"Nothing like it in the city:" During 'Doors Open MKE,' FOX6's Julie Collins checks out the Grain Exchange

MILWAUKEE -- The sixth annual "Doors Open Milwaukee" event took place Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th, and gave folks the opportunity to check out 165+ buildings in Milwaukee for free. Presented by Historic Milwaukee Inc., the event is billed as Milwaukee's biggest open house weekend.

During "Doors Open Milwaukee," people had the opportunity to design their own itinerary and visit buildings that opened their doors, often with guided tours, no tickets necessary, or join one or more in-depth tours that are ticketed.

According to the website for the event, these 165+ buildings hold hidden treasures and special stories -- from churches to office buildings, theaters to work sites, museums to hotels, clubs to universities -- sites of historic, architectural, cultural or commercial interest.

The event is dedicated to increasing awareness of and commitment to Milwaukee’s history, architecture, and the preservation of the Brew City's built environment through education and advocacy since 1974.

FOX6's Julie Collins spent the morning Sunday, September 18th at the Grain Exchange (Mackie Building) at 225 E. Michigan Street -- a building which features "Simple Italian" architecture, soaring ceilings, hand-painted frescoes, gold leaf and more than 10,000 square feet of usable event space in a historical location.

According to the website for the event, the three story “cathedral of commerce” was closely linked with the early commercial history of Milwaukee, when for a brief time, the city was the world’s largest primary wheat market for trading, exporting and inspecting grain. Milwaukee’s lake port was near vast acres of wheat so the Milwaukee Grain Exchange made its home in the Chamber of Commerce building, inventing and utilizing the very first octagonal trading pit.

CLICK HERE to learn much more about Doors Open Milwaukee.