15 things to do for under $20 in Milwaukee during Spring Break 2024

Claire Reid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Many Milwaukee schools and colleges are on spring break during the weeks of March 18, March 25 or April 1.

Here are some affordable or free activities and events to check out during your week off.

More: When are Milwaukee area school districts on spring break this year?

March 20 and 27, April 3: Free beginner's yoga classes at the Bay View Library

The Milwaukee Public Library's Bay View branch offers free afternoon yoga classes for beginners in the Llewellyn Community Room. The class takes a "slow and gentle approach" to stretch muscles, ligaments and tendons throughout the body. Pose options are provided to accommodate all body types and skill levels. Participants should bring their own yoga mat, but blocks and straps are provided.

Josiah Crundman, 2, plays on one of his favorite exhibits, the Let's Play Railway, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee.
Josiah Crundman, 2, plays on one of his favorite exhibits, the Let's Play Railway, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee.

March 21: Free day at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum

Groups of 10 or smaller receive free admission to Milwaukee's Betty Brinn Children's Museum every third Thursday of the month, including March 21. Walk-up tickets are not guaranteed, so it is recommended you reserve tickets online.

Families and children can enjoy hands-on exhibits at the museum such as a play railroad, science activities, and a child-size model town with a play grocery store, ATM, car service center, construction site and more.

The Urban Ecology Center opened its first branch in Milwaukee's Riverside Park in 2004. The organization now has additional branches in Washington Park and the Menomonee Valley.
The Urban Ecology Center opened its first branch in Milwaukee's Riverside Park in 2004. The organization now has additional branches in Washington Park and the Menomonee Valley.

March 21: Free spring potluck at the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center

Enjoy a healthy dinner, casual potluck style, at the Urban Ecology Center's Riverside Park branch while learning about sustainability. The 6 p.m. dinner is followed by presentations on "the food systems that nourish our lives" from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event is free for children and adults. Register online here.

Dr. Jean Creighton, Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Manfred Olson Planetarium, poses for a photo on Thursday, June 30, 2022 at the UWM Manfred Olson Planetarium in Milwaukee, Wis.
Dr. Jean Creighton, Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Manfred Olson Planetarium, poses for a photo on Thursday, June 30, 2022 at the UWM Manfred Olson Planetarium in Milwaukee, Wis.

March 22 and 29: Musical planetarium laser shows at UWM

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Manfred Olson Planetarium is presenting musical laser shows on Friday evenings throughout March, including March 22 and 29. Lights have been "choreographed" to space-themed music for an exciting, colorful show. The shows can also help feed your nostalgia ― March 22 features '80s music, and you can jam out to '90s music on March 29. Buy tickets here.

Shows are free for planetarium members (membership is $25 per year). Due to flashing and moving lights, the light shows are not recommended for people with epilepsy or other seizure conditions.

The REALTORS® Home & Garden Show offers nearly 350 exhibit booths.
The REALTORS® Home & Garden Show offers nearly 350 exhibit booths.

March 22-24 and 27-30: Explore the REALTORS Home & Garden Show

The nation's longest-running home and garden show is returning for its 98th year. This year's event will be held March 22-24 and 27-30 at the Expo Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park. With over 300 exhibit booths, you can learn about the latest products and chat with industry professionals in landscaping, windows, decks, kitchen and bathroom design, plumbing and HVAC, interior design, real estate, tree services and more.

Three stages will host numerous cooking demonstrations, home improvement talks and educational presentations throughout the week ― learn everything from summer grilling techniques to CPR certification. Get tickets to the show here.

  • When: Friday, March 22 - Sunday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 27 - Saturday, March 30

  • Where: Expo Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis

  • Cost: $10 for adults, $6 for seniors 65+, free for kids 12 and under

  • Learn more:Attend — Home & Garden Show

March 23: Support small businesses at the Cudahy Library's Spring Craft & Vendor Fair

Browse and shop for unique products at the Cudahy Family Library while supporting small businesses and the library. The event benefits the Cudahy Family Library Scholarship Fund. Admission is free. Visit each vendor at the fair for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

March 23: Learn how maple syrup is made at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Learn how maple tree sap turns into maple syrup and participate in the process of tapping logs with hand drills at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. People of all ages can learn how to identify a maple tree and take part in five activities along the center's trails. You'll even receive a sweet treat at the end.

The nature center offers two sessions of this "Maple Sugar Time!" activity on Saturday, March 23: a morning session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and an afternoon session from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Get tickets for the morning session here and the afternoon session here.

March 24 and April 7: Take a swing dance lesson at Delaware House

Sick of having two left feet? Use your spring break to improve your dancing skills. The Milwaukee Rebels West Coast Swing Dance Club offers beginner swing dance lessons most Sundays at 6:30 p.m. at Bay View's Delaware House. West Coast Swing is primarily danced to rhythm and blues but can be adapted to almost any musical genre.

Classes are drop-in, no preregistration required. You can dress casually, and neither a partner nor dance experience is necessary.

March 26: Milwaukee Jewish Museum Community Free Day

Milwaukee Jewish Museum is hosting a community free day on Tuesday, March 26 for its "The Book Smugglers" exhibit. The exhibit highlights the true story of the Paper Brigade of Vilna, a resistance group that rescued thousands of rare books and manuscripts while living under first Nazi and then Soviet oppression. Reserve tickets online in advance.

In the spirit of keeping literature accessible, the museum is partnering with the Milwaukee Public Library for library card sign-up during the event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring two forms of ID, one with a current address, if you'd like to sign up for a library card.

March 26: Free drag queen bingo at Lakefront Brewery

Adults are welcome to play Drag Queen Bingo at Lakefront Brewery with drag queen Ester Flonaze on Tuesday, March 26. Seating is first come, first served, but bingo is free to play. "Ester isn't for the faint of heart, it's a raunchy night, be prepared," Lakefront says.

Ten sets of three game cards will be provided for the 10 games that will be played. Prizes will be awarded for each game. Participants should bring their own writing utensils to mark their bingo cards. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

March 30: Celebrate Easter with the Milwaukee County Zoo

The Milwaukee County Zoo's "Egg Day" celebration returns for 2024 on Saturday, March 30. Families can grab a pair of bunny ears to "match" the Easter Bunny and participate in many festive activities. These include riding the North Shore Bank Safari Train ($4/person extra) to "search for the carrots the Bunny left behind" and playing a zoo-wide game of bingo to win a prize.

The zoo's parade, featuring the Easter Bunny, will take place at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. Families can catch "sweet treats" along the parade route. Most Egg Day activities are included with the purchase of zoo admission. Registration is not required.

April 5: Prepare for the solar eclipse at the UWM planetarium

The "Great American Eclipse" will turn day to night for a few brief minutes as the moon blocks the sun's light along a 115-mile-wide, southwest-to-northeast path across the U.S. While Wisconsin is not on the eclipse's path of totality, you can learn about this rare astronomical event at the UWM planetarium on April 5.

The program will include indoor stargazing followed by a question-and-answer session. Planetarium director Jean Creighton will discuss the impact the study of solar eclipses has had on scientific discoveries and understanding the universe. Attendees receive free solar eclipse glasses to use during the following week's eclipse. Get tickets here.

April 6: Learn how our brains work at Medical College of Wisconsin

Medical College of Wisconsin is hosting BrainExpo 2024, a free opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the brain and the mind from neuroscientists and other experts.

Come see real brains on display, learn how our brains construct our reality, learn about the effects of common brain disorders, hear about functional brain imaging technologies scientists use to study mental processes, and discover how, over 600 million years, the human brain evolved from simple nerve nets in pre-historic jellyfish to its current complex form.

  • When: Saturday, April 6: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Where: MCW Alumni Center, 8701 W. Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee

  • Cost: Free

  • Learn more:BrainExpo 2024

Nine-year-old Isaac Weber of Germantown tries to hold onto his slippery catch during the Kids' Catch and Release Fishing Derby hosted by the Optimist Club of Menomonee Falls on Saturday, May 11, 2019.
Nine-year-old Isaac Weber of Germantown tries to hold onto his slippery catch during the Kids' Catch and Release Fishing Derby hosted by the Optimist Club of Menomonee Falls on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

April 6: Family fishing day at Washington Park Urban Ecology Center

Hoping to teach your kids how to fish before summer? Families can learn the basics of catch-and-release fishing at the Washington Park pond with the Urban Ecology Center's Washington Park branch. A valid fishing license is required for anyone over 16. Register here.

Runners compete in the 2021 Trailbreaker 5K, 10K and Half Marathon events in Waukesha on Saturday, April 10. The annual event, hosted by the Park Foundation of Waukesha, is a fundraiser for the enhancement of city parks, trails, recreation programs and the urban forest.
Runners compete in the 2021 Trailbreaker 5K, 10K and Half Marathon events in Waukesha on Saturday, April 10. The annual event, hosted by the Park Foundation of Waukesha, is a fundraiser for the enhancement of city parks, trails, recreation programs and the urban forest.

April 7: Watch the Trailbreaker Marathon in Waukesha

Come watch or volunteer at a long-running (get it?) Waukesha tradition that's raised money for the Park Foundation of Waukesha and helped enhance city parks, trails and recreation programs for many years. Trailbreaker offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon and two marathon courses ― one in Lapham Peak and one along the Glacial Drumlin Trail. The unique race courses incorporate both city streets and rugged trails.

Race registration is still open: $60 for the marathon, $55 for the half and $40 for the 10K or 5K. Register here. There is also a 2-mile walk and a 1K kids run for children 10 and under.

  • When: Sunday, April 7: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • Where: Schuetze Recreation Center, 1120 Baxter St., Waukesha. Find course maps here for easy spectating.

  • Cost: Free to spectate, race registration ranges from $40 to $60

  • Learn more:Trailbreaker Marathon info

More: Traveling for spring break? These are some nonstop flights leaving Milwaukee in 2024

More: Need something for your kids to do during spring break? Here are events around Milwaukee

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 15 free or cheap things to do in Milwaukee during Spring Break 2024

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