Every week, Milwaukee With Kids answers a simple question for families across the area: What are we going to do this weekend? From indoor activities to outdoor adventures, we’ve got you covered. For the full weekend list, make sure to visit the Milwaukee With Kids website.
Top pick
Margie’s Garden reopens
9400 Boerner Dr. | Hales Corners
Thursday, May 1 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission: Adults $9; Juniors 3-12 / Students / Military $6; Children Under 3 / Members FREE
Margie’s Garden is back for the season! Located inside Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners, this whimsical children’s garden is filled with interactive play areas, vibrant blooms, musical instruments and nature-inspired fun. Be sure to stop by the Flower Shop Playhouse, which is sponsored by MKE With Kids.
Save on fun
Flower Festival at Milwaukee Public Market
Riverwalk Commons | 423 N. Water St. | Milwaukee
Saturday, May 3 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Celebrate spring at the inaugural Festival of Flowers! This event for the whole family will feature a flower market, free family-friendly activities, live music, and seasonal food and beverages.
Museum Member Swap Weekend
May 3-4 | Hours vary by museum
Admission: FREE for members
Museum members enjoy access to other participating local museums during this weekend! Explore museums across the city with family, friends or anyone covered by your membership. Participating museums include Milwaukee Public Museum, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and Milwaukee Art Museum.
Milwaukee County Discounted Sunday at the Zoo
Milwaukee County Zoo | 10001 W. Bluemound Rd. Milwaukee
Sunday, May 4 | 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Admission: Adults and Seniors $11.50; Children 3-12 $9
Milwaukee County residents enjoy discounted admission to Milwaukee County Zoo. Regular parking fee of $15 applies.
Sunday Family Fun Day at the Brewer Game
American Family Field | 1 Brewers Way | Milwaukee
Sunday, May 4 | 1:10 p.m.
Admission: Starting at $65
Sunday is family day at the ballpark with the Sunday Fun-Day Bundle, featuring everything your Crew needs to make any Sunday a highlight. That’s four tickets, four junior hot dogs, four junior sodas and parking starting at just $65. This special bundle is available for every Sunday Brewers home game this season and can be purchased up until the day before that Sunday’s game.
Girls Can Fly in Hartford
Hartford Municipal Airport | 4200 Co Hwy U | Hartford
Saturday, May 3 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Admission: FREE
The 6th annual Girls Can Fly event will feature planes on the ramp to check out, aviation activities, prizes, a free lunch and more. Hosted by Women in Aviation – SE Wisconsin Chapter and Kylie’s Cub Air Flight.
Family Day at Up-Down Milwaukee
615 E. Brady St. | Milwaukee
Sunday, May 4 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Admission: FREE (arcade games are 25 cents or one token per play)
On the first Sunday of every month, you can bring the whole family to Up-Down Milwaukee to hang out, eat pizza by the slice and play classic arcade games for 25 cents or one token per play. There will be soda and other kid-friendly drinks to those under 21, plus a full bar to those over 21. All minors MUST be accompanied by someone who is 21 or older.
Arts & theater
Dog Man: The Musical
Marcus Performing Arts Center | 929 N. Water St. | Milwaukee
May 3-4 | Various showtimes
Admission: $20-$60
The Wisconsin premiere of Dog Man: The Musical is coming to the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Based on Dav Pilkey’s best-selling book series, this hilarious and heartwarming production promises a fun-filled adventure for audiences of all ages.
Milwaukee Film Festival Kids’ Shorts
Oriental and Downer Theatres
May 3-4, 2025
Admission: Adults $15; Seniors / Students / Educators / Military $14; Children 12 & Under $8
Short films for kids of all ages — just the right size! These collections of animated shorts are designed to delight and inspire young audiences, with age-appropriate themes ranging from silly to empowering. Get the full schedule here.
Esperanza Rising by First Stage
Milwaukee Youth Arts Center | 325 W. Walnut St. | Milwaukee
May 2-18 | Various showtimes
Admission: $22-$40
Two young storytellers, with the help of an ensemble of actors, take the stage and begin to weave the tale of Esperanza — a wealthy Mexican girl whose privileged existence is shattered when tragedy strikes, and she and her mother must flee to California. Forced to work in a migrant labor camp, Esperanza must learn to rise above her difficult circumstances and discover what she’s truly made of. Set in the turbulent 1930s, and based on the popular book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising is a poetic tale of a young girl’s triumph over adversity. Recommended for ages 13-17.
Miscellaneous
Tree Climbing Festival at Riveredge Nature Center
4458 County Hwy Y (Hawthorne Dr.) | Saukville
Saturday, May 3 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (climbs every 20 minutes)
Admission: $25 per participant
Want to get up into the trees? Encounter the giants of the forest and explore trees from a new perspective as you climb into the canopy under the guidance of trained facilitators. Ascend to the top, swing from a branch or try a “bat hang.”
Registration includes 20 minutes of climb time (please choose a time slot when registering), a scavenger hunt along the trails, a naturalist-led hands-on nature investigation, and access to picnic areas for lunch (please pack a lunch and be mindful of single-use plastic waste).
Pre-registration is required by May 1 at 11:55 p.m. Open to everyone age 7 and up.