'A tourist in your own town:' Nearly 200 sites, businesses open their doors for people to explore

MILWAUKEE -- Have you ever wanted to check out part of the city that you normally wouldn't? Well thanks to Doors Open Milwaukee -- you now have an excuse!

"I thought, let's go check it out," said Janet Pachmayer.

OK, so here's the plan for having an adventure Saturday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 23.

"Be a tourist in your own town," said Pachmayer.

According to Pachmayer, it's that simple.

"I talked to my two kids and we just looked at the list of opportunities, what to go look at," said Pachmayer.

Doors Open Milwaukee is the excuse you've been looking for to see nearly 200 different sites across the city.

"It's an opportunity for Milwaukeeans to see these beautiful buildings that they get to drive past every day, come in and check it out," said Brian Fahey with Iron Horse Hotel.

Learning something new about something old.

"In fact, this whole area in the back where our restaurant is, our restaurant Smith, that's where the mattresses were stored," said Fahey.

Fun fact, the Iron Horse Hotel used to be a mattress factory.

But the old Oriental Theatre is still just a place for movies, but with a new look.

"It's hard not to be overwhelmed by its grandeur," said Crystal Plahuta with the Oriental Theatre. "We've done tons of A.V. upgrades, whole new bathroom facilities, and lots of small things you wouldn't notice."

Janet Pachmayer

And if done effectively, you won't just enjoy your time checking these places out, but you'll also want to stay. And maybe come back and watch a movie.

"If I had not heard of that event, and picked up and decided one day that we'd be a tourist in our own town I may not have still seen those places," said Pachmayer.

So go take a chance. Who knows, you may find your new favorite place in the city.