Five Things You Must Do When the Twins Visit Milwaukee

Prior to 2010, Milwaukee was a pilgrimage for Twins fans looking for (partially) outdoor baseball. That luster has faded with Target Field’s emergence, but the Brewers are still the closest (less than a five-hour drive) MLB team, and Milwaukee keeps getting better and better as a city to visit. Don’t believe me? Then try these five things you must do when you follow the Twins to face the Brew Crew.

The Ballpark
Tailgate - AmFam (American Family Field, the ex-Miller Park) isn’t in the group of Major League  ballparks that are surrounded by a vibrant downtown social scene (Target Field, Wrigley, Coors, Petco). It’s in the group that is surrounded by a parking lot (Kauffman, The Bank, Dodger Stadium). That’s bad news if you enjoy a pregame bar scene, but it's great news if you enjoy tailgating. And Brewers fans enjoy tailgating.

All you really need is a ticket to the game and a car. You can reserve a spot, but you don’t need to. If you want to tailgate with friends in adjacent spots, they need to arrive with you – you can’t save a spot for them later. You also cannot tailgate long after the game; all tailgating must cease 30 minutes after the end of a game. All the rules are here.

If want to include brats or dogs (hint: you do) but don’t want the hassle of bringing a grill, we used these tiny disposable grills. They’re just 23 dollars for two, don’t take up much room, and each provides enough grilling power for about two hours of grilling. You can put them right on the pavement or bring a small (non-meltable/flammable) table to put them on.

Food & Entertainment
Third Ward - The southern end of Milwaukee’s downtown is the Third Ward, and it’s where you’ll want to eat/drink/explore at least one of your nights in Milwaukee. It’s packed with too many great places, so let’s hit them fastly and furiously.

• Smoke Shack – BBQ and Craft Beer so good you might go back twice in the same weekend.
• The Wicked Hop – Famous, massive Bloody Marys that include a delicious mozzarella cheese mess.
• Tupelo Honey – Southern food. The shrimp & grits was the best thing I ate in Milwaukee – and I don’t like grits.
• Milwaukee Public Market – Enormous, lively food hall.
• Third Ward Beer Garden – Craft beer trailer in Catalano Park.
• Zad’s  - Quintessential Milwaukee dive bar. (Probably officially outside the Third Ward but not by much.)

Beer
Broken Bat Brewing – Let’s start with the obvious caveat: you’re in Milwaukee, so you’re not going to have any trouble finding beer, craft or macro. But if you’re a baseball fan, I can’t recommend Broken Bat Brewing highly enough. First of all, it’s got the basics down: it’s a good brewery, located in the Third War neighborhood, in an old warehouse, with friendly beertenders and at least a dozen very solid beers on tap. I especially like the NE IPA, and my wife wanted to go back for a Belgian Wit she loved. It would be a great brewery even if it didn’t lean into its baseball obsession.

But lean it does. All the beers are named after baseball terms. Baseball is almost always on TV. Bobbleheads and baseball art surround you. Their “mug club” serves beer in hollowed-out baseball bat glasses. When they did a series of Berliner Weisse beers, the flavors were derived from the confections at ballparks, like red licorice or cotton candy. The examples go on and on, but stop there and discover them for yourself.

Attractions
Bobblehead Museum - The highest praise I can give the Bobblehead Museum is that I’m not a bobblehead guy, and it was still great. The organized collection of over 10,000 bobbleheads costs just $5, and it will keep you (and especially kids, I imagine) entertained for a solid 45 minutes. I especially recommend participating in their scavenger hunt that takes you to all the main areas for just about the right amount of time.

It’s not complicated, but it’s engaging, simple, creative, entertaining, and you learn some fun stuff. It’s a great activity to fit in between other pursuits. It’s also across the street from Broken Bat Brewing.

Summerfest –I’m absolutely cheating on my last “must” recommendation because, odds are, the Twins won’t be playing in Milwaukee during one of the three weekends/two weeks of Summerfest. So why mention it? Because if they are, you’ll want to extend your trip. It’s even worth a separate trip.

Summerest is simply the greatest, most affordable outdoor concert series in the world. For three weekends, for three nights each, they have seven permanent stages, and each has two to four national-level bands each night. Take a second and do the math on that last sentence. The range of the bands is incredible: classic to brand new, covering every conceivable genre. Itl happens in downtown Milwaukee, right on Lake Michigan. And the cost is less than $30 per night. 

So embrace the rivalry, but be careful about disparaging our eastern neighbor. Indeed, Milwaukee is worth visiting even when your favorite local nine aren’t playing there. Combine it with an influx of Minnesotans and a couple of Twins wins, and it gets even better.