ArchitectureMilwaukee Art Museum
Closed Mon & Tue2–3 hours
Calatrava's winged pavilion on the lakefront. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The Hop streetcar gets you close from the Intermodal Station.
Details at mam.org→
WI · Metro pop. 1.6M
Milwaukee
Beer halls, a lakefront, and an art museum with wings that open. Ninety minutes from Chicago on the Hiawatha.
A postcard from the city
Milwaukee opens its wings toward the lake — Calatrava's art museum, then the breweries behind it, then the Third Ward galleries and the beer halls and the Harleys. A lakefront city with a working-brewery heart.
Rails Midwest · City Guide
Milwaukee wears its beer heritage with grace and without irony—there's something honorable about a city that knows what it does well and does it proudly. The Third Ward's revitalization has brought excellent restaurants and galleries alongside working breweries, while the lakefront offers surprising beauty. Amtrak's Hiawatha connects Milwaukee to Chicago in just 1.5 hours, making it an easy escape from the big city. The German immigrant character remains legible in the architecture and food culture.
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Orient yourself
Milwaukee at a glance
Where the train gets in and where the planes land — tap a pin.
Getting here & around
Getting to & around Milwaukee
Flying in from abroad, connecting from elsewhere in the US, arriving by Amtrak — and then getting around once you’re here, without renting anything.
By Air
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stops from most US cities and European capitals — then take Amtrak from Union Station to Milwaukee.
MKE → downtown
The Amtrak Hiawatha stops at Milwaukee Airport station, linked to the terminal by a free shuttle — one stop to downtown Milwaukee, and under 90 minutes to Chicago Union Station.
By Train — Amtrak
The Amtrak Hiawatha runs up to seven round trips a day to Chicago (about 1h 30m), making Milwaukee perfect for a day trip or overnight stay. Trains arrive at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, a 2007 renovation that also houses Greyhound and BadgerBus and sits a short walk from the Historic Third Ward.
Connecting on Amtrak: The Hiawatha runs up to seven round trips a day from Chicago — the closest the US has to a proper European regional train. The Empire Builder and Borealis call at Milwaukee Intermodal on their Chicago–St. Paul corridor.
Hiawatha
From Chicago
1h 30m · 7 daily departures
Public Transportation
The Hop streetcar is free and was routed to meet the trains — its M-Line links Milwaukee Intermodal Station to downtown, the Historic Third Ward, and the Lower East Side, with an L-Line spur to the lakefront. That covers most of what you came for on foot-and-rail alone. MCTS buses reach the breweries, the Calatrava, and the rest of the county.
The Hop streetcar (free)MCTS buses
Near Milwaukee Intermodal Station
Where to stay in Milwaukee
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What to do in Milwaukee
Architecture
MuseumHarley-Davidson Museum
Walk from the station1–3 hours
On the ground where the company grew up, a short walk or ride from the station. Open daily.
Details at harley-davidson.com→
Food & DrinkMilwaukee Public Market
Free entryAbout 1 hour
A food hall in the Third Ward — free to walk in and open daily. About 15 minutes on foot from the station.
Details at milwaukeepublicmarket.org→Overnight add-on · about 2 h by Borealis
Wisconsin Dells
The Borealis stops at Wisconsin Dells en route to Minneapolis–St. Paul, making it a natural overnight add-on from Milwaukee. Board toward St. Paul, stay a night, and carry on the next day — or stop on the way south. Check amtrak.com for times; trains run once or twice a day.
Sandstone gorges cut by the Wisconsin River set the scene: bluffs over 100 feet high, the Original Wisconsin Ducks amphibious tour (running since 1946), and a genuinely dramatic river landscape. The waterparks arrived later and are aggressively, cheerfully over the top — Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge among them. It's campy and its own thing, which is most of the appeal.
Take the train here
Ready-made trips through Milwaukee
Good to know
Questions travelers ask
How long is the train from Chicago to Milwaukee?
About an hour and a half on the Hiawatha, which runs up to seven times a day in each direction. The Borealis and Empire Builder also stop in Milwaukee once a day each.
Which Amtrak station is in Milwaukee?
Milwaukee Intermodal Station downtown, a short walk from the Historic Third Ward. The Hiawatha also stops at Milwaukee Airport station, with a shuttle to the terminal.
How do I get around Milwaukee?
The Hop streetcar is free and meets the trains at Milwaukee Intermodal, linking downtown, the Third Ward and the Lower East Side, with a spur to the lakefront. MCTS buses cover the rest of the county.
Which airport should I fly into for Milwaukee?
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stop service from most US cities and most European capitals — then take Amtrak from Chicago Union Station to Milwaukee. See the Getting there section above for the specific trains and typical journey times.