Walk the short distance to the Milwaukee County Historical Society. If you're looking to learn more about the history of Milwaukee, this is the place!

Housed in a former bank building, The Milwaukee County Historical Society was founded in 1935 to collect, preserve and make available materials relating to the history of Milwaukee. It offers a museum and research library, and features permanent and rotating exhibitions, programs and events throughout the year.

About the building: The Milwaukee County Historical Society building was originally a bank and was designed by the Kirchhoff and Rose architectural firm in the Beaux Arts style of the French Renaissance. There are over 600 pilings, one foot in diameter, needed to carry the immense weight of the structure. The building has seven vaults, and the door frame of the vault on the north end of the building weighs 27 ½ tons!

If open, step inside to see an elegant atrium surrounded by pillars, a balcony-level and marble accents. The building is a Milwaukee landmark and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was meticulously restored in 2011.

When completed here, continue walking north along the park until you reach the intersection of State Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive. Just to the north you'll see our next stop...the Old World Third Street Entertainment District.