Discovery World

Great science museum and aquarium. Wonderful place for the whole family. The kids will love the car area on the third floor, and the robotics area that prints out customized foam toys. Definitely make your way over to the boat, and then head down to meet the sturgeon in the petting fish tank. Surprisingly the sturgeon love to interact with all the kids! Just a lot of things to do, and a great way to get the kids out of the house. My brother also rented the top floor for his wedding ten years ago, and that was great! So there's more than just the museum and aquarium.

We love having a season pass here. Always fun to explore and love the different vendors that come. The cafe with food isn't the greatest for options but if you're in a pinch and have a cranky kid.. you can find something!

Discovery World is a fabulous event venue! As a Wedding Planner I love any opportunity to work with Madeline and her team. They are so attentive and professional, not to mention Bartolotta's food is sooo delicious!

I went with a group of four adults and a 9-year-old and a 2-year-old. We had a blast! It was our first time there and I was really impressed with the vast variety of different kinds of exhibits and how Hands-On everything was. I was a little concerned it would be too advanced for my 2-year-old, but she thoroughly enjoyed herself. We became members and can't wait to go back again! The underground parking garage was also a really nice feature, especially in the winter.

Had a great day here, a lot to do. Enjoyed the aquarium in the basement, plenty of fish to look at. Can go upstairs to make it rain and storm over the Great Lakes. A lot of things where the kids and some adults can learn how things work. A chance to go on an old time ship indoors. Something for everyone, spend time having fun there.

Such a cool museum! There were so many things to look at, and a variety of things as well. From science to history to sea creatures, discovery world has it all! It’s also in a very nice location and very close to the art museum. Very kid-friendly and it was cool to have so many things that were interactive.

What a great day. We homeschool, so the stem exhibits and facts about electricity and physics were informative. Not to mention the hands on physics exhibits. The aquarium is in the basement and we font per stingrays. And the view of the harbor is breathtaking. Walk around outside on the harbor after you finish with the science center. There are 2 floors and a place to eat inside. You can cover this entire place in 3 hours with a few kids. If you drive, the best parking is in the basement lot.

Hands on science museum for all ages showcasing technology and how things work by involving patrons interactively. Much to learn and experience on multiple levels. A giftshop and a café. Restrooms, parking garage and more amenities. Most everything over priced. Good accessibility.

New exhibit alert! We are members at Discovery World, because we love it that much! It really never gets old taking out kiddos here. As mentioned in my previous review, there are endless things to see and explore, and just so much learn (even for adults). On our recent visit, we came to learn that there is now a fun new area: the Exploration Station! You can find this on the third floor. Here your kiddos can explore the magic of trains and transportation through hands-on activities like becoming a conductor, operating the ticket window, learning fun facts about transportation and trains through play, and checking out the train table to build tacks and navigate train-cars. There's no shortage of a good-time at Discovery World.

I gave Discovery World 3 stars because I couldn't justify the price. I went with my husband and 1-year old granddaughter and the total for two adult tickets was $50. That did not include the $30 for parking in the parking garage. Total = $80. The heated parking garage was easy to access but very busy. Once we found parking, it was also easy and quick to find the elevator. You can purchase tickets ahead of time, at a kiosk inside, or at the ticket counter. The museum has a small gift shop with cute, fun items for kids. They also have a snack bar in case you need a quick bite to eat but I wouldn't count on having a full lunch there; the food didn't look very appetizing or fulfilling. There were exhibits for children of all ages to engage in. Our favorite part was the aquarium. There are stingrays, lobsters, and sturgeon that you can touch. Our granddaughter really enjoyed seeing the fish. The museum has a lot of windows and offers a beautiful view of Lake Michigan.

I stopped by on a Sunday. This place was not too busy. This place is very good for toddlers and kids. I wouldn't recomment this place for grown ups. In the basement there are some beautiful aquariums. In the first floor there was robotic related stuff. Kids could spend all day in this section. Apart from that there are some Achimedes lever, screw etc which are basic Physics. There was also a small ship kind of a set up where we can sit inside and pretend that it is a whole ship. Overall I though this place is fun for kids, but slightly expensive for what they have.

We don't have any kids, but I remember Discovery World being a lot of fun many years ago, so I knew I had to bring my husband here! We came on a Saturday afternoon and it was very busy with lots of kids running around. Even though this museum is geared more towards kids, I think people of any age would have a great time here. We spent about four hours exploring everything and that was a little tight for everything we wanted to see. My favorite exhibits were the Great Lakes display and the chance to try to out a VR game. My husband really enjoyed the aquarium (with a chance to touch some cool fish!) and the simple machines and gears. We had a truly wonderful time and would even consider a membership here!

Just visited Discovery World and it was totally fascinating! The aquarium section was cool, but honestly, I wish it were bigger and had a wider variety of fish. Still, there was so much to explore! From the music exhibits to the mechanics and design stuff, it was like a hands-on learning playground. So much to see and experience--definitely worth a visit if you're into tech, art, or just love exploring new things!

Really fun and interactive museum. Although it's geared for kids, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed it. Mostly science geared interactive displays, but they also have a small aquarium. I would go back again, even as an adult.

Located In Milwaukee on the Lake Michigan waterfront. Great place for children to have fun while learning science and the ecology of Michigan. Lots of interactive, hands-on exhibits for the children. With various discounts, the three adults and one child in our group were admitted for a grand total of $80. Discounts available include military, senior citizens, and programs for residents of Wisconsin in certain categories. Highly recommend for families with children.

On our last full day in Milwaukee, it was supposed to pour all day so my husband and I had to think of something to do indoors. We are from Chicago, so we weren't too in touch with the Milwaukee area. Then, I remembered a friend of ours recommended this place for a relaxing time, so we decided to make a last minute decision to come here. The museum is off of the water and almost looks like the museum campus area in Chicago where Soldier Field and all of the museums are. We found the parking garage right away and the parking is pretty cheap thankfully. When entering, you put a credit card in the machine, take it out and park. Then, when you leave, you put the same card in the machine and it will charge you based on how long you were in the lot. Simple and convenient way to park, and we only paid like $8 for parking. When you get into the museum, you get a wristband and you can walk around exhibits and the aquarium. Many children were around, and we quickly learned it's pretty much like the Children's Museum. It was okay and there were plenty of hands on things to do (very informational too!), but when you don't have kids, there's not much to do. It would be a great place to go with your kids, though! We walked through the science part pretty quickly because we weren't exactly thrilled with the how things work aspect of most exhibit areas, but we did learn a lot about guitars and Les Paul! The guitars were cool! Our favorite part of Didcovery World was the aquarium area. We saw a lot of fish and they have a cool overhead aquarium where fish swim over you. They also have floors where fix swim under you! There is an area you can touch sting rays and sturgeon, and it was all very well laid out. I probably wouldn't ever come here again without kids, but we are glad we went for a first time visit because it was an interesting and fun thing to do to pass the time on a rainy day! For kids, this place is awesome! Definitely an innovative and educational place, and most things seem pretty new and clean. All the families around us seemed to be highly enjoying themselves.

We visited here during Christmas vacation on our last day before heading back home. It was worth to check it out since it also had an aquarium which was better than I expected. The science museum section was a bit over my son's head so we breezed through it quickly. Afterwards, we spent more time on the aquarium side which had several levels which was cool. We also liked the boat exhibit and Great Lakes exhibit with rainfall. With our ASTC membership, admission was free and took advantage of their STEM activity of building a gingerbread house from cardboard cutout with hot glue gun and other craft items.

We were in Milwaukee for the long weekend, and walked from our hotel downtown to the Betty Brinn children's museum and then to Discovery World (we stopped for lunch in the cafe in the art museum in between, which was a lovely spot for lunch and the only place to get real food on the winter Saturday we were in this area). It was a full but easy, fun, and good day. Discovery World is a cool small science museum. My 5 year olds favorite part was the aquarium area. There's a cool glass tunnel where fish swim over you, glass floor that they swim under you, an area you can touch sting rays and sturgeon. The great lakes area seemed exciting for the kids to run around, the ship upstairs is cool to play on. The snack shop was little and okay for snacks, but don't plan to eat a meal here. It's easy to bring your own food.

Wow! So many things for our kids to do here! We made the mistake not starting out with the technology area first! By the time we're done for the day we realized we should have started there first since there's so many more other things to do. We went on a Tuesday morning, plenty of room to move around. Every exhibit is lovely, so many things to learn from (just wish my toddler let me do it! Lol). I would recommend up to 6 hours, so pack a lunch for a picnic. There's a lawn area for outdoor picnic style. Parking was easy, staff was friendly, facility is in good condition and informative. Overall I am very pleased with the discovery center.

So I love science museums, I've been to quite a few of them in many states! One of the best things about being in a new place is checking out the science center... I was really psyched when I read about all the exhibits here, and how they had two theaters! But there's expectation and there's reality. I woke up hella early to drive from Janesville to Milwaukee, we thought since they're open Tuesday through Saturday that going early on a Wednesday would make sense. Apparently not! There's a little snack store inside that is only closed on Wednesdays?!? Why? There's one drink vending machine in the building, and it's single dollar bills only. Like people just walking around with pockets of cash! Of course, if you want a bottle of lukewarm Dasani, you can head to the gift shop, which is the smallest gift shop of any science center I've ever been to... they have neither a box of different colored little rocks that are meaningless but you want to buy because they're shiny little trinkets and your goblin brain tells you "they go click clack, you neeeeeeeds!!!" Nor do they have astronaut ice cream; the staple item of a science museum store!!! The audacity. As for the exhibits, most of the cool ones were restricted entry for summer camp kids and educational personnel only, so most people can't get into them, including the majority of the cool ones. I didn't come here to look at some guitars in cases with notes that are supposed to be funny but aren't on them? A lot of it was also in various states of disrepair. And those two theaters? After looking around everywhere, I found one of them, but no entrance, and no clue what was playing, so eventually went back to the entrance and asked, they said that despite having two theaters they haven't shown anything in a long time in either of them. So that sucks. Also, I'm normally ethically opposed to aquariums, but since we were already there, and the rest of my party wanted to go look, and it wouldn't cost us more, we went to look at their aquarium part. A good 1/3rd of their jellyfish were dead in the tank with the live ones. They have a stingray pet tank, and no way to wash your hands before or after, just paper towels. I also feel bad that they mutilate the stingrays to remove their stingers from them so people can reach out and grab them, in a sad little loop they're stuck in all day. Almost none of the marine animals were in big enough enclosures for their species. It's amazing more weren't dead, tbh. I would give this two and a half stars, but it was nice to get out and do something.

When we visited Milwaukee in the fall this was one of the highlights of our trip. This science museum includes everything from machines, boat-themed stuff, an aquarium, and more besides. I loved that we were able to bring home crafts to assemble later as souvenirs, and it was a really interactive museum with everything from music, sound, VR, science, environment and much more besides. Located right on the water, this museum benefits from the location. It was walking distance from our hotel but there seemed to be ample parking and decent transit options as well. I was admittedly a bit disappointed in the gift shop, having been to many other science museums in my time: I would have loved a larger range of souvenir options from our trip here. Still, this is less a review of the gift shop and the museum was excellent on the whole. The toddler in our group had a great time but so too did the adults (and our group included a large age range). There are lots of stairs in the museum for those who want to use them, but there are also elevators. I do wish that there had been more accessible "family" washrooms for diaper changing, but beyond that the museum is excellent.

Yah it's a children's museum but I was a child once and I still wanted to see it as an adult for the aquarium aspect of it because Milwaukee doesn't have the equivalent of the Shedd aquarium which I enjoyed while living in Chicago. Parking was very easy and rockstar, one car from the front door. Yah it's a children's museum with tons of interactive displays of various themes. It's like the Harley Davidson museum, not too big and an easy walk where you can stay as long and short as you want. The have a cafeteria area for food with specials but not a full blown restaurant that has a seating area with a great view over looking Milwaukee's lake front. The aquarium actually has displays where you can actually touch the what's swimming in them, pass for me but very cool. Full blown sail ship that you crawl all over is cool also. The woman whom was the face of the place at the time did a wonderful job at explaining the museum and was not just collecting a pay check was refreshing because she was passionate with informing us of the museum. Overall it's a great place and not just a children's museum

I wish there were late hours that were just for older children and adults. There were too many uncontrolled small children running from one exhibit to the next just pushing buttons without actually reading how to experience the exhibit. I realize this is summer and a lot of people take their children here to avoid summer boredom, but they should control and supervise rather than let their children run free to be considerate to others who are exploring the museum. I was very disappointed that most of the exhibits I was interested in were blocked off for "campers and staff only." It would be cheaper to let your children run free at a playground than taking them here. There were a few well-behaved and supervised children in the Les Paul sound exhibit who I enjoyed interacting with.

I'm embarrassed. I'm from Chicago. And been a member of the museum of science and industry there for years. I love that place. But then I come here to Discovery World, and I realize so many things could be improved about MSI. Like the freshness of the displays. The brand new robots making toys. And how the Tinker studio thing has brand new projects every month. My family had a blast here. The Les Paul exhibit blew my mind. I didn't realize how deep his impact on music and music innovation was. I can't wait to come back and revisit this section to study it even more. What is this place? The Tardis from Dr Who? It's defiantly bigger inside than the outside. But we had a pleasant time in all parts of this place and we only had time to explore a small fraction. Didn't even get to the aquarium side. Another huge plus. With our MSI membership, they let us in free here. I thought we'd get in for 50% off but instead it was 100% off! Their mistake? Happy misunderstanding about how these memberships work? Who knows. 50% off would still have been great. We will definitely be back. I hope our folks running MSI can visit and get some inspiration.

I'm glad I brought my kid here at least once during our stay in Milwaukee. It's a cool mix of science/tech with an aquarium. You can also learn about the lake which was pretty cool (it being my first time in Milwaukee). I highly recommend the aquarium for the little ones. (I also enjoyed the aquarium the most haha). There was a small area where the light reflects through the tank above which caused a mini light show that my little man was fascinated by. At first, he was a bit scared because of the way the space was designed but he got the hang of it and seemed to really enjoy his time there. For example, there was a part where the floor was glass and we saw the fish from below. He wasn't sure whether or not it was safe to step, but he soon got the hang of it. I also loved how friendly the staff was at the aquarium floor. Bought my ticket in person ($20 for just my self- kiddo was free). Looked for street parking and found free parking. (I read online that I needed to pay for parking online, but not quite the case y'all).

Ridiculous while hosting Maker's Faire 2022. DW is hosting Milwaukee Maker's Faire, an annual exhibition of STEM, craft and art by local creatives. People LIVING the exact kind of wonder and appreciation for science and learning that Discovery World purports to inspire in young people. The Faire will draw adults and parents that may not have otherwise come to Discovery World but instead of using the opportunity to show off the museum, aquarium and Kohls Design It! Lab to new potential fans, DW is penny pinching and charging a separate admission for those areas. A poor choice, but fine. But what is really embarrassing is how they are forcing their young docents to actively hunt down and confront any Maker Faire attendee who drifts into a permanent exhibition area. It is ridiculous and embarrassing for Discovery World. Instead of using their docents to welcome newcomers, they are rudely and aggressively ostracizing visitors. Kohls Design It! Lab should have been TIGHTLY INTEGRATED INTO Maker's Faire. Instead, NorthWestern Mutual has their own youth design team occupying the main Maker's Floor and Design It! Lab employees are sequestered upstairs, completely cut off from the Maker's Faire! Embarrassing display of mismanagement and out of touch penny pinching. I hope DW does better in the future.

I'm specifically reviewing parking here. My visit to Discovery world with family today was devoted to attending a Makers Market. Parking inside was not possible, but we found easy access across the street. Easy, yes, until you want to leave. I anticipated the $15 fee (exorbitant, but not uncommon to be stiffed at cultural locations), but I wasn't ready for the 20 minute stroll to get back into the parking garage. You'll certainly get your steps in as you work to get back into this place. Signage sucks.

I decided to take my 8 year old here while on spring break. We purchased tickets and parking online prior. Turns out I didn't need to purchase parking as there wasn't even anyone there to check! $10 in parking down the drain. I could have paid at the pay station for the time we actually spent there, not a full two hours of parking. A lot of displays were closed. It was honestly A LOT of people for "reduced capacity" between the time slot of 10-12. We were done within 40 minutes because we had to skip over a lot of exhibits due to the crowd. It was difficult to navigate and actually see everything that was available. We will probably go again once all exhibits are open but it's not really worth the trip right now.

I honestly didn't expect much from this museum because it looked small ( especially compared to its neighbor to the south (Chicago's Museum of science and industry is HUGE). That being said, it does not detract from the overall experience. I actually really enjoyed this museum! There is plenty of interactivity to keeps both kids and adults entertained. I also love that they incorporated an aquarium (albeit small) that is serviceable. There are plenty of interesting and unique exhibits ranging from physics to guitars to Great Lakes. One thing I absolutely love is the automation/robotics exhibit. There's a machine where could customize your toy from a series of 4 options. It's so cool and functions as a free souvenir. I was quite pleased with it! They also have a workshop upstairs where you build structures out of cardboard. This place loves to give their customers a memorable experience that they can remember. I also like that once I entered, the whole museum was open to me... no special exhibits with an up charge! This is a must if on Milwaukee for everyone!

Overall great experience, until we reached the airplane simulator on the first floor near the machine exhibit. The male employee, who was supervising the airplane simulator, was extremely rude, off-putting, and condescending. He told one of my daughters that she was "too heavy" to try the simulator, and then proceeded to be unhelpful to my other daughter who tried it. Refusing to help, explain, or direct in any way how to fly the plane when she was clearly struggling. Making unwarranted comments about people's weight is completely unacceptable. To say that it was disappointing and offensive is an understatement. Sad ending to a wonderful day with my daughters.

Out of order What an amazing venue. Spending an afternoon here is a great way to get out of the house and kick the winter blues. I'm fascinated by the technology side of the building. Pneumatics, gears, electronics, motors and the like excites my inner kid. The Aquarium side is pretty cool too - touch tanks, pulleys, a giant ship and more with great views of the lake. Definitely on-par with museums in Chicago or other large cities. The only drawback is that maintenance is lacking. Yeah, hundreds of kids a day are going to break stuff like touch screens but I was surprised to see some leaking hydraulic fluid too, eww! Save a few bucks on parking - there are normally open spaces on the end of Wisconsin Ave and you can check out The Calling and bridge to the art museum as you walk a few blocks.

Took my 9 and 6 year old here thinking we might spend 2 hours... 4 hours later and we are closing the place down and they wanted to stay longer. Lots of hands on things to keep them entertained. Really appreciate that they don't charge for every little thing (many other museums would have charged an extra fee for the racing and flight simulators and the virtual reality.

Way too crowded terrible parking and very boring my kids hated it! I wasted $94 for 5 of us on this place. I will make sure to tell people not to come here.

Very interesting and interactive hybrid science center/aquarium. Lots of exhibits and fun things for kids and adults alike. We spent 2 hours here and felt like there was still more to see. Good location against the lake and easy to get to.

A great place for the kids. We brought two thirteen year olds here and they really liked it. I was worried it would be too young for them but they had a good time. Another two years and they might not like it as much. I didn't see two many teenagers here. That being said, dad and I enjoyed it. Pretty much everything is hands on. It was crowded the day we were here but this is a big place so I didn't feel like we waited overly long for anything. The kids waited to make the laser cut toy but they only waited five minutes for their turn. They also waited for the race car driving but it was worth the wait. They really enjoyed it. The longest wait was for the virtual reality exhibit. That was really cool and also worth the wait. The aquarium itself is small but really nice. We enjoyed it. There were lots of hands on exhibits in this part too. Overall, we spent about 4 and a half hours there and the girls were never bored. The cost for two adults and two teens was about seventy dollars. Parking in the garage was 9 dollars.

As a parent, I was very impressed with this museum, specifically with all the sights and activities for my 2-year old to enjoy. There were also educational items for myself, ranging from thoughts of "are you smarter than a fifth grader" to seeing the inner workings of an electric guitar and being spellbound by the obligatory "octopus guitar." The aquarium was a marvelous sight, and one that I did not expect to see in a museum. From underwater tunnels to glass-bottom sea life viewing windows, it seems that they've spared no expense at building this place out. The electricity area was great for my son (and all energetic kids), as the creators of this exhibit ingeniously made devices that needed human energy to power their devices. My son's excited stomping and pedaling at the energy exhibits pretty much guaranteed a no-fuss nap time.

Discovery World is a cool place to come. I always bring my 10 year-old little sister here and she LOVES it. The aquarium is a personal favorite for us, as well as the art studio. The exhibits are extensive and there is a lot to learn all around; however, I wish the staff were more hands on. I feel like whenever I ask a question to a staff member they aren't very eager to help. A lot of people seem bothered when you ask them about something. Other than that, we love Discovery World. We definitely will keep coming back! During the summer you can rent peddle boats, which is always a good time!

Visited Discovery World for a private event, and it was so cool! We had access to the aquarium in the basement where we could look at all of the fish and even touch some (cocktails with the fish), and then we had a reception in their large hall after. I would highly recommend host an event here if you're in the market. Aside from the areas we were permitted to go, they had what looked like a pretty entertaining hands-on museum. While we're weren't allowed in, my inner-child wants to go back and check it out. They also had a small gift shop, and some incredible views of Lake Michigan.

This place is amazing!! It's a science museum and aquarium in one. Totally appropriate for kids of all ages. The place is nice and clean and all the exhibits seem well-kept. Everything is hands-on too! I came here on a whim with my two daughter (3yo & 6yo) and they didn't want to leave. They were certainly entertained for the entire time here. They seem to also have a lot of classes for kids through the week for whatever programs. Pretty cool.

Discovery World is a great place to spend a few hours exploring and learning. I love how most of their exhibits are interactive (although a few were non-functioning, and a few I just couldn't figure out). It's fun for both kids and adults! One side of Discovery World is the Museum-y side (Technology Building) with exhibits relating to Les Paul/sound, 3D printing, history of Milwaukee, crafts and more! The other side is an aquarium (Aquatarium) with an impressive display of the Great Lakes, a tunnel through one of the aquariums, a pathway walking over a few tanks, touch pools for freshwater and saltwater fish, a life-sized boat, and more. You can also access the Pilot House (3rd floor of the Aquatarium) which is really a venue space but has some nice views of the lakefront and the Art Museum. It's a very nice, albeit smallish museum/aquarium, they have discounts for Veterans and Students (woo) which makes the price fairly reasonable for a few hours of entertainment and learning. Living in Chicago I couldn't help but compare to the Chicago museums, and while this place is decidedly smaller, they do have some great interactive exhibits making it a great place to spend a good half-day.

My expectations were high and I was disappointed. We went downstairs to the aquarium where we had to wait in line for about 20 min in order to try and reach into a deep tank to touch stingrays or large fish. And all they offered were papertowels when you were done. Um...can I get some soap and water? From there we went upstairs to see a boat. Other stuff was blocked off. Next, please? Finally a room that looked fun; buttons to push, things to spin, physical challenges to take. My 2.5 yr old finally had something to keep him busy. Even with the limited people due to Covid this place was crowded. I cant imagine being there on a normal day trying to wait my turn to check out a machine. Maybe it was because the upstairs was closed? Regardless, the whole place was not what I was hoping for. Thought our 2 hour time slot wasnt going to be enough but it was too much. We were done in about an hour...and that included the line at the aquarium!

This place is good for 3-10 years old to spend about 1 hour. That is correct One hour for $20 per adult. The exhibition materials need to modify and need to expand not only the building but the material. You will get tired if you visit the museum more than 2 times a year you sure need a live.

Such a great place and the staff is SO helpful and awesome! Came here from Indianapolis, definitely recommend it

I've been here several times now when I've had coupons for discounted admission. If you can't find a coupon/groupon or afford a membership, trips can get really expensive. If you have a child, this place is amazing. It's even entertaining for adults too. There are so many interactive learning opportunities, and the views are stunning. I personally love to sit across from the huge aquarium. While I much prefer to just go to the zoo, I enjoy the large tank and can get lost in time just watching the fish swim. Do not bother parking on site as it fills up fast. If your troupe is capable of a short walk, park along Lincoln Memorial Dr for free and enjoy a walk in the fresh air and soak up those views along the way.

My preschool aged son and I arrived on a Friday shortly after it opened. First I was surprised by how open and laid back it felt. There's a long, promenade that is glass walled on one side with a view into Lake Michigan. It sits on the lake similar to the Shedd in Chicago. I feel like if my son and I had just walked in past the ticket counter then sat at a table and ate, no one would've batted an eye. The food in the little cafe was pretty standard (candy, yogurt, various drinks) as well as popcorn, pizza, and whatever specials they have for that day. We kept it simple (yogurt, water, Uncrustable, chocolate milk) and I didn't feel like it was over priced. What they were cooking smelled good. We ate our snacks and got to see the S/V Denis Sullivan pull in and dock. My son loved it. Staff is very friendly. The guy at the ticket counter was friendly and informative. The cafe cashier and gift shop cashier were very friendly. Even the staff walking by indulged my super friendly kid by saying hi back to him. A few made special stops to ask how we were enjoying our visit. We went to the aquarium first. It's very small. We got through it in 30 minutes (went through it twice). But don't let the size fool you; good things can come in small packages. The touch tank was great. Parts of it were glass so we could see the animals swim. The big one in the center was split in two- one half freshwater (and I believe had a couple sturgeon in it?) the other half salt water with stingrays. They are super active circling the tank, flipping upside down, swimming past my son's fingers in the water. There's a smaller touch tank that had a slipper lobster and horseshoes crabs. I'm assuming the man was a volunteer came over and told us all about the crabs and the lobster. FYI horseshoe crabs have blue blood. The Great Lakes tank was awesome to stand in front of. You can also walk over it and look through glass panels under your feet into the tank. The Caribbean Tunnel was fun to go through. My son really enjoyed the Underwater Labs exhibit. We wandered over to the Technology Building. Even with school groups there my son didn't have to wait to play or touch anything. He really enjoyed the Les Paul exhibit which was surprising as he's never shown an interest in guitars. He really liked the Milwaukee Muscle area with all the engines and various bits and pieces he could make the parts move on. He felt pretty cool lifting me by himself on the hydraulic lift. He kept running from place to place checking things out. Once all that was said and done we went outside. There's signs all over saying the dock is public. We walked around the outside, saw some birds. We continued to follow the concrete path through large boulders while looking out at the lake. There were also narrow metal walkways further into the water but I didn't feel like braving it with a squirrelly kid who can't swim. We hung out on a large concrete patio/dock type spot. My son played with a couple cars he got from the gift shop while I took in the scenery. On one side of me was the museum and downtown Milwaukee, on the other side was Lake Michigan and a lighthouse in the distance. Seriously do a satellite view on google maps- it was very cool. And unlike every Chicago sight, it was not congested. We were alone for at least 30 minutes before some kids went by to meet up with their friends on one of the metal walkways. My only gripe with the whole place was I felt like some exhibits were not "on". Maybe because we were there so early? The jellyfish tank was dark. We walked past it a few times before I saw it. But there's a picture here on yelp and it looks like the tank was lit. There were some odds and ends throughout the whole museum where a TV wasn't on or there were no clear instructions on how to operate the equipment (off the top of my held the welding area- is the machine supposed to be on? Because I pushed a button but when the screen showed what to do next, that button was under plexiglass). Often times these types of places are very overwhelming and hot and crowded. But this was a nice little day visit. I wouldn't say plan your whole trip around Discovery World but definitely put it on your list to see.

Discovery World. If this place doesn't bring out the inner child in you well that's just sad. I love coming to this place to get out of the cold or to enjoy the view of the lake at anytime of the year. It's a neat place to hang out and along the way you might learn something, imagine that. Lot's of interactive displays and exhibits going on in here. The tanks that take you through the levels of the Great lakes are a real treat and eye opener to experience. Did I mention there's a giant old school ship mounted on the top floor, you can walk on it and move around and about it... Oh the inner child in me is roaring! I've made it a point to bring nephews and nieces, friends and family here whenever possible. Actually it's just an excuse so why not take advantage? Call me crazy but anytime you can let the inner child come out DO IT! Discovery World is just one of them places you can do that!

We took my youngest today and they had free Christmas crafting in the Kohl's center. I thought that was pretty neat! There were a lot of the interactive exhibits that were empty and not turned on. They had the Kooky Cookie house set up and a nice area to take pictures. The aquarium is a must see but does get rather crowded when there are a lot of school groups. All in all it was a nice way to spend the morning with spectacular views of Lake Michigan.

This is a little review for the very cool and clever little park located in front of the Discovery World. A few wooden benches that you can sit on and play like a xylephone. The wind chime sculptures are fun, and the park is open to catching a breeze. It's a small park, no traditional play structure like slides, but it was different.

We wanted to head out on a road trip today and decided on Milwaukee. We had no specific destination in mind, coming only with a few ideas. We stopped here, knowing our kids would enjoy it. We had been members of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, so we're used to the large museum with their huge displays. I got in free, being an educator. The prices for the family were reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised that my 15 year old daughter did not have to pay the adult price. We walked through the main entrance and we were looking at those couple of exhibits for probably a good hour. My kids loved the machine that made laser cutouts of animals from the foam sheets that we put together later at home. I loved the fact that every exhibit had a hands on activity. The kids spent so much time exploring each area. There were also docents spread out everywhere throughout the museum to help explain the exhibits and activities. That sure beats out Chicago. I also loved how they make great use of their space. The stairway upstairs is a double spiral that is a model of the double helix of DNA and a genome model in the middle. Upstairs by the ship that is hanging from the ceiling (which you can board and explore), they have a ring around it that looks decorative at first until you look at it and the sign that explains that it's the actual size of the underground tunnels in the city that hold the city's storm water. My kids' favorite exhibits were the aquarium where you can touch stingrays and bamboo sharks and walk over and under tanks of fish. (Little ones may find the touch tank too deep to safely reach in and touch.) They also liked laying on the bed of nails and the laser cutting machine. It was a great way to spend the day. My 6, 11 and 15 year olds all found things of interest.

Came in on a Sunday a little after they opened in the morning. No wait at all, lots of exhibits to keep my two young children entertained for over 3 hours. I'd suggest packing your snacks as food choices are limited. Great value for your money. Especially love the huge boat and the recycling/water retrieval display.

I found this museum to be way too small to justify the $17 admission price. I really enjoyed the aquarium part, particularly the jellyfish, but I can't see ever going back again. For the price you're better off driving to Chicago to check out the Museum of Science and Industry. I will say, however, that the parking is extremely convenient and inexpensive.

Really fun place for the family! Me and my man went without any children and it was really nice. I can't wait to take my grandson when it re opens.

Dear Mr. Brennan, Our school group just returned from a five day trip aboard the schooner DENIS SULLIVAN.   I suspect that Museum is not aware of how this vessel is being run by the current Captain, Tiffany Krihwan.  As an organizer and sponsor of youth programs and an experienced sailor, I was appalled at this captain's caustic and condescending attitude towards our group of African-American and Hispanic students throughout our time under her charge. Chicago Hope Academy is a private Christian school located in the heart of West Chicago.  Our group was comprised of fourteen 15 and 16 year old girls entering their freshman year in High School and three adult chaperones including me.  The trip was intended to introduce our students to new horizons, literally and figuratively, and to help them formulate personal Mission Statements for using their gifts in service of others.  Our girls are not delinquents and were willing to abide by the ship's routine. Yet, they were routinely chided in front of the entire group for minor infractions on rules and matters that were totally new to them.      While I sought to be helpful, my curiosity about techniques and equipment were most often met with a grudging single word response or dismissed.  Our Academy students were successful in winning over several member of the crew.    But the atmosphere between the Captain and our group remained tense at best. On one afternoon, during our passage through Lake Ontario, the 2nd Mate loudly berated two of our girls for not responding faster to a command.  The incident was so heated that one of our parent chaperones had to intervene.  The matter was presented to Captain Kirhwan, who immediately sided with the 2nd Mate.  The Captain then suspended all interaction with her crew and ordered all the passengers to go to bed.  As punishment, she cancelled an outing to a nearby beach for the next day. In another incident, a Deckhand was found rummaging through one of the students belongings, including her undergarments.  No rational explanation was ever given and the crew member was never reprimanded.    But, the incident that was most demeaning and abusive was the ransoming of our personal effects that the crew had confiscated when ever and where ever they were found outside of our bunks.  The ransoming was conducted by Captain Kirhwan as if it were a mock trial, in front of all the passengers and crew, with the Captain officiating as judge and jury.  The ransoming began with the Captain holding up an item and insisting that the item's owner "perform" a song or a dance to the Captain's satisfaction before they could come forward and retrieve their property.  When one of the 15 year old girls refused to perform, the Captain kept her items until her friends performed on her behalf to get the items returned.  The girl was completely humiliated and reduced to tears. I am familiar with rules on board Maritime Vessels and Sail Training ships.  I have served on the Polish STS, POGORIA and have arranged and served on sailing adventures for West Point Cadets, the Miguel Academy, college students, and the Chicago Hope Academy.   In my fifty years of experience on the water, I have not witnessed a more strident form of bigotry and abuse of power than that displayed by Captain Krihwan.  The Captain and crew of the Denis Sullivan are predominantly white, and with the exception of the Education Officer and Cook, were generally complicit with the Captain's abuse of our students.    If the museum is overlooking these character flaws in Tiffany Krihwan because she is a woman, I assure you that in a court of law, it will not matter.

This review is more for the underground garage than the actual center; the parking garage is a steal at $15 for the entire day. We parked here early and then walked all over downtown and then headed back when Summerfest opened. After spending a few hours at the fest, we then were right there and easily got our car out. So that would be my game plan for future trips. It is only about 2 miles from the center of downtown. So if you park here, you have to be OK walking a few miles around, but to me, it was so worth it for convenience purposes. As far as the actual center, we saw some of it. It looks cool and especially good for kids. We just happened not to really explore too much because we were more interested in Summerfest. However, reading the reviews, it sounds pretty cool. I would actually like to explore a bit next time I'm there.

This place is awesome. Came up on a Friday from Chicago with the family. We got a half price deal online - Woot Woot! The place was just about empty when we arrived. Must sees - the boat, the aquarium, and the technology wing (the whole wing). There was a fantastic Les Paul exhibit there. Parking was underneath the facility and ran us $10 for the whole time we were there. They do have some food, but we didn't eat there. Gift shop had cool trinky stuff to choose from. Boy/Girl scout friendly with take away programs to boot. I intend on seeing if our Webelos can take advantage of some of the VERY cool programs they offer. They also have some VERY cool classes to check out - beer brewing, tea brewing, etc. We'll be back.

The best place to take your kids. Plan to spend at least 3 hours. Incredible maker space, VR games, flight and driving simulators, robot tic tac toe, and do not forget the aquarium and water exhibits. We could have stayed much longer! Covered parking is available for $10 or so, also plenty of free parking on the street. Note- maker space was crowded with a 45 minute wait. Put yourself on the wait list as soon as you arrive. They will text you where they are ready for you.

We arrived a half hour before closing and the staff allowed us free admission. It's at a beautiful location and has a ton to do inside!