Bradford Beach is a public beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The beach which was constructed in the 1920s is part of Lake Park; a mile (1.6 km)-long park on a bluff above Lake Michigan. Lake Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1993.[3]
Bradford Beach | |
|---|---|
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  Bradford Beach | |
| Coordinates: 43°03′42″N 87°52′23″W / 43.061667°N 87.873056°W | |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Part of | Lake Park, Milwaukee Historic park |
| Offshore water bodies | Lake Michigan |
| Age | Approximately 100 years old |
| Area | |
| • Total | 28.3 hectares (70 acres)[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 1.94km[2] |
| Elevation | 3.1 m (10.2 ft) |
| Website | bradfordbeachmke |
Design
Bradford Beach falls within Lake Park which was designed in the late 19th century by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City.[4][5]
The beach is wheelchair accessible.[6] In 2021 the rising water of Lake Michigan has shrunk the width of the beach.[7]
History
In the 1920s, the beach was created by filling in swampy areas near Lake Michigan.[6][8] It has been Milwaukee's most popular beach. On the beach near the road, there is a historic bathhouse.[7] The Bathhouse was built in 1949 and includes a walkway above Lincoln Memorial Drive. The Wisconsin Historical Society surveyed it in 2011.[8]
One local resident who patronized the beach was a man named Dick Bacon. Bacon was known to work on his sun tan in the middle of winter at Bradford Beach.[9]