Discovery World — Attraction in Milwaukee

My boyfriend had come here a few times at least a decade ago, and trying to plan a date-night recently, he mentioned it. Mainly to visit the aquarium, (both “fish nerds”) but we also like children’s museum type outings (both kids at heart).

First, I would recommend calling ahead to check if there’s some kind of event on the docket for the day at Discovery World (for example, a school field trip or several; or an extracurricular competition). If there is, re-schedule your plans, and go on a day that’s clear of events.

We happened to go on a day where there were several field trips and a large school competition/science-fair-type event that began at opening and didn’t seem to slow down until about an hour before closing. So every hall, doorway, restroom, exhibit, activity, and staircase was packed with tons of kids, elementary to high school age, most chaperone-less and not caring if they run into anyone or skip through lines. We watched a middle-school-age kid run up from across the room to skip in front of us for an activity when we had been waiting in line for about 10 minutes, the chaperone apologize, and then allow the kid to continue to activity without any action. In another instance, an adult read through the rules for the interactive exhibit (laying down on the platform, then pressing the button, and allowing the bed of nails to raise up underneath you, then releasing the button to have it lower again before getting up) to their kids, then allowing them to climb on top of the platform and stand on top of it while raising the nails, then jumping back off as they lowered. This occurred with the group several times amount each child as we waited. This could have easily been a serious injury for any one of the children, and the rules at the exhibit are posted in order to prevent it, but if it’s known that this spot can be hazardous then a museum volunteer should be stationed here to help supervise and insure things are going as regulated.

Secondly, when you call to check about the events schedule, see how many of the exhibits/activities are actually open and able to be attended. It’s possible a majority of the fish in the aquarium may be unviewable (empty tanks, or the tank is covered with paper), the activities may be limited (screens black, buttons not functioning, or necessary resources and materials empty or missing), and the exhibits may be difficult to understand (due to missing information plaques or broken equipment on the displays).

At least 40% of the exhibits and activities were inaccessible due to be closed or broken or “under construction”. Some had signs letting us know, and some didn’t. Some just had black screens or non-functioning electronics, other areas had no description of items in a case anywhere or fish in a tank on the designated digital stock list, so we had no idea what we were looking at. The entire Virtual Reality section was closed, as well as a large chunk of the aquarium (which was our main purpose for the trip), and several other areas and individual sections. It really made the ticket price and paying for parking feel less and less worth it each time we came across something we thought would be cool, just to find out it was closed or broken. This really made it feel unfair that the tickets were still full price despite a large chunk of the museum being entirely unviewable, and we weren’t told ahead of buying tickets (at the location) that this was the case.

Thirdly, after you’ve made that call and you’re comfortable with the answer you got, I would recommend bringing very good walking shoes, and some fun people to enjoy a few hours with. Kids are ideal, I’m sure, but this is also a fun date spot for the right duo. ;)

This museum isn’t perfect, and has a lot to improve on and fix. But the right excursion crew makes any adventure (even ones with closed-off fishtanks and “construction” signs where your ticket price says should be magic and wonder) an unforgettable experience to giggle at some silly science puns, learn a few facts about the local area, and maybe...

Absolutely an unbelievable experience! I had my wedding here on 6/29/19 and let me start this review by saying that I cannot recommend this place enough! I chose Discovery World Museum as my venue because I really like the way the building looks and the views are easily some of the best in Milwaukee. My point of contact and venue coordinator was Madeline Cope. From my initial email to the last one, she was extremely attentive, gave awesome recommendations and thought of details that both my (now) wife and I didn’t even think about at the time but now realize how impactful it made our wedding. I have seen the wedding planning process done with friends and other family and I was always afraid of having that same stress with my wedding, but with Madeline helping and all the options available through Bartollota Catering, the whole process was unbelievably easy. The food was outstanding – especially the grilled cheese and tomato soup appetizer (GET IT - trust me on this one) and the ravioli and steak meals were probably some of the best dishes we’ve had. Our guests could not stop talking about the food all night! We had our cocktail hour in the aquarium and our main event at the Pilot house. The aquarium was perfect for that portion because it felt intimate and the lighting and tanks were just stunning and a great conversation starter between guests. The pilot house was perfect for the wedding because it has this amazing 360 degree view of the city and lake (and Summerfest) plus the balcony is just an added bonus for guests to walk around, enjoy their drinks and take in the views. The service was that of a 5 star hotel – all of the staff members were super kind, always smiling, sharply dressed and just so pleasant to talk with. Madeline coordinated just about everything once the celebrations started, from us walking out for ceremony, the transition between the ceremony to dinner (another cocktail hour), drinks after dinner and lastly our fireworks. We chose to have our first dance after dinner and wanted to surprise our guests with fireworks during our dance (Discovery World offers that service by the way). She knew how long our song was and coordinated it PERFECTLY with their fireworks crew so that as soon as I dipped my wife at the end of the song, the fireworks launched EXACTLY at that moment. My family, my guests and especially my wife were so amazed at how beautiful this wedding turned out that they kept talking about it all weekend and I’m still getting texts and emails as I’m writing this review! Madeline Cope was perfect, Discovery World was perfect and Bartolotta Catering was perfect. I honestly hope that my sincerest admiration shows in...

Our guests had nothing but positive things to say about the venue, view, staff, food, & overall experience! We were so thankful we worked with Madeline, because we never had to worry about anything & everything was very efficient + organized! From the initial menu tasting to the final invoice, everything was so clear, and the invoices were straightforward. All of the staff were so polite & friendly, so we definitely felt we were in good hands. I really appreciated the special accommodations that were made for me and our guests with allergies! The room was beautiful & exactly what I had envisioned. We really appreciated how structured the whole process was, such as the instructional email for dropping off decor (with pictures!) and the policies on the invoices. We felt reassured that it was all laid out with what we could/couldn't do, because it reflected how experienced they were. We knew we could relax that day while they provided the highest level of service. Also, so many staff members came to check on me throughout the night & made sure we were as content as possible!

We wanted to specifically point out that Madeline’s level of professionalism and expertise were very much appreciated throughout the planning process! We can't express how reassuring it was to have her on our team, because it felt like she was always thinking about our vision of the day! It just felt like everything was taken care of & she helped us think of everything, so nothing was missed in the end. It can be quite intimidating planning a wedding for the first time, as I'm sure everyone knows that there are so many expectations/traditions that guests come in with. Madeline helped us so much to consider what we should add or what might be unnecessary. Especially with everything on Pinterest/social media, we just felt that she always considered what was essential to our day, instead of adding everything that could be thought of. I think it is more that we felt like we weren't being taken advantage of/just a way to make money, which is something that can't be said about all wedding vendors & venues. We felt like she really listened to us & made it personal to us as a couple. We would highly recommend having any event at Discovery World with Madeline! We have received so many compliments from our guests about how wonderful the reception was & felt it was one of the best decisions we made for...