Riverwalk Tour

Like many communities in the industrial Midwest, Milwaukee’s ecological legacy has a significant period of pollution. Thankfully, in the late 1980s & early 1990s, driven by Mayor John Norquist and others, Milwaukee dedicated resources to water clean up and the reinvigoration of the buildings along the Milwaukee River. This reinvestment included the creation of a public-private partnership known as the Riverwalk (1993).

Today, the Riverwalk extends 3.1 miles along both sides of the Milwaukee River, from the site of the former North Avenue Dam, through Downtown and the Historic Third Ward to Lake Michigan. This accessible public space is regularly activated with art installations and musical performances as well as employees on their lunch break or folks jogging on a summer day. The tour will explore the industries and early city growth that impacted the river so greatly and also a number of the historic buildings including the Riverside Theatre (1928), Germania Building (1896), Milwaukee County Historical Society (1913) and others. You’ll also learn about some of the temporary and permanent public art on display.