The first residents in Milwaukee were Native American tribes. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, the French traders and missionaries arrived in the area. In the year 1785, Alexis Laframboise was the first resident of European descent in the Milwaukee area hailing from Michigan. The name "Milwaukee" originates from the Algonquian word millioke, meaning "good," "beautiful," and "pleasant land". It was in the 1880s that the word Milwaukee became the “official” city name. During the 1840s and 1850s, Milwaukee grew with an influx of mainly German settlers. By 1900, 34 percent of Milwaukee's population was of German background, making it the “most German city” in America. In 2006, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Milwaukee as one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" as evidenced by its large European heritage.

Milwaukee is a museum lover's paradise. The Milwaukee Public Museum houses many wonderful human and natural history permanent exhibits from Africa, the Arctic, Europe, Middle and South America and Oceania. The museum also features the streets of Old Milwaukee, dinosaurs (including the world's largest dinosaur skull), a tropical rainforest, a European Village, hands-on labs, live insects and an IMAX movie theater/planetarium.

For children under ten, the Betty Brinn Children's Museum is a must-see. There are plenty of hands-on exhibits and interactive programs for the kids, and it was voted by Parents’ Magazine as one of the top ten museums for children.

Science buffs can check out Discovery World, found to the south of the Milwaukee Art Museum. It has high-tech and hand-on exhibits, as well as saltwater and freshwater aquariums.

The Milwaukee County Zoo, which is home to over 1,800 animals, has polar bears, siamangs, cheetahs and one of the largest groups of bonobos outside the Congo.

The Harley-Davidson Museum is also located in Milwaukee and is the only museum of its kind in the world.

There is over 15,000 acres of land in the 140 parks that occupy Milwaukee. There are also several nature centers with programs for children and adults – the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin and the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside.