The Milwaukee Art Museum (www.mam.org) greatly exceeded my expectations when I took some family including 3 small children there. The kids had already visited the excellent children's museum (the Betty Brinn Children's Museum) across the street earlier in the day, and before going home, we hoped they would be willing to endure a quick stroll through the art museum for the sake of the adults. How surprised I was to see that the children (ages 1, 3, and 6) had more fun at the Milwaukee Art Museum than they did at the Children's Museum. In fact, they had even more fun that the adults did, though we loved the experience.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is remarkably family friendly, even for families with fairly conservative values that don't want their kids being exposed to excessive nudity or other awkward or distressing scenes. It's a place where families can experience some beautiful and inspiring art, and where children can grow in appreciation of the arts. Our 3-year-old grandson and our 6-year-old granddaughter were both highly impressed by the main exhibit featuring Rembrandt, Reynolds, and other great classics from the Kenwood House in England. They loved the paintings and picked their favorites that they wished they could bring home with us.

Then as we went into other exhibits, the 1-year-old often laughed with glee at the art she saw and enjoyed browsing the wide-open spaces the museum offers. She probably had the most fun of all, sometimes shouting in delight. Sorry, fellow visitors! Our quick stroll lasted much longer than we thought and the kids would have enjoyed staying longer. So glad we went there! Kids under 12 are free, while adults paid $15. Well worth it.

Here are some photos from our Dec. 2012 experience: