'Heights Dream Library'
Artist: Fred Kaems
@fredtheartist
Welcome to Art Tours MKE! We invite you to explore Milwaukee's vibrant art scene as you engage in our public art tours that explore our city's rich culture and creativity.
Our curated experiences showcase the city's artists, galleries and creative hubs and provide an unforgettable experience for art lovers of all ages.
Join us and immerse yourself in MKE's artistic landscape!
What to expect
Tour Experience
Art-Tours MKE is highly skilled at curating art itinerary’s that are ideal for art lovers who want to know more about MKE’s cultural arts landscape.
Arts advocacy and expertise are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing an interactive visual art experience from the moment you engage with us to the conclusion of your tour. Find what fits you, whether you want to get your steps in for a few blocks or want to have an 'art getaway' for the day.
Our community art docents have decades of combined experience as artists, advocates and curators. Highly engaged in Milwaukee's arts and culture scene, their knowledge and insight bring a unique perspective to your art tour experience.
'Milwaukee Champions'
Artist: Jason Sterling (J-Bird)
@jbirdart
Walking Tours
Art Tours MKE’s citywide mural walking experiences offer an immersive, street-level journey through Milwaukee neighborhoods, where participants explore murals on foot while uncovering the stories behind them. Each route is curated to highlight the cultural identity of a specific area—whether it’s the legacy of Bronzeville, the creative energy of the Near West Side, or the bold visuals of Walker’s Point. Guests can slow down, observe details up close, and engage with the layered narratives of community, history, and artistic expression that shape the city’s walls.
'Welford' (Sanders)
Artist: "EGO' The Artist
@egotheartist
Tranportation Tours
Art Tours MKE’s transportation-based tour offers a broader view of Milwaukee’s mural districts and cultural hubs, into one cohesive experience. Traveling between neighborhoods by shuttle or bus, participants gain a deeper understanding of how public art reflects the city’s diverse communities, from industrial corridors to thriving business districts. Our guided tours offer insights that link murals across geography, theme, transforming Milwaukee into a unified, open-air gallery.
Voices of Today/Sounds of Tommorrow
Artist: Brad Anthony Bernard
@bernardarttstudio
Group Experiences
Art Tours MKE provides an immersive art filled 'day retreat' experience for groups of 8 -15 people. Group tour rate include transportation of mural tour, gallery exhibition/art studio visit, t-shirt design maker space activity and or public art mural painting experience. We provide a curated 'one of a kind' experience for family reunion groups and work team 'day retreats'.
Refreshments and light meals are also provided by one of our partnering restaurant/cafe or food venture entities.
Immersive Neighborhood Experiences
Discover the vibrant art scene in Milwaukee through immersive experiences that engage your senses, from interactive installations to captivating exhibitions. Treat yourself and delve into the creativity that defines Milwaukee and let the art inspire you in unexpected ways. Join us on a journey exploring the rich cultural tapestry that makes this third coast city artfully unique.
Westview Mural Tour
Vliet Street
Explore Milwaukee’s Near West Side through a dynamic mural tour that transforms city streets into an open-air gallery. Traveling by tour vehicle or guided walking tours, guests experience large-scale artworks that honor neighborhood history, celebrate cultural identity, uplift youth voices, reflecting the creativity of the community. Each stop offers a vivid glimpse into one of Milwaukee’s vibrant art districts.
Downtown Art District Tour
Third Ward
Discover the creative side of Milwaukee on Art Tours MKE’s Third Ward walking art tour. The guided experience through the city’s Historic Third Ward is where art, architecture, and urban energy meet. Stroll cobblestone streets and converted warehouse blocks while exploring striking murals, hidden alleyway works, and contemporary public art.
Along the way, guests learn how the Third Ward transformed from an industrial warehouse neighborhood into a cultural destination, with stories of artists, redevelopment, design, and the role public art plays in shaping the area’s modern identity.
Thrive On King
Bronzeville Center for the Arts
Bronzeville Milwaukee
The Bronzeville mural tour in Milwaukee offers a vivid look at one of the city’s most culturally rich and historically significant neighborhoods.
Bronzeville—once the heart of Milwaukee’s Black cultural and economic life—is now experiencing a powerful resurgence, with public art playing a central role in that story. Murals throughout the district serve not just as decoration, but as storytelling devices that honor legacy, amplify contemporary voices, and reclaim space through creativity.
Art Tours MKE Testimonies
"The tour introduced me to people and places in Milwaukee I never knew about. The experience provided a generative portrait of art on the near west side. Thank you to Brad and Erik for the wonderful opportunity!"
Kim Miller. - Art Professor / Filmmaker - MIlwaukee Institute of Art & Design
"My art tour with Brad and Erik was far more than I expected. Rather than a passive experience in which a guide simply presents and explains, we met individuals at each location who spoke passionately about their work. I discovered numerous initiatives I hadn’t previously been aware of and left feeling both hopeful and inspired. Each site seemed to hold space for community in unique and thoughtful ways.
The tour takes place in neighborhoods not typically considered art destinations. As I discovered, however, that is beginning to change. Some of the most progressive and vital programs are happening here!"
Debra Brehmer - Gallery Owner / Curator / Writer - Portrait Society, Gallery of Contemporary Art
The feature I most enjoyed about the tour was the in-depth and personalized explanation of the various neighborhood murals. Each mural has a distinct message for its surrounding neighbors. The tour highlights the messages and their unique artistic styles.
Sande Robinson. - Art Patron / Collector