Menomonee Falls is the fourth largest community in Waukesha County and is projected to become the third largest by 2025. Its 33-square-mile setting offers everything from sparkling new subdivisions and suburban shopping corridors to a quaint historic village and, of course, its famous waterfalls. It was named the second safest city in Wisconsin with over 25,000 residents and the 8th Best City to Live in Wisconsin. Niche.com ranked the Falls in the top 10 percent on their Best Places to Raise a Family in America list.
The city’s nearly 39,000 residents are a mix of ages, with the greatest concentration falling into the 19-and-under and 50-to-64 categories.
Major employers in Menomonee Falls include Kohl’s Corporation, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Harley-Davidson, FIS Management and Wells Fargo, and will soon include Milwaukee Tool.
Homes and Neighborhoods
Menomonee Falls calls itself “Wisconsin’s Largest Village” because of its small-town setting with a modern, convenient lifestyle. Home styles range from classic older homes to modern condos and executive residences with plenty of space for welcoming landscaping and backyard recreation.
The city boasts nearly 16,000 housing units, with nearly 2,000 built since 2010. About three-quarters are single-family homes, with the remainder multi-family units. The median value is an affordable $241,700. The city projects that there will be the capacity to build 100+ new single-family homes annually for several years to come. City administrators are poised to welcome this new growth with an informative website that includes special pages designed just for new residents.
Shopping and Dining
Great shopping abounds all over Menomonee Falls, with the unique boutiques of the historic Village Centre—such as Poppy & Thyme, Chocolate Falls and Robin’s Nest— being popular destinations. The area of Appleton Avenue and Main Street, known as the “four corners,” features specialty shops, restaurants and service businesses. Karl’s Country Market has been offering hard-to-find imported foods and gold-medal-winning fresh sausages since 1965.
There are international restaurants to keep every member of the family happy. Harvey Moy’s, open since 1928, is considered by many to be the best Chinese food in the state. Su Casa Grande bills itself as a Mexican Grille & Sports Bar that features old family recipes. Sakura Sushi & Grill offers Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisine in addition to its signature sushi and hibachi specials. Ninja’s Japanese Steakhouse has both sushi and made-to-order Japanese cuisine on its menu for lunch and dinner. Evie’s Vietnamese Kitchen has a loyal following for its pho, bubble tea and other Vietnamese specialties.
You’ll find everything you want for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Ally’s Bistro on the corner of Good Hope and Lisbon. Café Agora offers breakfast and lunch using the freshest ingredients. For old-time Wisconsin butter burgers, custard and your favorite sides, Pop’s Custard is the place to go.
There’s no shortage casual pubs and grills in Menomonee Falls, including The Social Haus, Hot House Tavern, Mr. Brews Taphouse, AJ O’Brady’s Irish Pub & Grill and the Alumni Club Tavern & Eatery. If food trucks are more your style, you’ll find great barbecue at Smoked at 225, which is regularly found throughout the Falls business district.
Point of Interest and Recreation
There’s always something happening in the Village Centre of Menomonee Falls. In spring, events include an Easter Egg Hunt, the Booster Boogie 5K Walk/Run and a Memorial Day Fest that includes live music, a car show, kids’ activities, a plein air painting competition and the Lucky Ducky Derby at Mill Pond Park. Kids will love a fishing clinic and catch-and-release contest at the Falls Kids Fishing Derby in mid-May.
The historic downtown’s Business Improvement District operates a variety of events, including Concerts at the Beer Garden at Mill Pond Park, Taste of Menomonee Falls and Around the World Ladies Night and Falls Memorial Fest. There have been recent improvements to the World War II monument in Village Park and new landscaping and seating installed throughout the downtown area.
For Independence Day, there’s a popular parade and fireworks exhibition. Enjoy Friday noontime concerts in Mill Pond Park and Thursday evening concerts in Village Park. There’s a Wednesday Farmers Market from June through October in the Village.
Fall also means trick or treating downtown, a scavenger hunt through the downtown merchants and a Spooky Walk through Lime Kiln Park. Old Falls Village sponsors a spooktacular Halloween Family Fun Night.
Special Christmas events include costumed caroling, tree lighting, a parade, a market, and horse and buggy rides. A new event is the Big MF Beer Crawl in downtown Menomonee Falls.
Step back in time and experience life in the mid-19th century at Old Falls Village. The 17-acre site features a schoolhouse, barn, railroad depot, log cabin, dairy and the 1858 Miller-Davidson House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each building features antiques and artifacts from the City’s past. In July, experience an elaborate Civil War Encampment and Reenactment, complete with a visit from Abraham Lincoln.
Menomonee Falls residents can enjoy 2,500 acres of open land in 16 developed parks and 30 miles of beautiful trails for hiking, biking and rollerblading. The City’s Community Education & Recreation Department offers a host of sports, arts and continuing education activities to keep the whole family happy year-round.
The new Village Park, a unique gathering space in downtown Menomonee Falls, will ultimately feature a flexible-use plaza and market space, performance amphitheater, covered gathering space, destination play area and splash feature.
Schools, Health, Transportation
Residents in Menomonee Falls are served by two school districts: Menomonee Falls and Hamilton. The highly ranked Menomonee Falls district educates more than 4,000 students at four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The district has received numerous accolades, including being recognized as a Carnegie Spotlight district for their organizational strides worthy of a case study for the work they’ve done.
Hamilton boasts a rigorous curriculum and a highly qualified and caring staff at four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. It has a strong reputation as a student-centered organization that delivers an excellent well-rounded education.
Standardized test scores are consistently above national and state averages and competitive with the highest-achieving districts in the state.
Homes in Menomonee Falls have fast access to the medical facilities and resources in Milwaukee, as well as at the Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital and clinics. Full-service clinics are also available at Aurora Health Center.
The Milwaukee public transit system serves Menomonee Falls with Freeway Flyer and UBuses, allowing for additional travel options. Highway 41/145 quickly connects you to I-94, offering access to downtown Milwaukee in as little as 15 minutes. Just hop on the freeway to travel to Chicago, Minneapolis or beyond.