Planning a visit at Milwaukee Art Museum at Lake Michigan, Milwaukee Wisconsin is one of the most educational tours you can take in Milwaukee, where unique and artistic inspiration are everywhere.

Milwaukee Art Museum on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Art_Museum

With the most futuristic architectural design the Milwaukee Art Museum is the true definition of the poetry in motion.

Milwaukee Art Museum 3d view

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=22dc6abf6c4c298f7df0413d9ca4c76f&ct=lc&hl=fil

Make sure that you already have tickets purchase for visiting the museum especially if there's a special collection available. They offer discounted ticket for senior citizen and children under 12. And residents of Milwaukee can avail its free admission every Wednesday.

There's about 20,000 permanent exhibited works in the museum and among the highlights is the German Expression collection which is the largest in the country. The Quadracci Pavilion which was opened in 2001 is also one of the most visited parts of the museum. It was named the Best Design of 2001.

Information on the Quadracci Pavilion Milwaukee Art Museum

http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/milwaukeeart/index.htm

There's a lot of artist or just simply lovers of the art which go to Milwaukee Art Museum and just enjoy the intricate design and exhibit collection that are just simply breathtaking.

Visitor's Review on Milwaukee Art Museum on Yelp

http://www.yelp.com/biz/milwaukee-art-museum-milwaukee

You can also try to plan a whole weekend trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum and stay at the many hotels near the museum. With the large collection of art work a one day trip at the museum won't be enough for sure.

Milwaukee Art Museum, as Wisconsin's premier destination for art and culture, serves as a vital source of inspiration and education in the city of Milwaukee. Since its modest beginning in 1882, Milwaukee Art Museum has grown into an icon for Milwaukee today. There you can find precious masterpieces from Nardo di Cione, Jean-Honore Fragonard, Winslow Homer, Francisco de Zurbarán and many more.

Ready to get immersed in the artistic atmosphere at Milwaukee Art Museum? Take it easy. Let's take a look at the events calendar of the museum before setting out:

2011 Events Calendar

http://www.mam.org/calendar/events/

Milwaukee Art Museum is easily accessible either by mass transit or self-driving. Milwaukee County Transit bus route 10, 12, 20, 23, 30, 31 and 137 serve the Downtown Transit Center. The center is just one block west of Milwaukee Art Museum, on Wisconsin Ave. at Cass St.

If you prefer a self-driving tour, don't worry about parking. There are ample parking spaces at or near Milwaukee Art Museum. The museum includes an air conditioned underground parking garage.

On-site Parking: Two entrances of the on-site underground parking garage are respectively on Michigan Street and Lincoln Memorial Drive. You can get there by taking 794 East. Then exit 1F Lakefront and merge onto Lincoln Memorial Drive.

It's noteworthy that the underground parking garage is closed on Mondays except selected holidays such as MLK Day and Memorial Day. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the garage is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Thursday, the garage is not closed until 8:00 pm.

Parking rates of the on-site garage is listed as follows:

< 1 hour: $5

1-2 hours: $7

2-3 hours: $9

3-6 hours: $11

6-12 hours: $16

> 12 hours: $25

Special Events Parking: $8

Discounted parking rates are available to members of the museum.

Additional Parking: Cheaper additional parking is available at War Memorial north lot. It's a surface lot on the north side of War Memorial Center. The daily parking rate is $5 per car. And monthly parking rate is $65 there. If there are some special events, event parking rates may apply. You might want to know the directions to War Memorial north lot, click here:

War Memorial North Lot

http://www.warmemorialcenter.org/Directions/index.html

Another option for you is to park at US Bank parking structure. It can be accessed form Michigan, Cass, or Clybourne St. The flat parking rate for early birds is only $8 for the whole day. As for hourly parking rate and other info, you can visit:

US Bank Parking Structure

http://www.parkmilwaukee.com/facilities/129-us-bank-public-parking-structure

As Milwaukee Art Museum is conveniently located in downtown Milwaukee, metered street parking is easy to find. It's free to park on weekends. On weekdays, the parking rate is generally $1 per hour. For more options, please visit:

Downtown Parking

http://www.parkmilwaukee.com/

The history of Milwaukee Art Museum dates back to 1882 though it was dissolved later in 1888. Later the effort was revived under the banner of Milwaukee Art Association under the aegis of local businessmen and artists from the German Panorama. The Layton Art Gallery became the first home for what later became the Milwaukee Art Museum. In 1957 the Layton Art Gallery and the Milwaukee Art institute merged their collections and the Milwaukee County War Memorial became the new home for the museum. The websites below will give you a broader view of the history of Milwaukee Art museum.

Milwaukee art museum overview

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Art_Museum

Official website of the museum

http://www.mam.org/

In modern times, the Milwaukee Art museum holds over 25,000 art exhibits. Among the permanent holdings you can explore important collections of art work from the Old Masters of the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries. Apart from this there are several other collections representing Haitian art, German Expressionism, American decorative Arts, and a slew of other important exhibits.

After the initial hiccups way back in the late 1980s, the museum has made steady progress adding different collections at varying points in time and consistently promoting the cause of art in the region. In 2001, the museum added the Quadracci Pavilion. This pavilion also features a brise soleil which is a foldable wing like structure that opens during the day and can fold back during night and times of inclement weather. The span of this wing like structure is 217 feet making it a major attraction by itself for those visiting Milwaukee. The websites below will help you learn more about the Milwaukee art museum.

History of the museum

http://www.mam.org/info/history.php

Learn more about Milwaukee Art Museum

http://milwaukee.about.com/od/museums/a/MAM.htm

Milwaukee Art Museum dates back to 1882 when the Milwaukee of Fine Arts was founded. Its over 120 years of history has witnessed the development of MAM from an art gallery to an icon in Milwaukee and even a cultural resource for the whole nation. It is roughly estimated at least 20,000 art works are collected at Milwaukee Art Museum and over 300,000 visitors are received annually.

The museum covers 341,000 square feet, and signature attractions include the War Memorial Center, the Kahler Building, and the Quadracci Pavilion. The mission, as MAM itself puts, is to secure its role as a premier educational resource in Milwaukee, providing a variety of educational programs like classes, tours and events of all ages. If you are planning a trip through history packed with thousands of fine works, Milwaukee Art Museum is your top option.

Milwaukee Art Museum on Google Map

http://maps.google.com./maps?q=Milwaukee+Art+Museum

Homepage

http://www.mam.org/

In order to get you fully prepared for your next trip, this article is going to provide a detailed hours information about MAM, including regular opening hours and event calendars for February 2011. No matter on which day you jump to this inspirational land, you will never be disappointed!

First let's get familiar with the regular operating hours. The Museum opens from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday, and the closure is extended to 8 pm on Thursday. On Monday, the museum is closed with the exception on Martin Luther King Day and Memorial Day in 2011.

Please note that if you want to enjoy free admission, you can visit Milwaukee Art Museum on the first Thursday of each month.

Although the hours are indicated as above, the museum is closed to public on certain dates, and when it comes to the exhibitions and events inside, hours may vary. So before your departure for the museum, you are advised to check the calendar on the website of Milwaukee Art Museum. For your convenience, we have listed the detailed event & exhibition schedules of February 2011 below. Please check carefully and choose the events you are interested in for your visit.

Through the whole February 2011, the museum is opened on weekends, the first Thursday (Feb 3), the second weekdays except Monday, the third Tuesday and Thursday (Feb 15 and 17), and the fourth Tuesday and Thursday.

- On Thursday, Feb 3, 2011, free admission starts from 10 am. At 4:30 pm, the Youth Studio Class begins on sketching, painting, and sculpting. From 6:15 pm, it is time for Panel Discussion.

- On Saturday, Feb 5, 2011, it is Story Time in the Galleries at 10:30 am. Drop-In Tour starts at 11 am and 2 pm. Sketching in the Galleries begins at 1 pm.

- On Sunday, Feb 6, Open Studio gives a show of For the Love of Art at 10 am. And the Drop-In Tour stars at just 2 pm.

- On Tuesday, Feb 8, Gallery Talk starts at 1:30 pm for 2011 Scholastic Art Awards.

- On Wednesday, Feb 9, at 5:30 there is President's Circle Preview Party on Frank Lloyd Wright.

- On Thursday, Feb 10, the 12-Hour Member Preview Celebration begins at 10 am. And Wee Artists for The Color Red is at 10:30 am.

- On Friday, Feb 11, 10 am is the time for Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture for the 21st century. Member Exhibition Talk starts at 1:30 pm and Museum After Dark begins from 5 pm.

- On Saturday, Feb 12, the Story Time in the Galleries begins at 10:30 am. Drop-in Tour sets out at 11 am and 2 pm. Sketching in the Galleries starts at 1 pm.

- On Sunday, Feb 13, Open Studio hosts For the Love of Art at 10 am, and Drop-In Tour starts at 2 pm.

- On Tuesday, Feb 15, Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture for the 21st century starts at 1:30 pm.

- On Thursday, Feb 17, Express Talk meets you at 12 pm. There is a Lecture on Place, An American Home by Frank Lloyd Wright at 6:15 pm.

- On Saturday, Feb 19, Book Salon starts at 10:30 and the topic is The Women: A Novel. At the same time, Exploring Expressionism is going on for Partners in Art. 10:30 am is also the time for Story Time in the Galleries. Drop-In Tour begins at 11 am and 2 pm. Sketching in the Galleries starts at 1 pm.

- On Sunday, Feb 20, For the Love of Art starts at 10 am and Drop-In Tour begins at 2 pm.

- On Tuesday, Feb 22, Gallery Talk is about Framing a Decade at 1:30 pm.

- On Thursday, Feb 24, at 12 pm, the Express Talk starts and the issue is on Frank Lloyd Wright.

- On Saturday, Feb 26, Story Time in the Galleries commences at 10:30 am. Drop-In Tour starts at 11 am and 2 pm respectively. Sketching in the Galleries is at 1 pm. Live Music of Chopin awaits you at 2 pm.

- On Sunday, Feb 27, Open Studio begins at 10 am and Drop-In Tour at 2p m.

For calendars of the rest of 2011, you can click:

Event Calendar

http://www.mam.org/calendar/events/