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North Point Water Tower, Milwaukee, WI

Photo: Freekee at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

North Point Water Tower

Victorian Gothic water tower on a Lake Michigan bluff, built in 1874 as part of Milwaukee's early waterworks.

2288 N. Lake Dr. at East North Avenue, Milwaukee, WI · Milwaukee, WI

About North Point Water Tower

This decorative stone tower on the bluff above Lake Michigan once covered an iron standpipe that smoothed out surging water from steam-powered pumps. Completed in 1874, it was part of the city's first public water system. Its stonework and fairy-tale styling make it one of the East Side's best-known landmarks. The staircase inside is reserved for maintenance, so visitors mainly see the tower during open-house events or from the outside. A restoration of the exterior and interior was finished in 2018.

  • #historic
  • #waterworks
  • #Victorian Gothic
  • #Lake Michigan
  • #Milwaukee landmark

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What's around here?

The closest stops to North Point Water Tower, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums

    Charles Allis Art Museum

    Under $25

    A museum housed in a 1911 Tudor-style mansion on Milwaukee's East Side, displaying the art collection of Charles and Sarah Allis.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lake Park

    Check prices

    Stroll Olmsted's bluff-top park above Lake Michigan, cross the 1890s lion bridges over the ravines and climb the North Point Lighthouse on a weekend afternoon.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Museums

    Jewish Museum Milwaukee

    Under $25

    A Milwaukee museum that shares the history, culture and values of the local Jewish community and explores related social themes.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Milwaukee

    No admission fee

    Wisconsin's largest city on Lake Michigan, known for breweries, museums, and its lakefront arts scene.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    1.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds)

    Under $25

    Milwaukee's lakefront festival grounds, home to Summerfest, the world's largest music festival.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    2.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Family Favorite

    American Family Field

    Under $25

    Catch a Milwaukee Brewers game under a fan-shaped retractable roof, or take a behind-the-scenes tour of the ballpark.

    5.1 mi awayMore like this