family fun - august 2010

Picks of the Month

The variety of programs at Discovery World Museum is increasing monthly. From the truly electrifying weekend “Tesla Lives!” presentations to special adventures like this month’s tour of Milwaukee harbor shipwrecks aboard the yacht Voyageur, Discovery World offers something for all ages. Visit www.discoveryworld.org for details.

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.

A Sunset Zoofari, with live music from 6-9 p.m., is scheduled for Aug. 4.

More than 27 restaurants are featured, along with live music, at the 2010 Zoo a la Carte from Aug. 19-22. See our KeyMilwaukee.com feature.

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.

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.
  
  
  
• The renovated “a trading place” now includes an animal hospital; Brady Corporation Jr., a pretend manufacturing environment, and Under Construction-Go Green, where kids can pretend to build an ecology center with eco-friendly materials.
  

Special events:

Neighborhood Night Aug. 19 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!,” through Sept. 30; 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.

“THE DARK KNIGHT,” through Sept. 26; full-length feature film.

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 August programs:

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.

Explore shipwrecks along Milwaukee’s harbor Aug. 13-14 from the deck of the Voyageur, the Milwaukee Boat Line’s bi-level yacht.

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

THERE IS PLENTY of pro sports action throughout the summer. The Brewers are attracting thousands of fans each game. Even football action provided as the Milwaukee Iron earned a spot in the Arena Football League playoffs. This month also brings professional water skiing to Milwaukee’s Juneau Park Lagoon for the first time. 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.

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.

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.

AFRICAN WORLD FESTIVAL, Aug. 1; Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds).

WISCONSIN STATE FAIR, Aug. 5-15; Wisconsin State Fair Park, 640 S. 84th St. Agriculture, food, shopping, national headliners, free stages of entertainment. 800-884-3247. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature.

ARAB WORLD FEST, Aug. 6-8; Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds). Cuisine, entertainment and cultural showcases. Fun includes belly dancers and live camel rides. 5 p.m.-midnight Fri., noon-midnight Sat., noon-10 p.m. Sun. 888-912-2722.

SUBCULTURE SATURDAY, Aug. 14; Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc. Celebrate 40th Anniversary of the USS Cobia's arrival in Manitowoc! Chow down on a SUB sandwich, meet World War II re-enactors, and more. 866-724-2356 or 920-684-0218. www.wisconsinmaritime.org

12th HARTFORD CHAMBER BALLOON RALLY, Aug. 14; Hartford Airport, 4200 County Road U in Hartford, northwest of Milwaukee. Free family event from noon to dusk with some 15 hot air balloons lifting off about 90 minutes before sunset, weather permitting, and returning for a spectacular night glow.

MILWAUKEE IRISH FEST, Aug. 19-22; Irish Fest, Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds). One of the largest celebrations of Irish culture in the world. 476-3378. See KeyMilwaukee.com cover feature.

MARITIME HERITAGE FESTIVAL, Aug. 20-22; Port Washington Harbor, 20 minutes north of Milwaukee. Tall ships, plus music, entertainment, refreshments, Maritime-related demonstrations and activities, fireworks. 262-268-1132. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature.

MEXICAN FIESTA, Aug.27-29; Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds), 383-7066. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature.