miller brewery tours

State Trunk Tour

Pick a road and GO!!

Miller Brewery Tour

One of the largest and most popular brewery tours in the nation, the Miller Brewery Tour covers the grounds of MillerCoors’ Miller Brewing plant, Wisconsin’s largest with an output of over 10 million barrels per year.  The brewery sits on land purchased by Frederick Miller back in 1855 and fermentation has been happening here ever since.

Beers such as Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft, and Milwaukee’s Best have been churned out for decades here; with mergers and acquisitions, Leinenkugel’s and Coors products are brewed in the Miller Brewery, as well as a ton of “old school” brands by contract: Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, Old Style, and more all still exist as brands but are brewed by Miller.

Tours cost $10 and include a souvenir glass and beer samples along the tour. If you’re not of legal drinking age, well, they’re free – but you don’t get beer.

Residents and anyone else with a Wisconsin state-issued ID get half off, so for state residents the tour is $5.

In winter, tours run six days a week (closed Sundays) from 10am to 3:30pm, kicking off every half hour. In summer, tours run 10-6 Monday-Wednesday and 10am – 7pm Thursday-Saturday. On Sundays in summer, there are no tours but the beer garden is open from 10am to 4:30pm. Call 414-931-BEER for details or go here for the latest updates.

Miller Brewery Tour and Visitors Center Address:

4251 W. State Street Milwaukee, WI 53208 414-931-2337 Website

You can access State Street easily from the Highway 175 freeway, just about a mile north of I-94 and Miller Park. Follow State Street east just a few blocks and you’ll see the Visitors Center right there. U.S. 18 is also right there, passing by via Wisconsin Avenue with a view of the whole complex from the bridge leapfrogging the Menomonee River and “Miller Valley.” You can access Miller’s Visitor Center from U.S. 18 via Highway 175’s connections to State Street or by connecting directly to State via 35th Street, which U.S. 18 follows between Highland Boulevard and Wisconsin Avenue.

Back To Wisconsin Breweries

Back to StateTrunkTour.com

Eric Paulsen

You might also like.

Ice Caves Update: Not yet…

November fun across wisconsin.

New STT Podcast: The World’s Tallest Glass Tree is going up in Wisconsin right now: the story and how you can visit and even participate!

Leave a reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

From Miller to Lakefront, here are 5 brewery tours to check out in Milwaukee

Milwaukee is known as Brew City for a reason. Once home to some of the country’s largest breweries — Pabst, Miller, Schlitz and Blatz — today the city builds on that legacy with a burgeoning craft beer scene.

Many breweries in the city offer a chance to get a closer look at their history and brewing process through brewery tours.

We set out to go on some of Milwaukee’s best known tours and see what makes them great.

For this list we considered breweries that hold weekly public tours. Many smaller breweries in Milwaukee host tours a few times a year, or allow groups to set up private tours.

From the best brewery tours for families (yes, families, because this is Wisconsin) to where you can learn the most about beer, here are five brewery tours to check out in Milwaukee.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Best for comedy: Lakefront Brewery

Our tour guide Sergio "Serg" Sepulveda provided brewery information and well-delivered jokes on our Lakefront Brewery tour, as is the norm for this spot. Every Lakefront Brewery tour I've been on has a guide who easily pulls laughs from the crowd and keeps everyone engaged.

The tour started in a private taproom where attendees grabbed a beer, one of four 6-ounce pours that were included on the tour, delivered via beer token. Serg gave a history lesson on brewing from its origins in Mesopotamia to when Lakefront's co-owner, Jim Klisch, made his first batch of Riverwest Stein. Serg followed that with the history of Lakefront, one of Milwaukee’s largest craft breweries.

Weekend tours go through the production facility and lead to the historic Bernie Brewer's chalet that was in the Brewers' old home, Milwaukee County Stadium. Since we were on a weekday tour, it skipped that portion and went straight to the brewery's new canning area.

While canning was a worthwhile shift from bottling for the brewery — cans are infinitely recyclable and are helping the brewery boost shipping efficiency by 50%, cutting down on carbon emissions — it did take away a cherished "Laverne and Shirley" bit from the tour. Previously, tour guides turned on the bottling line and would pick an attendee who would put a glove on a bottle as it moved down the line, like in the show's opening credits.

While the guide still played the show's theme song and got our group to sing and dance along, the bit no longer includes the glove part because the canning line does not turn on as fast. Sometimes the tour attendee who most enthusiastically sings and dances along gets an extra beer token.

The tour did still include the bung hole bit. Go on one yourself to find out what that is all about.

• Cost: $12 on weekdays, $15 on weekends; advance online purchase required; age 21 and older only unless supervised by a parent or legal guardian
• Hours: Starts on the hour noon to 3 p.m. Sunday and 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and on the half hour noon to 7 p.m. Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday
• What you get: Four 6-ounce pours, Lakefront pint glass or key chain, and a coupon for a free Lakefront beer to be used at nearby bars within three days
• Accessibility: The tour includes stairs, but there are ramps into the tour room and to the lower level for accessibility.
• Location: 1872 N. Commerce St.
• More information : lakefrontbrewery.com

Best mix of past and present: Miller Brewery Tour

I got to the Miller Brewery tour a little before 10:30 a.m., with the next available tour at 11 a.m. They are offered first-come, first-served on every half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

While waiting, I checked out the connected gift shop and grabbed a complimentary bag of pretzels. I also learned about the history of the brewery from 1855 to today from a timeline that spans two full walls in the waiting area.

The tour started with the guides handing out a taster of Miller Lite while sharing information about the brewery in a theater room. It then moved outside for a three-block walk through the W. State St. campus to the brewing facility.

The only optional part of the tour was to climb 56 steps to view the tanks in the brewing facility where Molson Coors, Miller's parent company, makes beer for a 10-state region. The modern facility is across the street from the original brewhouse, visible from outside the brewing facility or after climbing the steps. The building was not part of the tour.

To cool off after walking in the brewing facility, which was hot in the upper level, the tour went underground to the historic caves that were created in the 1800s and sealed off in 1906. Frederick C. Miller, grandson of Miller founder Frederick J. Miller, reopened the caves in 1953, and they have been part of the tour ever since.

The caves were a unique view into how brewing was possible before electrical refrigeration, with tools that would have been used by brewers in the past.

The tour then went to a historical inn on campus that once sold Miller beer and had rooms for overnight guests; today it's used mostly for events. Fredrick C. Miller imported stained glass windows from Germany along with antique steins for the inn that are still there. It's also home to letters written by Fredrick J. Miller and a diorama of the current campus.

The tour wrapped up with stops at the bottling facility where 600,000 items are bottled daily and the warehouse where about 1 million cans and bottles of product are stored.

The tour ended at an outdoor beer garden where visitors could try various Molson Coors products for free.

• Cost: $10; free for ages 20 and under (no beer samples)
• Hours: Walk-ins only with limited space, running on the half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday
• What you get: Four 4-ounce pours and a Miller glass
• Accessibility: The tour includes stairs, but accessible tours are available by calling (414) 931-3552 at least 24 hours in advance.
• Location: 4251 W. State St.
• More information : millerbrewerytour.com

5 breweries that made Milwaukee famous: Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, Gettelman and Blatz

Best for history: The Best Place at Pabst Brewing

This historic brewery doesn't actually brew in Milwaukee anymore, but the site where Pabst Brewery was founded is still worth checking out. Beer enthusiasts who take multiple tours on this list will also see Pabst’s influence in almost every one.

The tour stared in the historic brewing complex's Blue Ribbon Hall with a presentation on the history of the brewery and the option to enjoy a pint of Pabst or Schlitz, which is included in the ticket price.

The tour guide talked about how Pabst started as Jacob Best Brewery in 1844. Their original building on a historic plank road, today’s State Street, was sold to Fredrick J. Miller who started Miller Brewing.

The history lesson continued with a tour guide explaining how the brewery moved to the current campus, and how Captain Fredrick Pabst took over and grew the brewery to be the largest lager brewery in the world at one time.

From the main floor of the hall the tour moved to the balcony, while passing a section of the building that is being refurbished. Paystubs and letters on the wall on the way up showed the brewery's more recent history before it left Milwaukee in 1996.

The tour was peppered with interesting facts about the nearly 170-year-old brewery, like how Pabst did not want his name on the beer, and that the employee's union successfully bargained to get a free pint of beer per shift.

Next the tour moved to the Great Hall, which is not often open to the public but is popular as a wedding and event space.

It has stained glass, ornate wood finishes and Fredrick Pabst's original office. Below that is a speakeasy with a jail cell. According to our tour guide, it was for Pabst employees who may have had more than their single free beer during their shift and became drunk and unruly.

The tour then passed the courtyard which has a statue of King Gambrinus, the patron saint of beer, and ended in the guest center that has German saying along its walls.

• Cost: $14 for adults, $12 for students, military and seniors (age 60 and older); free for kids 13 and under
• Hours: On the hour at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Sunday; noon through 4 p.m. Friday; 12, 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday
• What is included: A pint of Pabst or Schlitz beer or soda, with $4 refills
• Accessibility : The tour includes stairs with elevators available for those who need assistance.
• Location: 917 W. Juneau Ave.
• More information : bestplacemilwaukee.com/tours

Best for learning about brewing: Pilot Project

This new Milwaukee brewery tour might not be on many people's radars yet. My co-worker and I went on a Friday at 6 p.m. and were the only ones on the tour. Regardless, our guide gave an informative and entertaining tour.

Chicago-based Pilot Project is new to Milwaukee after they moved into the former Milwaukee Brewing Company space in late 2022 . They are a brewery incubator, meaning they help start-up breweries get to market, assisting them with supplies, marketing, canning and more.  

I'm not sure if it was because there were only two of us, or because they don’t push a singular brand, but I learned the most about brewing on this tour.

The tour started at the back bar where we could sample one of the five breweries that are currently their partners. We then moved to the balcony of the back space for a slideshow of their current partners and more insight into their diverse lineup.

Next, the tour moved to the tanks where we got an up-close view of the hot water tanks used to make beer, including a peek into the mash tuns where ingredients are brewed.

From there we moved to the fermenting tanks where we got a better view of the warehouse and brewing equipment.

One interesting artifact hanging there is a large neon Pabst Brewery sign that was found in the building. Pilot Project's space was the last building Pabst Brewery constructed before they left in 1996. The large sign was once used at the Pabst-sponsored stage at Summerfest.

The tour then went through the canning facility and ended in cold storage where beer is stored along with a variety of supplies. There the tour guide spoke more about those supplies and the different varieties of yeast, hops and malts that go into making beers.

• Cost: $18, for ages 21 and up only
• Hours: 6 and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. Saturday
• What's included: Five 5-ounce pours and tasting glass
• Accessibility : The tour includes stairs, with elevators available for those who need assistance.
• Location: 1128 N. Ninth St.
• More information : pilotprojectbrewing.com/milwaukee

Best for families: Sprecher Brewing

Sprecher Brewing is popular not only for its local brews, but also its non-alcoholic root beer and cream ale. While there are limits on the beers included in the tour, there is unlimited soda for all. Children on our tour excitedly cycled through the new sodas on tap at the bar. They even had flights of soda, like ones that are usually used for beer.

The beers and sodas were poured in the main hall where tour-goers waited.

The tour started with the guide giving a history of the brewery as it moved into a hallway with photos and trophies from the brewery's various awards. Randy Sprecher opened the brewery in 1985 after being a brewing operator at Pabst.

The guide explained how Sprecher was hesitant to get into soda production, which began with root beer in 1989. It was a good business move as root beer alone makes up 75% of their sales and beer only 10%.

The tour then went through the production facility. Our tour was on Thursday, which is the only day the tour goes through the facility while it is operating. Because of the loud machinery, it was sometimes hard to hear the tour guide. It was interesting, though, to see brewing in production and people moving ingredients from trucks to tanks.

The tour then returned to the main hall where people could resume drinking while learning about the bottling process. There was also the option to walk single-file into the canning facility to get a more up-close view, before returning the main hall to enjoy the rest of the free beer and soda.

• Cost: $12 for adults, $5 for ages 20 and under, free for ages 5 and under
• Hours: 2, 3 and 5 p.m. Thursday; 2, 3, 5 and 6 p.m. Friday; noon, 1 p.m. and on the hour 3 through 6 p.m. Saturday; on the hour noon through 4 p.m. Sunday
• What you get: Four 8-ounce pours, Sprecher pint glass, unlimited soda
• Accessibility : The tour does not include stairs and has space for wheelchair accessibility.
• Location: 701 W. Glendale Ave.
• More information : sprecherbrewery.com

Beer Near A guide to Wisconsin breweries

RoadsideAmerica.com Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions

Attraction:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin : Miller Brewery Tour

Tour (and smell) the brewing plant, the immense warehouse, the historic storage caves. Meet the video-projected "ghost" of Frederick Miller! And then drink your three samples if you're 21 or over.

MillerCoors

Results 1 to 3 of 3...

Visitor Tips and News About Miller Brewery Tour

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters . Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip .

The Miller Brewery Complex has 76 buildings on 82 acres, including a replica of the original Frederick Miller Plank Road Brewery among many other old buildings. Make sure to walk through the Miller High Life Cruiser while you're there.

The High Life Cruiser is a replica of a 1953 customized bus that Miller would drive around the country, advertising its beer.

Very cool place, takes a little over a hour to tour the brewery. Well worth it; stop at the gift store. Just around the corner is the Harley Davidson Plant.

Tour of the actual brewery, the home of all the products, how they begin, right until they're ready to ship them out. I have never seen that much beer in one room in my entire life! And even better, those millions of cases are shipped out by the next morning. The tour guides are more than happy to take questions and are very entertaining. The free tour includes a video about Miller, tour of the facilities, and a look at the caves where the beer was stored before refrigeration. Not to mention three free samples of Miller products after the tour. Don't forget the extra tour to see the actual fermation process after the free samples!

Nearby Offbeat Places

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road .

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

Map and Plan Your Own Roadside Adventure ... Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Wisconsin Latest Tips and Stories

• Bull on Rooftop , Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Viking Statue with No Feet , Buffalo City, Wisconsin
• 9/11 Memorial with Twin Towers , Watertown, Wisconsin
• Storied Wall , Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Muffler Man Cowboy , Spooner, Wisconsin

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

National Ballpark Museum , Denver, Colorado (Jul 15-21, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

• Sioux Ferry , Washburn, North Dakota
• Big Rusty , Hainesport, New Jersey
• Admiral Peary Statue , Cresson, Pennsylvania
• Scary Monster Chair , Sutton, West Virginia
• Shelter Island Hot Dog with Hook , San Diego, California

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights

• Green Bay Attractions
• Milwaukee Attractions
• Wisconsin Dells Attractions

Miscellaneous

• Submit a Tip
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Trip Planning Caution : RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. Attraction status, hours and prices change without notice; call ahead!

Credits, Media/Business Inquiries © Copyright 1996-2024 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, copied or revised without written permission of the authors.

• Featured Tours

Miller's brewhouse in Milwaukee

Expedia Rewards is now One Key™

Miller brewery tours.

• Things to do

I only need accommodations for part of my trip

Visit Miller Brewery

Find out where the Miller story began at the Miller Brewery. The well-known beer brand earned its fame in this state-of-the-art brewing facility in the historic Milwaukee district of Miller Valley. Visit the home of Miller beer and tour around the historic building. Learn about the age-old process of beer brewing combined with the modern technology of high-speed production. After learning about the rich history of the Miller Brewing Company, bring the Miller tradition into the present day when you sample the brewery’s ice-cold beer.

Begin your Miller Brewery experience at the Miller Visitor Center. From here, you can embark on a walking tour that explores more than a century of brewing history via an indoor and outdoor trail. Watch a short video presentation to learn about the brewery’s founder, Frederick Miller, who arrived in Milwaukee in 1855 and purchased the Plank-Road Brewery. Follow the brewery’s evolution into the modern brewing name that it is today.

Tour around the Miller Brewery’s packaging center and get a closer look at the brewery’s shipping and distribution systems. Find out where the magic happens in the brewhouse. Visit the Miller Caves, where some say the ghost of Frederick Miller himself resides.

If looking at all that beer has got you hankering for a cold one, don’t worry: free samples are the prize at the end of the tour. Take home a commemorative photo of your tour group or make your way to the gift shop to pick up more souvenirs and merchandise. If the sun is shining, take a seat in the outdoor beer garden. Alternatively, get cozy in the Bavarian-style Miller Inn. Soft drinks are also available for purchase.

The Miller Brewery is a 15-minute drive west from downtown Milwaukee. It is easily accessible by public bus. Free tours run for approximately an hour and depart every 30 minutes. Private tours are also available. The brewery is closed on Sundays between Labor Day and Memorial Day, as well as Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Plan a trip to see Miller Brewery

Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel

Reviewed on Jul 20, 2024

• The Brewhouse Inn & Suites

Reviewed on Jul 17, 2024

The Pfister Hotel

Popular places to visit, mitchell park horticultural conservatory.

These three futuristic domes are a dramatic addition to the Milwaukee skyline and the place to enjoy colorful flowers and exotic plant life.

Hmong American Friendship Museum

You can enjoy some culture when you stop by Hmong American Friendship Museum in Milwaukee. Attend a baseball game or simply enjoy the lively breweries while you're in the area.

Tripoli Shrine Center

You can find out about the history of Milwaukee when you stop by Tripoli Shrine Center. Attend a baseball game or simply enjoy the lively breweries while you're in the area.

• American Family Field

Catch an event at American Family Field during your trip to Milwaukee. Attend a baseball game or simply enjoy the lively breweries while you're in the area.

Palermo's Pizza Factory

Enjoy an outing to Palermo's Pizza Factory during your stay in Milwaukee. Attend a baseball game or simply enjoy the lively breweries while you're in the area.

• The Rave-Eagles Club

You can enjoy a show at The Rave-Eagles Club during your stay in Milwaukee. Attend a sporting event or simply enjoy the lively breweries while you're in the area.

Best Lodging Options Near Miller Brewery

Check availability on hotels close to miller brewery.

• Vacations and getaways similar to Miller Brewery
• Other Hotels near Miller Brewery, Milwaukee
• Hotels near popular Milwaukee Attractions
• Expedia's Latest Trends
• Harley-Davidson Museum
• Fiserv Forum
• Wisconsin State Fair Park
• Milwaukee County Zoo
• Mayfair Mall
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Marquette University
• Henry W. Maier Festival Park
• Milwaukee Art Museum
• Potawatomi Bingo Casino
• Milwaukee River Walk
• Riverside Theater
• Harley Davidson Factory
• Central Tosa home near downtown, state fair, froedtert
• Ultra Clean, Private, Comfy Home in Prime Location. Sleeps up to 8.
• Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
• The Third Floor A-Frame with King Bed
• Hilton Milwaukee City Center
• Best Western Plus Milwaukee West
• Massive Victorian Mansion with Pool Table! 1 mi to DT
• Safe location lively Wauwatosa and within 10 min of what Milwaukee has to offer.
• Drury Plaza Hotel Milwaukee Downtown
• Hotels near Lake Michigan
• Hotels near American Family Field
• Hotels near Harley-Davidson Museum
• Hotels near Fiserv Forum
• Hotels near Wisconsin State Fair Park
• Hotels near The Rave-Eagles Club
• Hotels near Milwaukee County Zoo
• Hotels near Mayfair Mall
• Hotels near University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Hotels near Marquette University
• Hotels near Henry W. Maier Festival Park
• Hotels near Milwaukee Art Museum
• Hotels near Potawatomi Bingo Casino
• Hotels near Milwaukee River Walk
• Hotels near Riverside Theater
• Hotels near Baird Center
• Hotels near Harley Davidson Factory
• Hotels near Pabst Theater
• Hotels near Milwaukee Public Market
• Hotels near Discovery World

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

E-news Sign up

Stay up-to-date and in-the-know with everything MKE

Partner Portal

Login to manage your partnership account

Visitors Guide

Read great stories and find insider tips about Milwaukee

Brewery Tours

Milwaukee is the city that beer built, and now you can see how Milwaukee builds its beer. From macro to micro, fruit beers to gourmet sodas, take an individual brewery tour or hop on a beer tour bus for a guided expedition through multiple breweries to see how Brew City is still earning its name!  We encourage you to call ahead to inquire about the availability of the brewery tours.

Foxtown Brewing

Lakefront brewery, miller brewery tour, mobcraft beer, pilot project brewing, sprecher brewing company, urban harvest brewing company, get inspired.

Check out one of our many beer related blogs to get inspired to check out all of what the Brew City has to offer!

Bikes & Brews: Cycling Beer Garden Itinerary

• 8 min. read

7 Hauntingly Delicious Bloody Marys in Milwaukee

• 2 min. read

Celebrate Oktoberfest in Milwaukee 2023

• 5 min. read

Water Street Brewery: 84,000 Barrels of Legendary Beer in Milwaukee

• 3 min. read

Indeed Brewing Company Taps the Spirit of Milwaukee’s Brewing Tradition

Discover everything that's brewing in milwaukee, baird center expansion.

Now that the expansion is complete, the Baird Center will offer 52 state-of-the-art breakout rooms, 300,000 contiguous square feet of exhibition space, the stunning rooftop Baird Ballroom with city views, inclusive amenities and more!

Potawatomi Casino | Hotel

Located minutes from downtown Milwaukee, Potawatomi Casino | Hotel offers high-stakes bingo, nearly eight types of table games, more than 3,000 slot machines, and a 500-room luxury hotel.

We want to see all the fun you're having. Share your adventure with us!

Powered by AnyRoad