In this Bubbler Talk, we’re going to spend some time in the enclosed bridges that crisscross downtown Milwaukee: the skywalks.
Chris and Billi Dawn Schoggen were walking downtown on a weekend night this winter, when they looked up and started wondering.
"It was kind of cold, and I saw the skywalks and I thought, you know I remember the skywalks, I wonder if you could [use them] in really cold weather to get from one place to another without getting really cold," Chris says. "And Billi Dawn said, 'You should ask Bubbler Talk!'"
And Bubbler Talk answered their call.
Milwaukee’s main downtown skywalk system is about 1.75 miles long. Much of it is open to the public during the day. It extends from the Drury Hotel and Chase Tower east of the Milwaukee River, about eight blocks west to the Baird Center.
Matt Dorner, economic development director for Milwaukee's downtown business improvement district, says the skywalks are mainly used by people who work or live downtown.
"You see people that are working in the office buildings that are connected to the skywalk system, but we’ve seen a lot of residential growth that’s also connected. There’s currently over 300 apartment units directly connected to the skywalk," Dorner says. "And also you’re connected to over 2,000 hotel rooms, directly off of the main line of the skywalk system."
Dorner says in recent years, there's been an increase in residential development in the buildings connected to the skywalks. For example, the Plankinton Clover Apartments in the former Grand Avenue Mall.
The addition of Third Street Market Hall and expansion of the Baird Center have also added more users to the skywalks, Dorner says.
Most Milwaukee skywalks are jointly owned and maintained by the businesses connected to them. The businesses pay the city of Milwaukee to lease the air space used by skywalk.
Skywalk history
Milwaukee’s skywalks were built primarily between the 1970s and early 1990s.
Robert Schneider, co-chair of UWM's urban planning department, says Milwaukee followed the lead of cities like Minneapolis, that led the charge building downtown skywalks. Although Minneapolis's skywalk system is much more extensive, reaching almost 10 miles in length.
"This was a way to bring pedestrian activity up from street level where there were an increasing number of cars, to another level where the pedestrians wouldn’t need to interact with the cars," Schneider says. "It also allowed pedestrians to be in a climate controlled area, so during the winter or the really hot months of the summer, they would be traveling indoors."
A Milwaukee Journal article from 1974 reported that Mayor Henry Maier proposed skywalks as part of a downtown revitalization plan to help draw people to the city rather than the suburbs.
But as the skywalks were constructed, not everyone was in favor.
Mayor John Norquist, who was elected after Maier, reportedly thought the skywalks would hurt businesses at the street level. And there were aesthetic concerns — the chair of the historic preservation commission in 1988 was quoted calling the skywalks “gerbil tubes for people.” A proposal to extend the skywalk system further east didn’t have enough support.
The skywalks have gone through changes as the city and buildings they connect have evolved. Back in the Boston Store and Grand Avenue Mall days, the skywalks hosted food stands and other attractions, but none appear to be open currently.
How accessible are the skywalks?
Schneider says even though Milwaukee’s skywalks are open to the public, they can be difficult to access and navigate.
"People who are coming for the first time or accessing the city into downtown may not know where to go," he says. "So that gives a certain level of exclusivity to the skywalk system which isn’t the same as if you’re walking along the street."
The Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District is working to get the word out about the skywalk system. They have a map available online. And recently, they partnered with a group called Girls Who Walk to lead a walk through the system.
Emily Pierce was there, pushing her two young kids in a stroller.
"I have not been in the skywalks ever before, after three years of living here, so this is a really cool option," Pierce said. "Driving around town when you see the glass bridges, it’s really odd and never knowing how to get into them. But now that we know where to go it’s going to be a lot more accessible."
And our Bubbler Talk question askers — Chris and Billi Dawn Schoggen? They are now skywalkers. They joined me on a Historic Milwaukee tour that winds through the skywalks.
The next time they’re in downtown Milwaukee in the winter, they know they can find refuge from the cold in the skywalks.
Skywalk access points
Are you wondering how to access Milwaukee's downtown skywalk system? Here are some of our recommended access points:
- Chase Tower: Enter Chase Tower on Wisconsin Avenue and take the escalator up to the second floor. Then turn right and walk through the skywalk.
- Third Street Market Hall: You can access the skywalks by going up the stairs at the west or east ends of the market hall.
- Parking garages: There are several parking garages that can connect you to the skywalks. See Milwaukee Downtown's map.
When: April 10, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Gathering Place Brewing Company (Riverwest)
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