Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens

This was a very beautiful place. Walking up and down those outside stairs will get you. I went opening day, June 1st and it was very nice. Lots of people. The house didnt have just loads of art or furniture but it was decent to explore.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Villa Terrace and the amazing team there! Monica and Gina went above and beyond to make our wedding day absolutely perfect. From the very beginning, they were so accommodating and helpful, but what really blew me away was how they completely took care of setting up all of our decor on the day of the wedding. I honestly thought my bridesmaids and friends were going to have to do it, but Monica and Gina stepped in and handled everything. They set it up more beautifully than I could have ever imagined. Walking into the space and seeing how stunning everything looked took so much stress off my shoulders. They also worked seamlessly with all of our vendors and made sure everything flowed perfectly the entire night. Even though I didn’t hire a wedding coordinator, they both stepped up and truly acted like one. They kept everything on track and made sure I didn’t have to worry about a thing, which allowed me to really enjoy the day. On top of all that, the venue itself is absolutely gorgeous. I’m still getting compliments about how beautiful the space was and how smooth everything went. I can’t thank Monica, Gina, and the entire team enough for making our wedding so special!

Beautiful view, beautiful garden, beautiful Villa, you feel you are in Italy. Very interesting exhibition. There was a room where they were giving a musical recital, you could hear the music around the Villa. Stunning place.

Very nice home with museum displays. Iron work and the history of the artist and his involvement in Milwaukee was very interesting. It was pleasant to walk in the gardens and have a nice view of the lake.

I absolutely adore photographing events at the Villa Terrace and it is one of my favorite venues in Wisconsin. My favorite part is that everything can take place on location - you never have to leave the venue for portraits because it's already filled with gorgeous views. It makes it super convenient and saves time! The only bummer is that the earliest you have access to the venue is at 3PM so your wedding timeline is very limited. Amplified music has to end by 10:30 PM and The Villa can only hold so many guests. For an intimate celebration, however, this would be a fantastic venue choice.

This place is one my favorites to shoot weddings at! There are so spots just in this one location to get great photos. Not only is is beautiful venue, but the view of Lake Michigan is fantastic also! I can't wait to come here again! www.el.photos Emerie Leigh Photography

A wedding florist's dream is working at Villa Terrace. The location and view alone create such a lovely wedding backdrop and it is always an honor to add floral to this gorgeous and historic space. The venue provides a plethora of stunning backdrops for photos! We adore the staff here as well, they are helpful, sweet, and professional. This venue comes highly recommended by us for any engaged couple! You will not be disappointed.

I recently did the floral work for a family member’s wedding at Villa Terrace, and I was blown away by how beautiful and accommodating the venue was. The space is absolutely stunning — a perfect backdrop for a beautiful wedding. Stephanie was amazing to work with — organized, friendly, and made everything run smoothly. As a vendor, I really appreciated how well everything was coordinated. I would absolutely recommend Villa Terrace for anyone planning a wedding or special event!

We went there during the Milwaukees Doors Open, it has beautiful view over looking Lake Michigan. Going downhill you will also find a big lawn area and garden. In the villa, it has so many rooms that is also a museum.

Had a great time during an event here! The rooms are so pretty. The garden outside was also beautiful! I love all the statues. It felt like there was always more to see. I also loved the vendors that they had. Amazing food choice.

Villa Terrace is a fun visit while in Milwaukee. I enjoyed wandering through the different rooms and imagining what life was like when it was built 100 years ago--there is an original steam shower and a funicular (no longer in operation, but still there)! It's like a little piece of Italy in Milwaukee. The patio, garden, and views of the lake are beautiful, as is the interior courtyard in the front of the property. Admission is free the first Thursday of the month.

This was the most BEAUTIFUL wedding I have ever been to. The entire property was breathtaking. From art work to pianos and the best view of the water, anywhere you stood in this venue was a masterpiece. The staff was incredible and hardworking and let the flow of the weddings events happen flawlessly. I appreciated the bathrooms were stocked with anything you might need. They offered a shuttle down to the actual wedding spot as there are 100+ stairs to walk down. I hope to one day visit this location again!!

I've visited Villa du Terrace on several occasions. From a casual tour of the grounds to a beautiful wedding on the Terrace, it did not disappoint.

This was our first visit to the Museum, and it was for a free opening reception of "Disruptive Ecologies" at the Villa Terrace. The artwork was fascinating but in many rooms the lighting was too dark to read the information cards. But being able to wander through the building was the highlight of the evening. This mansion is huge but each room is very small. The woodwork, details and views are spectacular. I can imagine this is a lovely wedding venue especially if you have a beautifully sunny and warm day outside on the massive terrace. The event was very casual, and I was really hoping to learn more about the museum and building, but all I got was a map with little to no information. And no one on staff (at least I think they were) was showing any interest in sharing any knowledge or details. I enjoyed the walkthrough but hoped for more. Be aware that there is minimal artwork or exhibits to look at, but for us it was free so the cost was appropriate. Maybe it was an off night but I had hoped for more.

****villa terrace/noble events deleted my review on Google***** I have been planning my wedding since September 2022. It was in May 24, 2025. I got an email January 2025 with zero warning that there is a new management company and they would be taking over my wedding. Since January 2025, it has been a nightmare working with the new company, Noble Events and Catering, specifically Trista Hefner. As the days got closer to my wedding, communication with me was horrific. She gave me the bare minimum information, didn't offer potential solutions, was not flexible at all and didn't give details or clear communication about venue limitations. The rehearsal was terrible. Trista never introduced herself to me (the bride) or anyone in my bridal party. She kept popping her head in and out of our rehearsal space but never once spoke to me or said anything. One of the biggest headaches (trust me there were many) out of the 18229392 ones we encountered was the number of people allowed to come and chair count. My contract says 120 SEATED GUESTS, 135 standing reception, fire code 135 people maximum. I had 118 adults who needed seats, two days before the wedding (and about 6 months after I told them I had a string quartet coming) they said they had to pull four chairs from my guest chairs of 120 and that we couldn't bring our own chairs. The day of the wedding was even more terrible. They booked a photoshoot from 1-2 pm at the villa and the couple who had photos taken were 6 feet away from me during my first look. I cried before pictures with my bridal party because the couple wouldn't leave and Trista wouldn't do anything or enforce the other couples end time at 2 pm. Trista was no where to be found, my florists, quartet and wedding planner had to fend for themselves and set up on their own. The first floor toilet was clogged, so my mother in law had to find a plunger. The toilet paper was out so my guests had to use period pads to wipe. One hour later, my wedding planner found Trista and she was sitting on her phone scrolling in the back room instead of putting out these fires. Lastly, the director of the building was sitting at the front desk the whole time this was all happening. My bridal party went up to him asking for any semblance of help, and he responded "I don't do weddings." If Noble events replies to this review and says none of this happened, I have receipts and screenshots of this debacle because everyone considering having a wedding there deserves to know how terrible it has been working with Trista/Noble Events.

The idea of this space is lovely.... The upkeep and curation is lacking. The music/performance space was beautiful. But the current exhibits lack direction and appeal (toilet art!!!) I hope the restoration of Hermes and the grounds is successful.

Went to Villa Terrace on a whim and had a great time! I have been wanting to visit this museum for awhile but the times I had tried before, the museum was closed for a private event. The museum artwork itself was okay. We went while they were transitioning exhibits so that was probably a factor. The real star of the show is the amazing architecture, landscape, and view. It was so peaceful to sit outside and take in the sights from to museum. Will definitely visit again for that view!

I had such a beautiful day finally visiting Villa Terrace! I've seen the gardens and house at a distance while running so often that I'm surprised it took me this long. An interesting backstory with the architect and the family who commissioned him to build it. The building itself is stunning. So open and airy. But the gardens are what really make it. The fascinating waterfall staircase and just beautiful pathway along the garden. A great place to wander!

Visiting Villa Terrace is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours in Milwaukee, but it doesn't have anything on view that would make it an important or must see destination. The site consists of about 18 rooms on two floors, arranged around a central courtyard, plus a very large steeply sloping backyard. About half the rooms display some of the possessions of the family that built and occupied the house. There is some antique furniture, a few paintings and art objects, and some striking wallpaper, but the collection is relatively sparse; There is nothing on the scale of the historic homes left by Vanderbilt or Duponts -- this is a much more modest house. Three rooms upstairs display unique decorative ironwork created by local craftsman Cyril Colnik. Other rooms are used for temporary art exhibits. When I was there, they displayed the works of a 20th century feminist weaver and textile artist. The rear terrace offers a dramatic view of Lake Michigan. About 100 steps allow guests to reach a large flat area of lawn; there is no access to the Lakeshore. There's many colorful flowering bushes and bulbs, especially on the slope, a sufficiency of mature shade trees, a few outdoor sculptures, and a tunnel of vines. The outdoor area is definitely worth exploring; it provides space for strolling or a quiet respite, and it makes a nice contrast to the house. It doesn't have annual flowerbeds or make any pretense to being a botanical garden collection. You will need to use a car to reach Villa Terrace. it is in a residential area and the closest bus stop is several blocks away. There are restrooms for visitors, an elevator, and a gift shop, but there is no café or parking area. My visit was pleasant, peaceful, and worthwhile, but don't come expecting a major museum.

Visited Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum the weekend there was MAM free reciprocity. It was the wallpaper exhibit, and who knew wallpaper was its own thing? It was interesting to see the small exhibit, between a few different rooms in this historic mansion. The ironwork exhibit is interesting, as is the story of the German immigrant who came to Milwaukee and found it to be a place open to Germans and also iron work. Some of the pieces look downright current with antlers and crazy devils. The building is interesting, but the grounds are the star, here. Go out back and down the stairs and check out the nicely planned grounds and landscape architecture. I look forward to visiting the grounds in the summer/fall, and also revisiting Villa Terrace again.

I wish I could give a better review, because I wanted to spend some time here as I heard they have a cool ironwork exhibit. However, it wasn't open when I went. I walked by the museum the night before and thought the sign said it was open from 10am-5pm. I misread it. It doesn't open until 1pm. I feel like the hours are pretty limited for a museum and was disappointed that I was not able to check it out during my short visit to Milwaukee. Despite not being open, I was able to walk around the front, and when I went for a drive through the park along the water afterward, I was able to see the back garden. It is an amazing view from the waterfront! I love the iron gate. I also love the iron gate in the front of the house. Looks like a cool place for a wedding or another event but the parking is limited.

Nice building, wonderful art, and beautiful grounds. Went right after they reopened to the public from being shut down by the pandemic. Had to have a reservation, but i went online and got a reservation for 5 minutes from then and went in. Staff were friendly and wore masks. The first floor is more historic, the upstairs had all contemporary art. It's not huge, but I liked what was on display. In the back it's got a great view of the lake. You can then walk down either a boring wood staircase or a grandiose stone one with a waterfall in the middle. There also is a funicular, but it was not running and the tracks were overgrown. Came here with kids that were a little grumpy, but they turned around once we got in to the courtyard and the grounds. Got some cute pics. They also liked the art on the second floor. Support your local museums! I know I'll come back.

David Adler did a great job capturing the sea side feel of an Italian villa. I came here on museum mile weekend, so admission was free. The Villa and it's history was the most interesting part of the museum. There was thorough information about the Smith family and how the villa was constructed almost 100 years ago! I found the current exhibit to be concise and simple. And the permanent Colnik exhibit of different types of iron rendered some appreciation. The grounds in back are lovely, a great photo op! But the handicap lift was sadly broken to get to the bottom of the estate. This museum is great for a 1-2 hour visit. And admission is only $7 so you don't feel obligated to stay for hours!

The museum is inside a home built by David Adler for Lloyd and Agnes Smith. Agnes Smith wanted a home in the style of an Italian Renaissance villa. So visiting the Villa Terrace is like a piece of Italy in Milwaukee. And the home is beautiful. The grounds are even more beautiful. But the inside of the house doesn't have much furniture. The rooms of the house are used more as a gallery, so if you don't love the art in the rooms that day (we didn't), you can be in and out of the house quite quickly. The rooms didn't even have information about the rooms themselves. So, with the exception of one room we went in that had some information about the Smith family in it, we walked in a room, said: "Huh. Weird Art. Pretty room" and then left the room and walked into the next one and did the same. We visited on a Sunday over a holiday weekend, so a wedding was getting set up throughout the house as well. It was awkward to walk around the house and see bridesmaids getting ready or walk onto the terrace and see people waiting for the pictures to start. It felt very intrusive. The grounds are lovely, and we did enjoy our walk through the gardens. But ultimately, this is just a pretty house without much in it, and some very pretty Italian gardens. Not worth going out of your way for, even if the admission fee also allows you admission to the nearby Charles Allis Art Museum.

Perfect for a date night!! We loved the outside more. There wasn't too much explanation about the art inside the museum. It's a one time thing to check out.

This place is such an exquisite milwaukee spot. Today was my third time at the Villa Terrace. The first I toured the museum, the second I took photos on my wedding day, and today for a lovely networking event. That being said, the space is versatile for all different things. It's located high up on the hillside facing Lake Michigan and the overlook is gorgeous!!! The interior is large and spacious, beautiful kept and decorated + the exterior is garden-filled grounds with steps and fountains and all the works If you're looking to host an event, throw a wedding, or just enjoy the views while exploring the city, do yourself a favor and stop here!

I don't like to give short, impersonal reviews..but this one is going to be brief. We arrived about two minutes after the tour closed. No biggee..we didn't stop by to see the art inside. We wanted to take a look at the exterior of the house and the gardens & waterfall. The atrium at the entrance is pretty cool but the backside is a real site. Since the tour was closed the only way we could see the backside gardens and waterfall was by driving around to the lake side of the home. The gates were locked but you're able to get a good look at the garden area and cascading waterfall from the home. If/when we get back here I'm sure another star awaits. Cool place.

As we drove closer to downtown along Lincoln Memorial Dr, we saw this mansion with a beautiful garden overlooking the lake. I eventually found my way up to the mansion, it ended up being a decorative arts museum. Ruth F. gives a great description of what to expect. I believe on some nights when the full moon is out, they host an event of a music, wine, food, and dance. I guess that's one elegant way to celebrate a full moon. I'm contemplating whether to show up in a horse and carriage.

I'm giving this place 4 stars on the basis of the garden. The house is an old mansion and as such is impressive (the mansions on either side of it are still occupied), but really you're here for the garden. This is a museum of decorative arts, but other than the house itself and some loaned paintings on the walls, there are only three rooms that contain real displays. The first floor basically shows off the architecture and tells you a little about the history. The ceilings are nice (do look up) and there are a few pieces of interest (the library features a chair suitable for making best use of space in a corner). Note the blue and white tiles in the built-in cabinets next to what I think was the kitchens (used today for museum events so you can't tour them). On the second floor there are two rooms with what I'd consider a decorative arts display, and one stained glass window displayed inside next to the elevator. One room contained decorative art from the period: ivory carvings, including one very impressive tusk carving, some netsuke, and two "doctor's dolls," which allowed modest Chinese women to show the doctor where it hurt; and a porcelain plate showing Louis XVI and various ladies of the French court. The other room with decorative arts was a temporary exhibit of metalwork (teapoints, salt and pepper shakers, decorative sculptures and panels). There were also a couple of rooms dedicated to wrought ironwork done by the gentleman who did the ironwork for the house, which were very interesting. There are several panels showing the process of making wrought ironwork, including a cabinet with a large repousse piece that you're allowed to open so you can see it from the back and read explanations of the techniques used to make it. In the same room there's also a large panel "masterpiece" which won a prize at a World's Fair. The bathrooms included an early example of multiple shower heads in a shower, and a few more pieces of porcelain. Now to the garden...it didn't contain a lot of showy flowers (irises, roses, some impatiens and other annuals; a few tiny pots of herbs on the landing). The garden and the building are based on the concept of a Roman villa. It's gone a little wild (funding has apparently periodically been a problem) but the vista is beautiful and it's nice to stroll through. The architect's intent was to make Lake Michigan serve as the villa's Mediterranean and it does. You can just look at the garden, or actually go out in it. There's a tram (broken when we were there), or 100 wooden steps (with landings) to take you down to the bottom to look at the statuary and plantings. Street parking is 1 hour max, except Saturday/Sunday. It probably won't take you an hour to do the place, so that works.

I attended a wedding ceremony here this weekend. It is not easy to find- but if you can, it is LOVELY!!! The neighborhood alone is just lovely. All old classic, exquisite homes! You enter the building, and there is a large courtyard with a statue and fountain and landscaping. You go past that, and through a hall where you enter the back terrace. Wow! Lovely. It's up on a hill immediately next to Lake Michigan. There are fountains, and Terra cotta rooftops, and a hill side waterfall. It is just lovely. It was a beautiful spot for a ceremony. And then the backdrop of the lake was glorious as well and made for lovely photos. Then dinner and drinks were held on the terrace and inside in the large hall as well. Quite a charming venue, and plenty for guests to look at. The only problem I would foresee with this venue would be parking. It only has neighborhood street parking, which was no trouble for our group as it was about 60 guests total. But it would be something to keep in mind if you had a large group.

We were married here November of 2009 (and, blessedly, received the only day of "summer" that year would give anyone). It was a gorgeous venue for a wedding. Plenty of fall colors, lots of nature, a beautiful view of Lake Michigan, cherubs over our heads as we said our vows. Chairs were provided for the event. They have a piano, so you can hire a pianist if you wish. They also provided a chance to rehearse the day before at the venue. We paid for the wedding inside the building, but I believe you can also get married outside (costs more). Brides are given their own room to prepare/ get dressed/ panic ;-). Street parking only. A bit pricey, but for us is was worth the memories created there. If you want a really nice venue, take a look at this place and see if it is for you.

I recently filmed a wedding at Villa Terrace. Since I am a videographer, I see a number of venues. Villa Terrace gets my high rating partly for the awesome views and venue classic appearance, but more importantly for the staff which was courteous, professional, and concerned that the couple, their guests, and since I am writing this - their vendors, had everything needed to make the event memorable. Highly recommended for a wedding or event venue.

Very beautiful house to explore. The art was nothing too special, and when I visited much of the grounds were blocked off. Staff were friendly but mostly talked to each other instead of engaging visitors.

A little taste of Italy on the shores of Lake Michigan. Their Sunday morning cafe & music series during the summer in the outdoor courtyard is magical. There is truly no better way to spend a Sunday morning in Milwaukee. Grab a book an espresso and your little spot in the sun.

Checked it out during the winter, but I have driven past on memorial drive and seen how beautiful the backyard is. So I'm giving a 5 star review based on the benefit of the doubt that the backyard is nice to visit. Took us 30 minutes to explore the house, which is beautiful inside and outside and has stunning views of the lake

We visited here for Doors Open MKE, so our admission was free. It is best to visit on a good weather day. The weather was perfect when we went, which was ideal for spending a lot of our time in the gardens and taking in the view of the lake. My toddler also loved running around the garden. The museum itself also holds a lot of interesting art work. The villa terrace house has a lot of elevators to make it accessible, but I would avoid using a stroller if possible. We left ours with the admission desk person, because there wasn't much room to roll it around and there were a lot of stairs/elevators. They didn't seem to mind. I really enjoyed our visit. I'm considering becoming a member, mostly for access to the beautiful gardens. Also, if you come here with a little one, I highly recommend also stopping by Back Bay Park. It is only a block away and has a great playground.

Super disappointed in the customer service. I looked into doing a styled shoot here and had the hardest time with the manager with scheduling a day. Some emails were just ignored completely and the rest were just responded to with "we're very busy most weekends." It's summer, so clearly it is a high season, but that's no excuse to give such vague and limited responses. There was no indication of anyone wishing to work with me or even just elaborate on what the availability is.

I never write reviews but I really felt that I needed to say something to any one thinking of using this place. First off we went at a time when there was no one in the place. It was completely empty. I am a newly engaged bride and I came into Milwaukee from Chicago to check out a few places with my parents. I do understand you need to make appointments but I went a few places before and the managers took 5 minutes out of there to give me a quick tour. I was not looking to take advantage of their time. I stepped in Villa Terrace and the receptionist was one of the rudest people I have ever met. She looked at me like I was crazy. She said we had to pay to just see the hall. Then she called her supervisor to see if there was anything she could do. The supervisor was upstairs and didn't even take the time out of her to day to come down and greet me and give me her card. The receptionist gave me the card and basically shooed us out the door. I will not be going back and I will recommend that no one else do business with them. Villa definitely lost a prospective client by being so disrespectful.

I was a little underwhelmed by the Villa Terrace. I had been wanting to go for quite some time but it just didn't really do it for me. I would consider it more of a "house and garden" tour than a museum but that is just me. They had a weird art exhibit going on upstairs made from latex - so that smell was very heavy in the air and DO NOT go up there if you have a latex allergy, obvi- and it just did not fit the scene/feel of the place. It is hard to describe but it was so weird because the latex blows up into "vegetation"-- it just wasn't my taste. The wrought iron works was the most impressive to me. The outside gardens were just okay. The roses were not in bloom and having just been to Boerner, it really paled in comparison. I mean, I can see annual flowers anywhere, the perennials are what impress me the most. They had some nice trees, hosta and roses bushes don't get me wrong but the overall beauty was not really overwhelming. The view of the lake is spectacular. I would love to be invited to an event if anyone is throwing one there, just sayin'. Seriously though, it would be a killer venue to throw a party but I know I checked into it for my wedding and they are pretty strict about music, liquor, and what time the party can go until, as they should be, it is place that needs to be preserved not ruined.

We held our wedding here in 2002. We were the first wedding after the fire they had during their renovation. Unfortunately, this meant that we did not have use of any of the indoor facilities except for the small library. The terrace was gorgeous and all of the guests had a great view of the storm coming across Lake Michigan. The staff did a great job of erecting a tent so that we could still have our ceremony. After the ceremony we all piled into the small library fr the receiving line. Then the sun came out and we headed down to the garden for some photos by the fountains and the gate. We have also been back several times for their Sunday Morning music and coffee event. The museum itself is very good depending on the exhibit. You really feel transported to Italy when you visit the Villa Terrence. Sitting in the courtyard and sipping a beverage is a wonderful quick little get away. We return to the terrace every once in awhile to relive that magical day.