Milwaukee RiverWalk
Milwaukee RiverWalk
4.3
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Milwaukee RiverWalk and nearby attractions
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
831 within 3 miles
Attractions
337 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- DarciWenatchee, Washington82 contributionsThe Milwaukee Riverfront walk is a lovely area with artwork, great views of the river and city. We were impressed how clean and safe it was. Walked to the Public Market and back on the other side for a full loop walk.Visited September 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten September 17, 2024
- A-L-G787Sault Ste. Marie, Canada126 contributionsWe started our walk from Lakefront Brewery and walked to the Bronze Fonz and back. To get onto the riverwalk itself, we found it wasn’t well marked but just wondered until we found a tiny sidewalk that led to it. Along the riverwalk too there were some more detailed maps and we would have liked to see those ones online. The ones we found online were not helpful when planning our route. I thought there were going to be more shops and restaurants right along the riverwalk but from as far as we went that was not the case. There were lots of places once you ventured off the actual path though. There was some construction going on along some parts of it so there were some detours. It is a nice way to check out different areas of town. Also totally stroller accessible.Visited October 2024Traveled with familyWritten October 4, 2024
- Gardengel-IoWWest Sussex, United Kingdom1,009 contributionsWe liked this city. Easy to walk around. Headed for river walk, very pleasant and found the Bronze Fonz statue of Happy Days fame, Henry Winkler. Lots of nice architecture. Made our way towards another part of the river to find the Quadracci art building – wings. Impressive. The wings do move/open/shut at 10 & 12 each day, but we missed that.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 25, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
1,052 reviews
Excellent
524
Very good
378
Average
130
Poor
18
Terrible
2
Gardengel-IoW
West Sussex, UK1,009 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We liked this city. Easy to walk around. Headed for river walk, very pleasant and found the Bronze Fonz statue of Happy Days fame, Henry Winkler. Lots of nice architecture. Made our way towards another part of the river to find the Quadracci art building – wings. Impressive. The wings do move/open/shut at 10 & 12 each day, but we missed that.
Written August 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheLeongOhana
United States7,875 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
After stuffing ourselves on lobster rolls we crossed over to the Riverwalk to see what it was all about. It was a great sunny and warm afternoon.
We passed through a park that was undergoing the final construction touches and found it to be a very inviting start.
The path along the river was very well maintained, clean and well signed. There were lots of benches to take a rest and soak up the views. If you were in your own boat (or kayaking through) then docks were also available for those wanting to get something to eat or shop.
We did get to watch a sightseeing cruise boat go down the river and bridge after bridge had to be raised and lowered. I understand that all the bridges are operated remotely instead of a person at each bridge.
My only nit pick (loss of one circle) was that the Riverwalk path was not continuous and we had to climb up and down stairs and cross streets.
We passed through a park that was undergoing the final construction touches and found it to be a very inviting start.
The path along the river was very well maintained, clean and well signed. There were lots of benches to take a rest and soak up the views. If you were in your own boat (or kayaking through) then docks were also available for those wanting to get something to eat or shop.
We did get to watch a sightseeing cruise boat go down the river and bridge after bridge had to be raised and lowered. I understand that all the bridges are operated remotely instead of a person at each bridge.
My only nit pick (loss of one circle) was that the Riverwalk path was not continuous and we had to climb up and down stairs and cross streets.
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
brmusicman
Chicago, IL3,157 contributions
Jul 2020
Impressive!
We visited over July 4th weekend, 2020, and the Riverwalk was a great way to see a lot of downtown. It's really well-done, with wide sidewalks on both sides of the river, interesting variation in the pathway as you move between sections, and some cool art along the way. As riverwalks go in cities, this was stood out for its quality! I also noted that it was very friendly to disabled visitors, with elevators present wherever there was a staircase.
Would put as a "must do" on your Milwaukee list.
We visited over July 4th weekend, 2020, and the Riverwalk was a great way to see a lot of downtown. It's really well-done, with wide sidewalks on both sides of the river, interesting variation in the pathway as you move between sections, and some cool art along the way. As riverwalks go in cities, this was stood out for its quality! I also noted that it was very friendly to disabled visitors, with elevators present wherever there was a staircase.
Would put as a "must do" on your Milwaukee list.
Written July 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julian W
Charlotte, NC10 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Loved walking, dining, drinking, and running along the Riverwalk in Milwaukee. At different times of course. A great amenity. An excellent way to see a lot of the city. Took a selfie with the Bronze Fonz. The whole Riverwalk was central to our experiences on 3 of the 4 days we were in Milwaukee. I am a fan.
Written August 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda S
180 contributions
May 2021
We did the river walk early on Saturday morning. As we were early and it was a weekend day we were able to find parking a short distance away. It was a very pleasant walk with interesting architecture, art works throughout and lots of seating. No restaurants were open but it looks like there is many. We ventured off the walk which has great signage to view buildings of interest. And of course pictures were taken with Bronze Fonz which could use a little TLC. I recommend
Written May 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randy S
Portland, OR318 contributions
Sep 2021
We had a group of 10 that biked the "RiverWalk" but has a bike name too, although I don't recall it offhand. The overall lenght of the marked path is over 20 miles with most of it within sight of the Lake and Downtown. Really really nice bike ride! Highly recommend!
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina B
Louisiana6,962 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We loved the walk along the Riverwalk. There’s history mixed with restaurants and water activity. There are a number of stairs for those with mobility issues. We stopped in to have homemade Gelato which was great .. I’m Sorry I forgot the name. It’s next to Gold’s Gym.
Written July 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bcsystems
Ann Arbor, MI5,431 contributions
Oct 2022
While I did not walk anywhere near the full river walk, the sections I did were ok. Most of what I saw is really a trail along the river. I saw very little bars, restaurants or shops along the walk. However, there is some nice sights of the city and buildings.
Written October 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
34Nomad
Chicago, IL6 contributions
Sep 2019
Milwaukee definitely has one of the better Riverwalks in the Midwest. It's a great walk if you're looking for some mileage. Great views and lots of photo opportunities. The walk is lined with lots of good restaurants and artwork.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PowerTrippers
Cocoa Beach, FL1,533 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
We’ve explored river walks in quite a few cities so we were excited to check out Milwaukee’s Riverwalk. To be honest, it was a little disappointing.
On the positive side, it’s very long and takes you through many different parts of the city, and even outside of the main city. But unfortunately there are almost no restaurants, shops or bars along the walk. You have to hop off the Riverwalk and walk a block or more off the Walk to find those things. Even then, we weren’t able to find a lot of them.
Also, you often have to cross busy downtown streets to stay on the Riverwalk and many of the crosswalks have no crossing signals. You just have to pick a gap and sprint across the street.
There are a few semi-interesting things along the Riverwalk, including a number of sculptures that are mostly nothing special. There is also a life-size statue of Fonzie from “Happy Days” called the Bronze Fonz which is kind of fun.
If you just want a nice walk along the river, the Riverwalk is fine. If you’re looking for interesting shops, bars or restaurants you’re going to be disappointed.
-The Power Trippers
On the positive side, it’s very long and takes you through many different parts of the city, and even outside of the main city. But unfortunately there are almost no restaurants, shops or bars along the walk. You have to hop off the Riverwalk and walk a block or more off the Walk to find those things. Even then, we weren’t able to find a lot of them.
Also, you often have to cross busy downtown streets to stay on the Riverwalk and many of the crosswalks have no crossing signals. You just have to pick a gap and sprint across the street.
There are a few semi-interesting things along the Riverwalk, including a number of sculptures that are mostly nothing special. There is also a life-size statue of Fonzie from “Happy Days” called the Bronze Fonz which is kind of fun.
If you just want a nice walk along the river, the Riverwalk is fine. If you’re looking for interesting shops, bars or restaurants you’re going to be disappointed.
-The Power Trippers
Written September 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What's the closest public parking lot to the Historic 3rd Ward section of the Milwaukee River Walk?
Written July 13, 2021
What is best way to get to Fonz?
Written September 15, 2018
I actually got a taxi to drop me closeby 😊
Written September 22, 2018
is there any free parking that's close enough to do the walk?
Written July 21, 2017
Yes. As it runs thru the City of Milwaukee, you may find free street parking here and there. And there is metered parking that is often free on weekends.
Written July 27, 2017
Hello, My family and I will be in town Thursday and Friday for NCAA basketball. We will have a couple teenagers and our 9 year old son. We plan on visiting the Riverwalk. Do you have any recommendations for us. Where to eat? Things to do or see?
Written March 15, 2017
If you can get to this Historic Third Ward, there are plenty of restaurant options in the area. Water Buffalo comes to mind. The Wicked Hop is fun too. Check out the public market for something to do. Walking the river walk is bound to take you by some interesting shops.
Written March 15, 2017
Yes. You can either park on the street, or public garages
Written May 25, 2016
jmsergi123
Chicago, Illinois
Hello.
not familiar with Milwaukee and my husband and i looking into spending a week end in Milwaukee.
not sure where to begin with sight seeing but we love to walk. what would be a recommendation to walk the Riverwalk?
open and would love to hear of suggestions.
thank you in advance.
JoAnn
Written June 29, 2015
A Tripadvisor member
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
You can walk the Riverwalk and downtown area, to see City Hall and other historic places of interest, also drive it at night to see the skyline and a lot of buildings are lit up, makes a nice view too. The historic Third Ward is a great place to see and its downtown. You will do a lot of walking so bring comfortable shoes.
Written June 29, 2015
Can you suggest a few places where I may park if going to the riverwalk, I've never been there. Thank you.
Written June 28, 2015
Quite a few public parking areas on the lakefront. Really ample pay meter parking in the 3d Ward itself. I personally use one of the many pay lots. $5 all day last fall. Don't know if the rates are increased for summer. Street parking is really not hard to find. I have never found parking to be a problem. Hope this helps.
Written June 29, 2015
what are the closest hotels that are good for just one night's stay?
Written June 15, 2015
We stayed @ Days Inn North which is a good mile from the Riverwalk, but we walked all over from that location.
Written June 30, 2015
Showing results 1-9 of 9
Related Stories
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing