family fun - february 2012

Picks of the Month

Winter is a great time to visit the Milwaukee County Zoo. There seldom are crowds and many of the residents of the internationally recognized zoo thrive in the cold weather. Check out Wilhelm, a 26-year-old polar bear that came here in September for an extended stay until his new exhibit space is completed at the North Carolina Zoo.

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.

See if the zoo’s resident groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 2

Family Free Day Feb. 4 means free admission, courtesy of North Shore Bank and Fox 6.

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. Tuesdays, 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 Feb. 16 means free admission from 5-8 p.m.

Valentine Ice Cream Social 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11

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 exhbits and events:

Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, one of the largest special exhibits ever to visit the museum, includes information on two current efforts to locate the mysterious queen’s grave. Extended hours on weekends.

Native Games through Jan. 1, 2013 highlights native games found among tribes in the U.S. and Canada.

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

The Hebior Mammoth is a specimen with great significance to Wisconsin. Found less than 30 miles from the museum on a farm in Kenosha County, the mammoth is among a group of important finds that help date the early presence of humans in North America.

Current and upcoming IMAX shows:

“TORNADO ALLEY,” through April 29; Join Storm Chasers star Sean Casey and the researchers of Vortex 2 on their thrilling quest to experience a tornado’s destructive power at point blank range.

“MYSTERIES OF EGYPT,” through April 29; Complementing the Cleopatra exhibition, this film takes viewers on a journey through the netherworld to meet Egyptian gods and goddesses.

“Born To Be Wild,” through Oct. 4; An inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals, documenting orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them—saving endangered species one life at a time.

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

“Cleopatra’s Universe,” through April 29; Produced locally, this show travels back in time to see stunning re-creations of the Alexandria Library, Cleopatra’s Palace and the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

“WISCONSIN SKIES,” through April 29; Special interactive show where you’ll stargaze under the planetarium dome, as well as check out the real sky with he planetarium’s new telescopes (weather permitting).

Call 414-319-4629 for IMAX planetarium show times and reservations.

DISCOVERY WORLD at PIER WISCONSIN

500 N. Harbor Dr. 765-9966. 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. This museum on Lake Michigan just south of the Art Museum also is the home of a 19th century re-creation of a Great Lakes sailing vessel, the Denis Sullivan. Open to the public from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun. www.discoveryworld.org.

Continuing exhibits free with general admission:

"City of Freshwater" focuses on Milwaukee’s leadership role in use of its water resources. Learn more about our relationship with water and explore the fascinating Badger Meter Liquid House.

"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 and also experience the dips and dives of flying and landing an airplane simulator.

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

“TechnoJungle” developed by Johnson Controls hunts for the next great idea by exploring the tangle of technology, inventions and ideas.

“Dream Machine” lets dreams become a reality, using in the Rockwell models of local landmarks to show how automation and control are a part of our daily lives. Developed by Rockwell Automation.

Special event:

“Tesla Lives! Electric, Inventive, a Little Bit Strange” is a live, interactive show performed every weekend.

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.

RED ARROW PARK ICE SKATING, continuing as weather permits; 920 N. Water St. Milwaukee County’s “Slice of Ice” rink is open. No charge for skaters with own skates. Skates may be rented for $8. For hours and updates, http://county.milwaukee.gov/RedArrow11930.htm

“A WRINKLE IN TIME,” through Feb. 19; First Stage Children’s Theater presents story of a strange visitor who arrives at a family’ home on a dark night. Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. 273-7206.

“TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD,” through March 4; Quadracchi Powerhouse Theater, 108 E. Wells St. Set in small-town Alabama during the Depression, and seen with brilliant clarity through the eyes of a young tomboy, this Pulitzer Prize-winning tale is about innocence, tolerance, family and courage. Milwaukee Repertory Theater presentation. 224-9490.

STORYBOOK TALES: ONCE UPON A TRAIN, through March 18; Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes), 524 S. Layton Blvd. See Thomas the Tank Engine and other G-scale trains wind their way though scenes from favorite tales. Also part of the display are Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and more—all set amid miniature plants. 649-9830.

TARGET FREE FIRST THURSDAY, Feb. 2; Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr. Admission to the internationally acclaimed museum is free for individuals and families. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. 224-3200.

SCIENCE BAG LECTURE, Fridays, Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m.; Room 137, Physics Building, corner of Kenwood Boulevard and Cramer Street. Interactive lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). “Math Puzzlers and Brain Ticklers” by UWM mathematician Bill Mandella. For ages 8 and older.

GREAT LAKES PET EXPO, Feb. 4; Wisconsin Expo Center, Wisconsin State Fair Park, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave. Newest pet products, Wisconsin’s largest interactive reptile exhibit, and entertainment showcasing pets. Hundreds of animals available for adoption and educational seminars. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 840-7411.

CEDARBURG WINTER FESTIVAL, Feb. 4-5; Historic Cedarburg, 20 minutes north of Milwaukee. See KeyMilwaukee.com Cover Feature.

STORY TIME IN THE GALLERIES, at 10:30 a.m., DROP-IN TOURS at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., SKETCHING IN THE GALLERIES at 1-3 p.m., Saturdays, Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25; Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr.

MUSKIE EXPO, Feb. 10-12; Wisconsin Products Pavilion, Wisconsin State Fair Park, 640 S. 84th St. Get a head start on summer fishing. Includes the world's largest traveling aquarium for demonstrating muskie lures. Don’t miss the booth for Shumway Guide Service and Shumway Tackle line of muskie/pike baits developed by innovative guides with more than 45 years of combined experience. (shumwaysmusky.com). Noon-9 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. 608-445-4645, www.muskieexpo.com.

WINTER CARNIVAL, Feb. 11; Lynden Sculpture Garden, 2145 W. Brown Deer Rd., River Hills. Outdoor art-making, studio activities, tours and tree-walks, ice skating (weather permitting) and more. Watch or participate on foot, skis, snowshoes or skates (bring your own). 446-8794. See KeyMilwaukee.com feature.

GOLDEN DRAGON CHINESE ACROBATS, Feb. 11; Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. 286-3663.

TRIPOLI SHRINE CIRCUS, Feb. 23-26; U.S. Cellular Arena, 400 W. Klbourn Ave. The circus is a combination of strength, skill, beauty and mystery. With amazing lighting and sound, human and animal performers transport the audience into the magical world of the circus. 800-745-3000.