Milwaukee County’s goal is to enrich your life by providing essential services that meet your needs and those of your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends.
We enhance the quality of life in Milwaukee County through great public service.
Milwaukee County is home to over 950,000 people living in one of 19 communities, which range in size from the City of Milwaukee, with 595,000 residents, to the Village of River Hills, with roughly 1,600 residents.
Still a manufacturing stronghold, the region features 16 Fortune 1000 companies and thousands of others in the financial services, medical device, hospitality and retailing industries.
Find information about things to do and happenings in Milwaukee County.
In summer in Milwaukee, "It's cooler near the lake!" How true! In Milwaukee, there's no place cooler to cool off than on the Fresh Coast. Lake Michigan's shore is home to several swimming, wading, and sunbathing beaches. Swimming in Lake Michigan is at your own risk.
The most popular beach in the park system is Bradford Beach. In 2009, it was one of Wisconsin's first beaches to receive Blue Wave Certification from the Clean Beaches Council of Washington, D.C. Since then, the beach has undergone a rebirth as a center of summer fun, and in 2020, improvements to Bradford Beach made it the most accessible beach in America.
Hit the beach with a free beach wheelchair checkout. The beach wheelchairs feature wide tires to allow you to maneuver in the sand and into the water. Bradford Beach features a permanent concrete ramp to access the beach and seasonal mobi mats (shown above) that provide access to the water.
Reserve Your Chair! Call Zack Grmick, General Manager at The Dock, at (414) 530-3251
Leagues are available at Bradford Beach through Volley Life, six days a week from May through August. Toss in some major volleyball tournaments, and you have a volleyball paradise! Hourly court and ball rentals, summer youth volleyball camps, and small-group private lessons ensure plenty of fun for everyone.
Get Details on Volley Life Leagues & Events
Kick back and relax while enjoying the beach, the sand, the lake, and great food and drinks! The menu includes appetizers, salads, burgers, wraps and tacos. The drink menu offers a selection of beers, wine and cocktails.
Visit The Dock's Website for the Menu
MooSa's custard stand, at the south end of Bradford Beach, serves up burgers (including the Impossible burger), brats, walking tacos and more … and of course, custard!
Visit Moosa's Website for the Menu
Bradford Beach is on a prime route for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl known as the Lake Michigan Flyway. This e-bird hot spot has seen 230 bird species.
Visit the eBird Website for the Latest Species Recorded
2400 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee
The Dock: (414) 215-9830 Volley Life: (262) 515-7847
With wooded areas as a backdrop, the beach on Milwaukee County's southern Lake Michigan shore has a relaxing vibe. Since its grand opening in 2016, the conversion of the beachhouse to a concessions area and the addition of new amenities have made this beach a "best-kept secret of summer."
To make the most of a sunny day at the beach, rent a lounge chair or beach umbrella from Ferch's Beachside Grille.
More About Rentals on Ferch's Website (Menu page "Rental" tab)
Hourly court and ball rentals are available during regular hours at Ferch's Beachside Grille. If you're looking to join a league at Grant Park Beach, Volley Life can help you with that; they offer leagues four days a week, from May through August. Also on the schedule is an adult beach volleyball clinic.
Young children who enjoy active time out of the water will be thrilled with the play area just beyond Ferch's. A slide and interactive toys make for fun in the sand off the beach!
Enjoy lunch in the shade of the umbrella tables! Featuring Ferch's famous frozen custard, the menu includes hot dogs, burgers, fries, and fountain treats. The adult drink menu includes a selection of craft beers, wine, and cocktails. A Friday night draw at the beach is the live and local music series, Ferch's Beachside Presents.
More About the Menu & Rentals on Ferch's Website
Grant Park Beach is on the Lake Michigan Flyway, a prime route for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. Birding is a growing activity at the beach. Add your sightings!
Visit the eBird Website to Add Your Sightings
100 Oak Creek Parkway, South Milwaukee
Ferch's Beachside Grille: (414)-502-7368 Volley Life: (262) 515-7847
Recently renovated with the addition of sand from about 1,000 fully filled dump trucks, the wading beach at McKinley Park is now a great spot to take young children. The adjacent play area and nearby concessions make visiting the beach for the day a real option.
More About the Beach Restoration at the Park Projects Website
Featuring two slides, the interactive play structure invites young children to stay active. The play area is just a stones throw from the beach.
If you're a beachgoer looking for a snack or cold beverage, take a short walk to the beer garden at McKinley Marina. Here you'll find a lakeside gathering place for families and friends to enjoy shareable comfort foods, local brews as well as non-alcoholic beverages, and outdoor lawn games. The Roundhouse also presents live music events.
More About the Menu & Events at the Roundhouse Beer Garden Website
McKinley Beach is on a prime route for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl known as the Lake Michigan Flyway. This e-bird hot spot has seen 214 bird species.
1750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee
Roundhouse Beer Garden at McKinley Marina: (414) 395-4910
Visit the WDNR Website for Beach Closings & Advisories
Visit the EPA Website for the Day's UV Index Forecast
NOTE: Patrons swim at their own risk.
9480 W. Watertown Plank Road Wauwatosa, WI 53226 (414) 257-PARK (7275) Parks E-News Signup