Tosa is small enough to cover in a day and close enough to Milwaukee to add to a city trip. Here is what is actually worth the stop.
Wauwatosa is a Milwaukee County city of 48,387 people (2020 census) on the west side of Milwaukee, and almost everyone shortens it to Tosa. The things to do in Wauwatosa sit in a few clear pockets: the old Village, the cafes and shops along North Avenue, two county golf courses, a beer garden in Hoyt Park, and the Milwaukee County Zoo just over the city line. Discover Wauwatosa, the city's visitor site, puts the city 10 minutes from downtown Milwaukee, so most visitors pair it with the bigger city rather than treat it as a separate trip.
This guide covers what is actually here, with the listings that are on Local Eyes, and is honest about where the bigger choice still sits in Milwaukee next door.
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Start in Tosa Village
Tosa Village is the place to start, around Harwood Avenue and State Street. It began in the 1800s as Hart's Mills, a sawmill settlement. Tosa Village is small enough to cover on foot: its two anchor restaurants, the chocolate shop and the market lot all sit within about 0.1 miles of each other.
A few steps away, Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club does the Wisconsin supper club in a Northwoods mood, with prime rib, a Friday fish fry and weekend brunch. A few doors down, Tabal Chocolate makes bean-to-bar chocolate, as it has since 2012, and runs tasting classes. Buckatabon also appears in the regional Milwaukee supper clubs roundup, which is the better read if dinner is the whole plan.
The city's own name has a Village story too: Wauwatosa is named for the Potawatomi Chief Wauwataesie, and the city's tagline ties the word to the firefly. Milwaukee Magazine reported in 2018 that a three-year makeover of the Village added fairy lights, a brick pedestrian plaza and firefly-inspired signs. Discover Wauwatosa's Village guide also points to Arte Wine & Painting Studio for paint-and-sip classes; check that classes are still running before you go.
Saturday morning at the farmers market
WISN counted about 45 vendors a week when the 2025 season opened, selling produce, meat, dairy, baked goods, coffee and prepared food. The Tosa Farmers Market sits right beside Buckatabon, so a market run can turn into brunch without moving the car.
Coffee and bakeries on North Avenue
North Avenue is the city's other main street, and it has several of the city's cafes and bakeries.
Further west, Fiddleheads Coffee roasts small batches and has a cafe at 8807 West North Avenue. The coffee shops in Wauwatosa split neatly between North Avenue and the Village, and each has a different job: a quick espresso, a long laptop morning, or bread to take home.
East Tosa and North Avenue
East of the Village, North Avenue runs through East Tosa, a tree-lined, bike-friendly stretch that Milwaukee Magazine described in 2018 as filling with new bars, restaurants and shops. Discover Wauwatosa's weekend itinerary sends visitors there for the murals, large geometric designs and oversized animal paintings on the sides of local businesses. The same itinerary recommends North Ave Grill, a diner serving breakfast, lunch and dinner all day, and Stock House Brewing Co., a neighborhood brewery with a large patio. Neither is on Local Eyes yet, so check their own pages for current hours.
Further east on North Avenue, Milwaukee Magazine's 2018 guide described Rosebud Cinema, which opened in 1931, with couches, a full bar and concessions; check current showtimes. The city's Wisconsin Soup Company on West State Street makes soups, bisques and chilis such as Red Pepper Gouda Bisque and Black Bean Habanero; check where its soups are sold.
Golf, parks and a beer garden
Currie Park Golf Course on Mayfair Road is the full-length option: par 71 and 6,444 yards from the back tees. The three golf courses in Wauwatosa also include a private club, Blue Mound, which takes members and their guests.
Hoyt Park, at 1800 North Swan Boulevard, has a beer garden called The Landing. Milwaukee Magazine's 2026 beer garden guide listed it open weekdays from 3 to 9 p.m. and weekends from noon, pouring Third Space and Lakefront beers with pizza, pretzels and brats. Check its current hours before you go in spring or fall.
Discover Wauwatosa also lists Hartung Park, with its playground and paved paths, and Hart Park beside the Village for walking, running and biking along the Menomonee River Parkway and the Oak Leaf Trail.
History at the Kneeland-Walker House
In summer the society's gardens host Brews & Blooms, a pop-up beer garden that Milwaukee Magazine listed for three weekends in June, July and August 2026. The house is about half a mile north of the Village market lot, close enough to fold into a Saturday.
Yoga and pilates studios
Get Hot Yoga, upstairs on North Wauwatosa Avenue in the Village, teaches vinyasa and power classes in a room heated to between 85 and 95 degrees. Tosa Yoga Center on North Avenue runs classes for beginners and experienced students alike, and Precision Pilates works out of a studio on the far west end of North Avenue. For a wider pick of studios, the regional Milwaukee yoga studios list covers both Tosa studios alongside Milwaukee's.
Next door in Milwaukee: the zoo and frozen custard
The Milwaukee County Zoo sits on Bluemound Road inside the Milwaukee city line, about 2 miles southwest of the Village. Its listing mentions penguin and otter encounters and seasonal events such as Boo Daytime.
Closer still, the custard at Gilles Frozen Custard on Bluemound Road dates to 1938, about a mile south of the Village. If you are staying longer, the things to do in Milwaukee pick up where Tosa leaves off.
Shopping at Mayfair
Mayfair Mall and the Mayfair Collection, on Mayfair Road, are the city's retail center, with department stores and big-box shops that the Village does not have room for. For smaller, independent shops, the boutiques in Tosa Village are the better trip.
A quiet stop and a place to sleep
On North Mayfair Road, Chua Phuoc Hau is a Vietnamese Buddhist temple whose listing describes a garden used for meditation and quiet reflection. It is about 4.4 miles northwest of the Village.
Two Wauwatosa hotels are on Local Eyes so far. Extended Stay America Select Suites on West North Avenue has suites with kitchenettes, and the Forty Winks Inn on West Bluemound Road has simple rooms, free parking and a lounge. Both sit on the west side of the city.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 28, 2026
