family fun - september 2008

Picks of the Month

If you enjoyed watching the Olympics on television, you'll have first-hand a chance to see similar action this month in Milwaukee. On Sept. 20 in downtown Milwaukee the whole family will enjoy men's and women's college and club teams racing in the Milwaukee River Challenge. This year the challenge starts in the Menomonee River ends in the Milwaukee River near Schlitz Park and the new Manpower headquarters. That same weekend (Sept. 19-21), some of the country's top college tennis players will be at the 33rd Milwaukee Tennis Classic at Western Racquet Club in Elm Grove. And don't forget the Milwaukee Brewers as they battle for a playoff and, perhaps, World Series berth.

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 Fun Weekend is set for Sept. 6 & 7. Down on the farm fun includes: cow milking and goat feeding; sampling homemade peanut butter, pickles and popcorn; hopping aboard hay rides through the Zoo and gardening and craft-making talks. A mini-farmer's market selling local favorites like fresh fruit, vegetables and maple syrup are on the docket for grown-ups.

The popular Sting Ray and Shark Reef exhibition returned to the zoo this summer continues daily through Sept. 7 and on weekends through Sept. 28.

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:

Neighborhood Night Sept. 18 means free admission from 5-8 p.m.

"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

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.

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.

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; ÒMysteries 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 10, 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

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.

INDIAN SUMMER FESTIVAL, Sept. 5-7; The last of Milwaukee's lakefront ethnic festivals on the Summerfest Grounds, Indian Summer is perhaps the most family friendly. The competition Pow-Wow, lacrosse games and demonstrations, authentic tribal villages and cultural demonstrations are of interest to all ages. For more information, phone (414) 604-1000 or visit www.indiansummer.org

GOSSAMER, Sept. 19-Oct. 5: First Stage Children's Theater presents this adaption of the Lois Lowry book in the Todd Wehr Theater of Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. Most appreciated by children ages nine and up and up, teens and adults. 273-7206.

WINE & HARVEST FESTIVAL, Sept. 20 & 21; This annual Cedarburg festival has plenty for the whole family, from shuttle hayrides from parking to the action on Washington Ave. to a Kid's Grape Stomp at the Cedar Creek Winery. 800-237-2874 or www.cedarburg.org.