Encircle Wisconsin: The two largest cities in the Badger State are Milwaukee and Madison. This is also a good order for your visit. First enjoy Brew City and next the capital city in southcentral Wisconsin. Then I have added one photo from the delightful summer resort town of Hayward in the north.
In 2001, the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Quadracci Pavilion was completed on the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The unique architecture was designed by world-famous architect Santiago Calatrava. The external focal point is the beautiful Burke Brise-Soleil. It consists of 217 foot wings. They open and close like a giant butterfly twice a day or during excessive winds. The process takes 3.5 minutes to completely move the steel fins.
500 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
Outside diners at Buckley’s Kiskeam Inn on Cass Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are kept company by a three-dimensional mural. The artwork requires some study to drink in all of its imagery. This detail will accompany your first glass of wine. There are additional eye treats inside this small restaurant, including an English bar from the 1870s.
801 N Cass St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
John the Evangelist, was one of the twelve apostles. Also known as John of Patmos, he wrote the Gospel of John, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Saint John is the namesake for the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee. The diocese’s first bishop, John Henni, led the construction until it was finished in 1853. Twenty-two years later, Milwaukee became an Archdiocese and Henni an Archbishop. A new Renaissance tower was built in 1893. It was partially burnt in 1935 and restored by 1943. This cathedral remains a gorgeous legacy to early Catholic parishioners in Wisconsin.
812 N Jackson St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
The “Bronze Fonz” sculpture is of Henry Wrinkler’s character Arthur Fonzarelli from “Happy Days.” The TV sitcom ran for a decade starting in 1974. This life-size likeness of the Fonz wearing his iconic leather jacket and giving two thumbs up is located on the Riverwalk in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bronze statue was created by Gerald Sawyer in 2008.
Bronze Fonz N Riverwalk Way, Milwaukee, WI 53202 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
St. Josaphat Basilica in Milwaukee is one of several Catholic churches in the Great Lakes and middle Atlantic regions designed in the “Polish Cathedral Architectural Style.” They tend to be large, ornate and served Polish immigrants. This one, built in 1901, was patterned after Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica. The church was built using stones from the demolished Chicago Federal Building. It is crowned by a massive cooper dome. Pope Pius XI designated it as a minor basilica in 1929. St. Josaphat is managed by the Franciscan Friars.
2333 S 6th St, Milwaukee, WI 53215 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
While drive through Madison, Wisconsin, something may sound vaguely familiar. Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Pierce and 35 other streets were named after the U.S. Constitution signers. The city’s name comes from James Madison. He was the Father of the Constitution and also the fourth U.S. President. He died a few months before James Doty lobbied legislators in 1836 to designate his vacant land as the capital of the new Wisconsin Territory in exchange for honoring these founding fathers. The result is this gorgeous skyline from across the partially frozen Lake Monona.
1156 Olin-Turville Ct, Madison, WI 53715 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
The Wisconsin State Capitol’s dome is the largest by volume in the U.S. The pinnacle rises 284 feet. This is only 3 ½ feet shy of the U.S. Capitol. The building was constructed from White Bethel Vermont granite and completed in 1917. The symmetry of its four, 187 foot long wings gives it a nearly consistent appearance from any direction. They are equally beautiful. Wisconsin became the 30th state on May 29, 1848.
2 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
Two photos of Madison, Wisconsin, are: 1) The gold-leaf covered “Wisconsin” statue. This symbolizes “Forward” on top of the world’s largest white granite dome of Wisconsin’s State Capitol completed in 1917. 2) The interior rotunda. This was constructed with 43 types of stone from across Europe and the Midwest. The inside is also graced with lavish arches, stencils and murals. Shown are two of four mosaics. Each one is made from 100,000 pieces of glass. On the left is “Government” and on the right is “Liberty.”
2 E Main St, Madison, WI 53703 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
During medieval times, barbers were full service: they cut hair, performed surgery, blood let to cure diseases and extracted teeth. The red, white and blue pole represents these skills. Through the 1960s, the spinning barber pole was an iconic symbol. Today, in small towns like Hayward, Wisconsin, it is a quaint storefront reminder of a bygone era. Grey’s Barber Shop claims to have been cutting hair for over 120 years.
10548 Main St, Hayward, WI 54843 Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions