family fun - october 2008

Picks of the Month

Titanic, the Artifact Exhibition may be the pick of the month for many months. It's coming to the Milwaukee Public Museum Oct. 10, affording an interactive history lesson for the whole family. Be sure to read our KeyMilwaukee.com cover feature and get an advanced tour in our first KEY Insider report.

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.

Polar Bear Awareness Day Oct. 4 will raise awareness of the problems polar bears face in a changing Arctic. Nine of the country's leading zoos are participating in the day. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 256-5412.

Boo at the Zoo Oct. 17 & 18 means a Halloween maze, colorful crats and ghost stories. 609 p.m. 256-5412.

The Zoo's Wolf Woods Cabin is the site of Wolf Awareness Day Oct. 18. Held from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., the day features zookeeper talks, an exhibit of enrichment "toys" used to help wolves demonstrate natural behaviors and even a 1 p.m. howling contest.

The annual Halloween Trick-or-Teat Spooktacular is set for Oct. 24 & 25, giving kids a chance to trick-or-treat among hundreds of exotic animals, take part in the haystack maze, watch spooky movies and more. 609 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat.

Family free day returns Nov. 1, with free admission to the zoo.

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 Oct. 16 means free admission from 5-8 p.m. The Not-So-Scary Halloween days Oct. 30 & 31 offer fall crafts, puppet shows, Halloween family flicks, a scavenger hunt and a pumpkin patch. Goodies await guests at "Treat Stops" located throughout the museum 390-5437.

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; "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 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.

GOSSAMER, through Oct. 5: First Stage Children's Theater presents this adaptation of the Lois Lowry book in the Todd Wehr Theater of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. 273-7206.

FAMILY TIME IN THE GALLERIES, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25: The Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr., provides art activities for the whole family at 1 p.m. each Satuday. 224-3200.

CIVIL WAR ENCAMPMENT, Oct. 4 & 5: Re-enactors depict Union and Confederate soldiers, fight mock skirmishes with Civil War weapons and artillery and impersonate famous people at Trimborn Farm Park, 8881 W. Grange Ave. 529-7744.

JUNGLE JACK HANNA, Oct. 5: The renowned animal expert and host of televison's "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures" showcases some of his furry and feathered friends at a 3 p.m. matinee in The Pabst, 144 E. Wells St. 286-3663.

MEXICAN RODEO, Oct. 5: Colorful event at Wisconsin State Fair Park, 640 S. 84th St. 266-7000.

CHARLOTTE'S WEB, Oct. 17-Nov. 16: First Stage Children's Theater presents the most popular children's story of all time. Recommended for adults, teens and children six and up. 273-7206 or www.firststage.org.