The 12-block tour highlights public art and landmark historical buildings along the Avenue in the heart of Milwaukee’s downtown.
With more than $1 billion in recently completed, proposed and under-construction projects along West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 is highlighting its premier corridor with a new audio walking tour. Local residents and out-of-town guests can learn more about the Avenue’s rich history and recent rebound by downloading the Otocast mobile app, a free audio guide used by cities across the United States to highlight public art, architecture, festivals and other points of interest.
Beginning at the RiverWalk and ending at Marquette University, the 12-block West Wisconsin Avenue tour features 13 points of interest, with Milwaukee celebrities narrating the significance of each location. Narrators on the project include Mayor Tom Barrett, Gary Grunau of Grucon Group LLC, Tyler Hawley of HKS Holdings LLC, a Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 Public Service Ambassador, Angela Damiani of NEWaukee, local artist Reginald Baylor, a downtown resident, Diane Buck with the Court of Honor Restoration Project, Nancy Hernandez with the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, John Constantine, formerly of the Wisconsin Club, and Dr. Michael Lovell of Marquette University.
Highlighted points of interest include:
- Wisconsin Avenue Bridge & The Bridge War of 1845
- Gertie the Duck
- Riverside Theater & The Empire Building
- MKE Lofts (formerly The Posner Building)
- Grand/Warner Theater
- The Shops of Grand Avenue – Plankinton Arcade
- Wisconsin Center
- Hilton Milwaukee City Center
- Wisconsin Tower
- Court of Honor
- Central Library
- Wisconsin Club
- Marquette University
The free Otocast app is available for download at the iTunes Store and Google Play. While the audio program was designed as a hands-on self-guided walking tour, the it can be downloaded and listened to from virtually any location.
© Photo
Lee Matz
