List of tallest buildings in Milwaukee facts for kids

The city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is home to 119 high-rise buildings or skyscrapers, 55 of which stand at 200 ft (61 m) or taller. The majority of the city's tallest buildings are located north of the Interstate 794, south of Juneau Avenue, east of Interstate 43, and west of Lincoln Memorial Drive. There are additional high-rises extending northward along Lake Michigan. The tallest building in Milwaukee, and Wisconsin, is the 42-story, 601 ft (183 m) tall U.S. Bank Center, which was completed in 1973. The second-tallest is the 32-story, 550 ft (170 m) tall Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons building, completed in 2017.

The history of skyscrapers in Milwaukee began with the Pabst Building. Completed in 1891, and standing 235 ft (72 m) tall, it was Milwaukee's first skyscraper, and the tallest building in the city until the Milwaukee City Hall was completed four years later. The Pabst Building was demolished in 1981. For nearly eighty years, from 1895 to 1973, City Hall dominated the skyline, and was at the time of its completion, the tallest habitable building in the United States. A significant building boom occurred in the 1960s, resulting in eleven of the top sixteen tallest buildings of the time having been built in that decade, and then between 1985 and 1991, six of the eight tallest buildings of the time were constructed. But a third significant building boom in the twenty-first century includes the construction of the Moderne, a skyscraper with luxury condominiums, the 833 East Michigan office building, the Potawatomi Casino Hotel, the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, the 25-story, 335 feet (102 m) tall BMO Financial Center, and the 34-story, 387 feet (118 m) tall 7Seventy7 Residential tower, all built since 2012. Future under-construction or approved skyscrapers include the 44-story, 537 feet (164 m) tall Couture, a mixed-use tower with high-end residential apartments and retail space, the mass timber Ascent MKE, and the resurrected 27-story, 301 feet (92 m) tall Goll Mansion Apartment Tower, resulting in ten of the sixteen tallest buildings in the city having been constructed since 2005. Another six high-rises have been proposed since the beginning of 2017.

Tallest buildings

This list ranks the fifty tallest Milwaukee skyscrapers based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details, but does not include antenna masts. The "Year" column indicates the year of completion.

Rank	Name	Image	Height ft / m	Floors	Year	Notes	Reference
1	U.S. Bank Center		601 ft (183 m)	42	1973	Tallest building in the state; previously called the First Wisconsin Center (1973–92) and the Firstar Center (1992–2002). The building won a Distinguished Building Award from the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1974.
2	Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons		550 ft (170 m)	32	2017	Largest building in Wisconsin by square footage, and the second-tallest in the state.
3	100 East Wisconsin		549 ft (167 m)	37	1989	Designed as a postmodern version of old German vernacular architecture and built on the site of the former 14-story Pabst skyscraper, this was the second tallest building in the state for 28 years.
4	University Club Tower		446 ft (136 m)	36	2007	Tallest building constructed in the 21st century, until the Northwestern Mutual Tower.
5	Associated Bank River Center		426 ft (130 m)	28	1988	Second-tallest building in Milwaukee at the time it was completed. In 2016, Associated Bank, the largest Wisconsin-based bank, purchased the building for 60.5 million dollars.
6	411 East Wisconsin Center		408 ft (124 m)	30	1985	Constructed with 1,200 eight-ton, pre-cast concrete panels in a modern architectural style. Riverview Realty Partners purchased the building in 2014. The new owners have tried to make this a Green Building. The building boasts a 5-story high lobby.
7	Northwestern Mutual North Tower		395 ft (120 m)	19	1990	The light blue pyramid at the top is lit at night.
8	7Seventy7		387 ft (118 m)	34	2018	The residential tower includes 310 apartments, parking, retail, and a public plaza.
9	Kilbourn Tower		380 ft (120 m)	34	2005	Luxury condominiums in Milwaukee. Example: In 2018 the entire 31st floor is a condominium which was priced at $1.8 million.
10	Milwaukee City Hall		353 ft (108 m)	15	1895	Tallest habitable building in the world for more than four years after completion (1895–99); tallest building in Milwaukee for nearly 80 years. Was the tallest building in Milwaukee before being surpassed by U.S. Bank Center.
11	The Moderne		348 ft (106 m)	31	2012	Tallest building in Wisconsin west of the Milwaukee River.
12	BMO Financial Center		335 ft (102 m)	25	2020	The bank's new 360,000-square-foot, 25-story office tower was turned over to occupants in April 2020.
13	American Family Field		330 ft (100 m)	4	2001	(Formerly Miller Park) Tallest Stadium in MLB and Wisconsin.
14	The Potawatomi Casino Hotel		307 ft (94 m)	21	2014	With the 2019 expansion of a second tower, the hotel reached 500 rooms.
15	1000 North Water Street		296 ft (90 m)	16	1991	The light pink facade and windows give it a unique appearance in Milwaukee's skyline. The building also is home to the Milwaukee field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
16	Chase Tower		288 ft (88 m)	22	1961	Second-tallest building in Milwaukee at the time it was completed. Once the site of the Marine Bank, it was known as Bank One Plaza before Bank One's merger with Chase. Contains 480,000 square feet of Class A office space and houses Milwaukee Public Radio.
17	Ascent MKE		284 ft (87 m)	25	2022	The 25-story, 493,000 sq. ft. structure is the world’s tallest timber structure.
18	Allen-Bradley Clock Tower		283 ft (86 m)	17	1962	The world's second-largest four-sided clock sits atop this tower.
19	Wisconsin Tower		280 ft (85 m)	22	1930	Second-tallest building in Milwaukee at the time of its completion in 1930. The 22 story Art-Deco tower was converted into 74 condominiums in 2006.
20	St. Johns on the Lake - North Tower		280 ft (85 m)	22	2020	The new building was opened in March 2020 and includes 79 independent living units, 16 catered living units, a lecture hall/performance space and two levels of below-grade parking.
21	BMO Harris Bank Building		277 ft (84 m)	21	1969	Former headquarters of M&I Bank, the largest bank based in Wisconsin.
22	Bay View Terrace		275 ft (84 m)	25	1964	Tallest building on Milwaukee's south side. The north and south facades have no windows, save for the balcony doors.
23	Hilton Milwaukee City Center		274 ft (84 m)	25	1927	Second-tallest building in Milwaukee at the time of its completion. The antenna on top makes the total height of the building 630 feet (192m), and this hotel is the largest in Milwaukee when measured by the number of rooms (729).
24	Diamond Tower		267.4 ft (81.5 m)	21	1982	Contains 113 condos.
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	High Rise in "East Town" neighborhood. In 1974 the apartments were sold as condominiums.
27	Juneau Village		264 ft (80 m)	27	1965	The building is owned by Lore Hauck. Rent starts at $600 for a one bedroom.
28	Yankee Hill Apartments 1		261 ft (80 m)	23	1987	High end residential rental units 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	In 2017 a real estate developer (J. Jeffers & Co.) purchased the building.
32	Wisconsin Gas Building		250 ft (76 m)	20	1930	The light on top turns either red, blue, or gold depending on the weather forecast for the following day.
33	The Pfister Hotel		250 ft (76 m)	21	1965	Hotel dates back to the late 19th century. Visitors have claimed it is haunted. The tower was added to the hotel in 1965.
34	Basilica of St. Josaphat		250 ft (76 m)	1	1897	The Basilica of St. Josaphat is the tallest church in Milwaukee. The dome on this church is the world's sixth largest.
35	Locust Court Apartments		250 ft (76 m)	24	1969	In 2019 the Milwaukee Housing Authority considered tearing the building down to make way for a mixed income development.
36	Arlington Court Apartments		250 ft (76 m)	24	1969	This high rise is managed by the Milwaukee Housing Authority (230 one bedroom apartments). In order to live in this building a tenant must be 50 years old or older, or be an adult with a Disability.
37	Landmark on the Lake		248 ft (76 m)	27	1991	The building is 248 feet tall from the Prospect Avenue entrance; the building is 350 feet tall at the rear. There are 275 condominium units in the 27 floor high rise.
38	Cathedral Place		244 ft (74 m)	19	2004	A mixed-use tower where the 27 residential units are on the lower floors, and the 200,000 square feet of office space is on the upper floors. The building won a Distinguished Building Award from the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 2005.
39	UW-Milwaukee's Sandburg Residence Hall, North Tower		243 ft (74 m)	27	1971	The North Tower's height reaches 482 feet (147 m) with the antenna.
40	Riverview Apartments		242 ft (74 m)	19	1964	This building is owned and managed by The Milwaukee Public Housing Authority. It is considered 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	Addition of 119 rooms and suites to bring the hotel 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	Klug & Smith Co designed the 14 story office building on the site. The 19-story Contemporary-style tower was designed by Perkins & Will
45	Straz Tower		229.24 ft (69.87 m)	18	1954	Formerly the YMCA Building. This building is on 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	There are 74 residential condominiums in the tower— 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units.

Tallest under construction, approved, and proposed

This lists buildings that are under construction, approved, or proposed in Milwaukee.

Name	Image	Height feet / m	Floors	Year	Status	Notes	Reference
The Couture		537/163	44	2024	Under Construction	First proposed in 2012, the tower will house 302 luxury apartments, and will be the fourth-tallest building in the state when completed. Demolition was completed in February 2017, but obtaining a financing guarantee delayed construction. Construction started in May 2021 with completion expected in late 2023.
333 North Water		342/104	31	2024	Under Construction	In 2021, it was announced that Hines Acquisitions LLC is now the developer, and is planning for 295 apartments with retail on the first floor. Groundbreaking took place in September 2022.
1550 N. Prospect Ave.		277/84	25	2025	Approved	A proposal to move the Goll Mansion closer to Prospect Avenue was approved by the Common Council in September 2017, allowing the tower to be constructed in the Mansion's current location. After years of delay, the project was revived on April 12, 2022 by a new investor group. In December 2022 a new design was approved with construction expected to start in 2023.
The Edison		362'	32	2026	Proposed	Planned mass-timber residential high-rise. Groundbreaking planned for late-2023 with completion in 2026. Originally planned for 15 stories, it was later updated to be 32 stories. Would likely be the tallest mass timber tower in the United States if built.
1490 N Farwell Ave		251’	25	2024	Approved	Proposed by New Land Enterprises with 310 apartments. Includes the Renaissance Place event center, which could be reopened in some form as part of the development.
Masonic Center Hotel		234/71	18	Unknown	Approved	The existing 128-year-old Masonic Center will be renovated, and a 14-story tower will be built above it, at a cost of $60 million. In December 2018 developers announced a delay due to Updated timeline has the project starting in June 2019 and completing by early 2021. As of May 2020, no construction has occurred, and no update has been offered.
Portfolio		Unknown	20	Unknown	Proposed	A proposed 20-story, $100 million apartment tower is to include 176 apartments by Milwaukee based Mandel Group. It was scheduled to break ground during the 3rd quarter of 2019, but no updates have been announced regarding construction.
1433 N Water Street		240+/73+	24	Unknown	Proposed	The Redevelopment Authority board's approval in May 2017 to waive the Park East redevelopment plan's height limitation of 12 stories for the N. Water St. site is the last announced development for the project.
Edison Place		240/73.2	20	Unknown	Proposed	Mix-used building which would include possible move-in of the Marcus Corp headquarters, was set for construction in fall 2017 if tenants and financing could have been arranged, but no new announcements have been made since Marcus did soil testing in 2018.
The Caroline		390'	32	Unknown	Proposed	Announced in April 2019. Proposed 350 mixed-income units and 40,000 square feet of office space. Developed by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. Target start of 2020 with two years to completion.

Timeline of tallest buildings

Name	Image	Height	Floors	Year	Status	Notes	Reference
Pabst Building		235 ft (72 m)	14	1891	Demolished	The Pabst Building was 14 stories, tall constructed in a neo-gothic style. Great detailing and a granite arch at the entrance. This building was Milwaukee's first skyscraper: at the time the Pabst was the tallest building in Milwaukee. The building was demolished in 1981, 100 East Wisconsin was constructed on this site eight years later.
Milwaukee City Hall		353 ft (108 m)	15	1895	Completed	Dominated the Milwaukee skyline for nearly eighty years and was the tallest habitable building in the world at completion. Will drop out of the top ten tallest buildings in Milwaukee once the Couture is completed.
U.S. Bank Center		601 ft (183 m)	42	1973	Completed	Tallest building in Wisconsin since its completion. A square block was cleared to make way for The First Wisconsin building.

Tallest demolished

This table lists buildings in Milwaukee that were demolished and at one time stood at least 200 feet (61 m) in height.

Name	Image	Height ft (m)	Floors	Completed in	Destroyed in	Notes
Northwestern Mutual Place		283 ft (86 m)	16	1979	2014	Demolished and replaced with the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons
Pabst Building		235 ft (72 m)	14	1891	1981
Lake Front Depot		234 ft (71 m)		1889	1968

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de Milwaukee para niños