Fun and entertainment Wisconsin

An institution that is much talked about because of its fabulous "fish fry" on Friday night. You sit around a large table with many people and eat to the sound of German music, sung and accompanied by an accordion. Several guided tours of the beer production line in the basement are organized every day. It's impossible to stay sober during this tour, you spend more time operating the beer pumps than trying to understand the process of malt fermentation.

Resolutely alternative and off the beaten track, this local bar/art gallery/small concert venue attracts a crowd of young and old to relax in a European atmosphere. The atmosphere is very cool, 1970s style, with regular open mic sessions, where anyone can get on the small wooden stage and get the room dancing. On the menu, it's rather vegetarian, with great salads. One of our favorite spots in Madison.

The Rock Bottom Brewery chain has set up shop in Milwaukee just like in Chicago. People come here mainly for the huge outdoor patio overlooking the river and the variety of beers. The location is unbeatable, as it's within walking distance of many of the city's hotels and landmarks. It's a favorite spot for Milwaukeeans to spend some quality time on a sunny patio. The house also serves as a restaurant, and the menu offers fairly decent American specialties.

In Peninsula State Park, the entrance is via Fish Creek or Ephraim. Each year during the summer months (late June to mid-October), the professional Peninsula Players troupe presents theatrical performances in the wilderness, in the middle of a clearing, in the nature park north of Fish Creek. The program is available at the tourist offices in the region, and tickets are sold either on site or at the tourist office. Founded in 1938, this summer theatre is a great success and attracts people from the surrounding counties.

Built in 1895 by beer magnate Frederick Pabst, whose house can be visited on Wisconsin Avenue, the Pabst Theater hosts concerts, film screenings and artistic performances in its late 19th century decor: grand staircases, magnificent chandeliers, draperies and carved wooden balconies are the pride of the city. Designed in the image of the greatest German opera houses, it is equipped with a superb organ and has incredible acoustics. We go there from all the surrounding towns to attend performances.

Students gather here to study or chat over a good coffee or a vegetarian sandwich. With its (almost) neighbor the Fair Trade Café, it is the best place on the street to drink a decent coffee, not too diluted. On the walls of the first big room, local artists exhibit photos or paintings; if you're interested, talk to the staff, they're there for that. The back room is lined with shelves of books. In short, a nice place, where we support fair trade, to spend a relaxing and studious afternoon.

An independent café with character, where the coffee is ground on the spot. Its smell jumps out at you as soon as you walk through the door. Besides, everything here is homemade, not only the coffee, but also the sandwiches, the pastries, the Mexican salsas, the pizzas... We appreciate the warm atmosphere and the large communal tables, which make the place friendly. An authentic, genuine place to try for one of your lunch breaks.

In a lounge bar in the alternative district of Brady Street, you can expect a rather trendy scene, with cocktails, DJs, deep canapés. Well, that's exactly what the Hi Hat Garage on Brady offers. Super-strong Martinis and gin cocktails, DJ nights without admission at the entrance, a very different atmosphere from the beer bars in the city centre, although just as friendly. You can also eat unpretentious American food there.

If you're looking for ambiances like in good death, maybe you'll be happy with Buck Bradley's: here is the longest bar east of the Mississippi. Only crachoir is missing. Certainly, no one enters the door door, with a cowboy hat screwed on the skull, but the atmosphere is there. A little dark, very friendly, perfect for a drink in the evening. Possibility to eat on the thumb.

The Wicked Hop is housed in the oldest building in the historic Third Ward, a beautifully restored warehouse. With its rough brick walls and high ceilings, it's a Milwaukee favorite, and its happy hours are probably no small part of it. Not a day goes by without at least one discount on the menu! Tacos, fried fish, burgers... The place also serves one of the best Bloody Mary in town. During the nice days, the pleasant terrace is invaded every evening and weekend with their iconic brunch.

Situated at the foot of the hill, this café is popular with the locals all year round and especially in summer, when the terrace opens its parasols. The café occupies the structures of the former Lake Michigan water pumping station, once used to clean the Milwaukee River of its polluting residues. The setting has been redesigned to accommodate the small tables on several levels, and the building can be visited from top to bottom. Free concerts are held regularly during the summer. A very beautiful place.

Just as the Michelangelo's a little lower on the street, the Fair Trade Café, as its name indicates, supports fair trade. The small terrace on the bottom is the right place to relax with a day of sightseeing.

Capital Brewery is a brewery that has already won numerous national and international awards (over two hundred, after all!). You can come and have a tasting session during the brewery's opening hours. Try the Maibock, the best-known of its beers, and the lightest. Afterwards, you'll have a choice of several seasonal beers, all very aromatic. The Capital Brewery hosts live concerts every Friday evening. Great atmosphere. For beer lovers, the brewery can also be visited from Friday to Sunday.

"Place your bets... nothing goes wrong", the wheel spinning, the fever rising... You can go and try your luck at the Potawatomi casino, with its rows of slot machines, poker, craps and roulette tables, there is everything you want. The casino is located in the not-so-pretty Menominee Valley industrial area, but you can tell that efforts are being made to spruce up the surroundings. On the other hand, the casino building is gleaming and its decoration is themed on the Potawatomi Indians, who own it.

What's nice about Genna's is its eclectic side: throughout the day, the clientele evolves. Around 6pm, you'll find men in suits just off work, then two hours later students come in to spend the evening or just have a drink before going to the club. The cocktails are top-notch, among the best in town. The bar is very small, but size doesn't matter, considering how many people can sit or stand in front of it. Happy Hour on weekdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

The Great Dane, which brews its own beers, is a popular place whose reputation has spread beyond the borders of Madison. Its pub-brewery is spacious, with a high but festive sound volume. The atmosphere is relaxed, the sofas are made of leather and you really don't want to get out once you've settled in. On the catering side, typical brasserie dishes, such as hamburger and chips, but also grilled salmon plates and salads. Six billiard tables are waiting for you, but on some evenings, you have to be patient: the place is known.

Here is a very beautiful building that houses a cinema that opened in 1927. The atmosphere in this place is quite amazing, with its East Indian-inspired decor that is still very much alive today. Buddha statues stand next to two minarets, porcelain lions, hundreds of elephants and extravagant drapes. On the bill, auteur films and some recent blockbusters. Also performances and events.