List of tallest buildings in Milwaukee facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is home to many tall buildings, also known as skyscrapers. More than 50 of these buildings are taller than 200 feet (61 meters). Most of Milwaukee's tallest buildings are found in the downtown area, near Lake Michigan.

The very tallest building in Milwaukee, and in all of Wisconsin, is the U.S. Bank Center. It has 42 floors and stands 601 feet (183 meters) tall. It was finished in 1973. The second tallest is the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, which is 32 stories high and 550 feet (168 meters) tall. It was completed in 2017.

The story of skyscrapers in Milwaukee began with the Pabst Building. It was built in 1891 and was 235 feet (72 meters) tall. It was Milwaukee's first skyscraper and the tallest building in the city until Milwaukee City Hall was finished four years later. The Pabst Building was taken down in 1981.

For almost 80 years, from 1895 to 1973, City Hall was the tallest building in Milwaukee. When it was built, it was even the tallest building in the entire United States that people could live or work in!

Milwaukee has had several big building booms.

In the 1960s, many tall buildings were constructed.
Between 1985 and 1991, six of the city's tallest buildings at that time were built.
In the 21st century, there's been another big boom. Many new skyscrapers have gone up since 2012, including the Moderne (with fancy apartments), the 833 East Michigan office building, the Potawatomi Casino Hotel, the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, the BMO Financial Center, and the 7Seventy7 Residential tower.

More tall buildings are being built or planned. These include the 44-story The Couture, a building with apartments and shops, the Ascent MKE (made mostly of wood!), and the 27-story Goll Mansion Apartment Tower. This means that ten of the sixteen tallest buildings in Milwaukee will have been built since 2005. Several other high-rises have also been planned since 2017.

Milwaukee's Tallest Buildings
Future Skyscrapers: Under Construction, Approved, and Proposed
Timeline of Milwaukee's Tallest Buildings
Tallest Buildings That Were Demolished
Images for kids
See also

Milwaukee's Tallest Buildings

This list shows the fifty tallest skyscrapers in Milwaukee. Their height includes spires and other parts of the building's design, but not antennas. The "Year" column shows when the building was finished.

Rank	Name	Height ft / m	Floors	Year	Fun Facts
1	U.S. Bank Center	601 ft (183 m)	42	1973	This is the tallest building in all of Wisconsin. It used to have different names, like First Wisconsin Center.
2	Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons	550 ft (170 m)	32	2017	This is the biggest building in Wisconsin based on its total floor space. It's the second tallest in the state.
3	100 East Wisconsin	549 ft (167 m)	37	1989	This building looks like older German buildings but with a modern twist. It was the second tallest building in Wisconsin for 28 years.
4	University Club Tower	446 ft (136 m)	36	2007	This was the tallest building built in the 21st century until the Northwestern Mutual Tower came along.
5	Associated Bank River Center	426 ft (130 m)	28	1988	When it was finished, it was the second-tallest building in Milwaukee.
6	411 East Wisconsin Center	408 ft (124 m)	30	1985	This building has a huge 5-story lobby inside. New owners have tried to make it an environmentally friendly "Green Building."
7	Northwestern Mutual North Tower	395 ft (120 m)	19	1990	The light blue pyramid at the very top of this building glows at night.
8	7Seventy7	387 ft (118 m)	34	2018	This tower has 310 apartments, parking, shops, and a public area outside.
9	Kilbourn Tower	380 ft (120 m)	34	2005	This building is known for its fancy apartments. For example, in 2018, a whole floor was for sale for $1.8 million!
10	Milwaukee City Hall	353 ft (108 m)	15	1895	This building was the tallest in the world that people could live or work in for over four years! It was also the tallest in Milwaukee for almost 80 years.
11	The Moderne	348 ft (106 m)	31	2012	This is the tallest building in Wisconsin that is west of the Milwaukee River.
12	BMO Financial Center	335 ft (102 m)	25	2020	This new office tower for the BMO bank was ready for people to move in during April 2020.
13	American Family Field	330 ft (100 m)	4	2001	This is the tallest baseball stadium in Major League Baseball (MLB) and in Wisconsin. It used to be called Miller Park.
14	The Potawatomi Casino Hotel	307 ft (94 m)	21	2014	With a second tower added in 2019, this hotel now has 500 rooms.
15	1000 North Water Street	296 ft (90 m)	16	1991	Its light pink outside and windows make it look unique in Milwaukee's skyline.
16	Chase Tower	288 ft (88 m)	22	1961	This was the second-tallest building in Milwaukee when it was completed. It holds offices and Milwaukee Public Radio.
17	Ascent MKE	284 ft (87 m)	25	2022	This 25-story building is the tallest structure in the world made mostly of wood!
18	Allen-Bradley Clock Tower	283 ft (86 m)	17	1962	The clock on top of this tower is the world's second-largest four-sided clock.
19	Wisconsin Tower	280 ft (85 m)	22	1930	This Art-Deco style tower was turned into 74 apartments in 2006.
20	St. Johns on the Lake - North Tower	280 ft (85 m)	22	2020	This new building opened in March 2020. It has apartments for older adults and a lecture hall.
21	BMO Harris Bank Building	277 ft (84 m)	21	1969	This used to be the main office for M&I Bank, which was the biggest bank in Wisconsin.
22	Bay View Terrace	275 ft (84 m)	25	1964	This is the tallest building on Milwaukee's south side. The front and back walls have no windows, only doors for balconies.
23	Hilton Milwaukee City Center	274 ft (84 m)	25	1927	This hotel is the largest in Milwaukee by the number of rooms (729). An antenna on top makes it even taller.
24	Diamond Tower	267.4 ft (81.5 m)	21	1982	This building contains 113 apartments.
25	St. Johns on the Lake - South Tower	267.4 ft (81.5 m)	21	2011
26	Regency House	265 ft (81 m)	27	1969	This tall building is in the "East Town" area. In 1974, the apartments were sold as condominiums (where people own their apartment).
27	Juneau Village	264 ft (80 m)	27	1965	This building is owned by Lore Hauck. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment starts at $600.
28	Yankee Hill Apartments 1	261 ft (80 m)	23	1987	These are high-quality rental apartments in downtown Milwaukee.
29	The BreakWater	260 ft (79 m)	21	2009
30	833 East Michigan	258 ft (79 m)	17	2016
31	633 Building	252 ft (77 m)	20	1964	A real estate company bought this building in 2017.
32	Wisconsin Gas Building	250 ft (76 m)	20	1930	The light on top of this building changes color to tell you the weather forecast for tomorrow! Red means hot, blue means cold, and gold means no big change.
33	The Pfister Hotel	250 ft (76 m)	21	1965	This hotel is very old, dating back to the late 1800s. Some visitors have said it is haunted! The tall tower part was added in 1965.
34	Basilica of St. Josaphat	250 ft (76 m)	1	1897	This is the tallest church in Milwaukee. Its dome is the sixth largest in the world!
35	Locust Court Apartments	250 ft (76 m)	24	1969	In 2019, the Milwaukee Housing Authority thought about tearing this building down to build new homes.
36	Arlington Court Apartments	250 ft (76 m)	24	1969	This tall building has 230 one-bedroom apartments. To live here, you must be 50 years old or older, or an adult with a disability.
37	Landmark on the Lake	248 ft (76 m)	27	1991	This building has 275 apartments. It's 248 feet tall from the front, but 350 feet tall from the back because of the land it's on.
38	Cathedral Place	244 ft (74 m)	19	2004	This building has both apartments (on lower floors) and offices (on upper floors).
39	UW-Milwaukee's Sandburg Residence Hall, North Tower	243 ft (74 m)	27	1971	With its antenna, the North Tower reaches a height of 482 feet (147 meters).
40	Riverview Apartments	242 ft (74 m)	19	1964	This building offers low-income housing, and rent can be as low as $50.
41	Yankee Hill Apartments 2	242 ft (74 m)	23	1987
42	The Potawatomi Casino Hotel Tower II	242 ft (74 m)	19	2019	This second tower added 119 more rooms, bringing the hotel's total to 500 rooms.
43	Hyatt Regency	229.24 ft (69.87 m)	18	1980
44	250 Plaza	229.24 ft (69.87 m)	18	1973	This building is a 19-story office tower.
45	Straz Tower	229.24 ft (69.87 m)	18	1954	This building used to be the YMCA. It is now part of the Marquette University campus.
46	Cudahy Tower	224 ft (68 m)	16	1928
47	Park Lafayette North Tower	221 ft (67 m)	20	2009
48	Park Lafayette South Tower	221 ft (67 m)	20	2009
49	Catholic Financial Life Building	220 ft (67 m)	18	1970
50	Prospect Tower (Milwaukee)	217 ft (66 m)	23	1964
51	City Center at 735	216 ft (66 m)	16	1914
52	AT&T Building	213 ft (65 m)	19	1924
53	Wells Building	212 ft (65 m)	15	1901
54	310W (formerly Reuss Federal Plaza)	210 ft (64 m)	14	1983
55	Edgewater Terrace	203 ft (62 m)	17	1967	This tower has 74 apartments with 1, 2, or 3 bedrooms.

Future Skyscrapers: Under Construction, Approved, and Proposed

This section lists tall buildings that are currently being built, have been approved for construction, or have been suggested for Milwaukee.

Name	Height feet / m	Floors	Year	Status	Fun Facts
The Couture	537/163	44	2024	Under Construction	This tower will have 302 fancy apartments. It will be the fourth-tallest building in Wisconsin when it's finished. Construction started in May 2021.
333 North Water	342/104	31	2024	Under Construction	This building is planned to have 295 apartments and shops on the first floor. Building started in September 2022.
1550 N. Prospect Ave.	277/84	25	2025	Approved	This project was approved in 2017 and then again in 2022 with a new design. Construction is expected to start soon.
The Edison	362'	32	2026	Proposed	This is planned to be a tall apartment building made mostly of wood. If built, it would likely be the tallest wooden tower in the United States!
1490 N Farwell Ave	251’	25	2024	Approved	This building is planned to have 310 apartments. It might also include reopening the Renaissance Place event center.
Masonic Center Hotel	234/71	18	Unknown	Approved	The old Masonic Center will be updated, and a 14-story hotel tower will be built on top of it.
Portfolio	Unknown	20	Unknown	Proposed	This is a proposed 20-story apartment tower that would cost about $100 million.
1433 N Water Street	240+/73+	24	Unknown	Proposed	This project was approved to be taller than the usual 12-story limit for this area.
Edison Place	240/73.2	20	Unknown	Proposed	This building would have a mix of uses, possibly including the main office for Marcus Corp.
The Caroline	390'	32	Unknown	Proposed	This proposed building would have 350 apartments for different income levels and office space.

Timeline of Milwaukee's Tallest Buildings

This table shows which building was the tallest in Milwaukee at different times in history.

Name	Height	Floors	Year	Status	Fun Facts
Pabst Building	235 ft (72 m)	14	1891	Demolished	This was Milwaukee's very first skyscraper! It was taken down in 1981, and the 100 East Wisconsin building was built in its place.
Milwaukee City Hall	353 ft (108 m)	15	1895	Completed	City Hall was the tallest building in Milwaukee for almost 80 years. It was even the tallest building in the world that people could live or work in when it was finished!
U.S. Bank Center	601 ft (183 m)	42	1973	Completed	This building has been the tallest in Wisconsin since it was finished. A whole city block was cleared to build it.

Tallest Buildings That Were Demolished

This table lists tall buildings in Milwaukee that were taken down. They were all at least 200 feet (61 meters) tall at one point.

Name	Height ft (m)	Floors	Completed in	Destroyed in	Fun Facts
Northwestern Mutual Place	283 ft (86 m)	16	1979	2014	This building was taken down and replaced by the new Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.
Pabst Building	235 ft (72 m)	14	1891	1981	This was Milwaukee's first skyscraper.
Lake Front Depot	234 ft (71 m)		1889	1968