8/10 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fair hours: 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-midnight Fri. & Sat., 8/10 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adult/$8, Seniors 60 years and older and disabled persons/$6, Youth 7 – 11/$3, Children 6 and under/FREE. 266-7000, 800-884-FAIR (3247). HYPERLINK "http://www.wistatefair.com" www.wistatefair.com

MILWAUKEE GRAND PRIX REGATTA, Aug. 2-3: Lake Michigan at the Milwaukee Yacht Club and Milwaukee Community Sailing Center is the place to be for three races on Saturday and two on Suonda. 277-9094.

TARGET FMILY SUNDAY, Aug. 3: Lawn games, art making ,prizes and special events are on tap at the Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr. Also participating are the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and Boerner Botanical Gardens. Noon-4 p.m. 224-3200.

ARAB WORLD FEST, Aug. 8-10: This festival at the Summerfest grounds is the best place to find a camel ride this summer. Many educational activities also. 5 p.m.-midnight Fri., noon-midnight Sat. and noon-10 p.m. Sun. 727-5517.

MILWAUKEE IRISH FEST, Aug. 14-17: The largest Irish festival outside Ireland and the largest of the city’s ethnic festivals at the Summerfest grounds, Irish Fest always has activities for all family members. See KeyMilwaukee.com cover feature.

MARITIME HERITAGE FESTIVAL, Aug. 15-17: This Port Washington festival will bring together five tall ships, some of which can be toured and others which will venture out into Lake Michigan. Also entertainment, maritime-related demonstrations and fireworks. 262-268-2232.

CERAMIC DOLL SHOW, Aug. 15-17: Show at Wisconsin State Fair Park, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave., open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. 479-409-400, 479-750-3344.

MEXICAN FIESTA, Aug. 22-24: Experience the sights and sounds of Mexico at the Summerfest grounds. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature this month.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR ENCAMPMENT AND REENACTMENT, Aug. 30-31: Fun and educational outing at Ozaukee County Pioneer Village. Saukville. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 262-377-4510, 262-377-8432.