It was just a few decades ago – 30 or 40 years – yet there’s been so much change at some of these spots that if we didn’t tell you, you probably wouldn’t even recognize them. Changing cityscapes, advances in technology, urban sprawl – all things that have contributed to the changed scenery. Here are 11 spots in Wisconsin that look mighty different now than they did in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Summerfest
Facebook/Summerfest This barely-there blockade is what used to mark the north gate.
Facebook/Summerfest At the moment, it’s pretty much destroyed, flat ground, since they’re building a brand new entrance. So here’s the artist’s rendering to show you how much more elaborate it’ll be compared to that last photo.
Facebook/Summerfest From an open field just 50 years ago to a much smaller and cramped footprint a few decades later with a lot more neon colors.
Facebook/Summerfest Today Summerfest is as streamlined as it can be, with state-of-the-art stages and sound.
- Home of the Bucks
Facebook/OldMilwaukee In the late 1980s, the Bradley Center became the newest addition to Downtown Milwaukee. It was a big upgrade from the Mecca and this shiny new scoreboard was cutting edge.
Facebook/MilwaukeeBucks These days we’ve got better screens on the TVs in our own living rooms and Milwaukee is once again getting a new arena.
Flickr/KenMattison The basketball being played there is just a bit different, as well.
Facebook/MilwaukeeBucks No more sky hooks - it’s all slam dunks these days.
- UW Madison Campus
UniverstityofWisconsin One the one hand, it doesn’t look like there’s too much difference between this overhead view of campus from 1976.
UniversityofWisconsin But it’s clear things have been improved, expanded and built; you just have to look a little closer to see it.
- Home of the Brewers
Flickr/BenandClare County Stadium was the place to be for many, many years.
Flickr/BenandClare Bernie’s Chalet, the old black and orange scoreboard animated racing sausages and the two-fisted slopper were all that we knew.
Flicker/BarrelmanSammy By the end, it wasn’t much, but it was home.
Flickr/NickPostorino Now the little league field in Miller Park’s parking lot is the approximate location of the old home plate.
Flickr/BryceEdwards Baseball in any weather would have been difficult to imagine when sitting back in County Stadium.
- Downtown Milwaukee
Facebook/MilwaukeeCountyHistoricalSociety Not much in the way of tall buildings, this pic shows the Mecca Arena and Auditorium as two of the most recognizable spots.
Facebook/MilwaukeeBucks Now the Auditorium is a theater, the arena is the US Cellular and the new Bucks facility take up most of the foreground. And buildings like the US Bank, Northwestern Mutual and more dominate the lakefront.
- View from Grandad Bluff
Flickr/RogerW This older pic from atop Grandad Bluff makes it pretty easy to pick out the river and Minnesota beyond.
Flickr/MarkBaylor But the more current picture has a lot more development and buildings in the way, making the Mighty Mississippi a bit more difficult to see.
- Lambeau Field
Flickr/EdMcDonald This pic might be a bit older than we’re talking here, but the point still stands.
Flickr/MGoBlog From 1961-1990, Lambeau Field underwent six different renovations that basically doubled the seating capacity. There were two major renovations in the 2000’s, plus the Atrium and now the entertainment district. Lambeau Field of new is unrecognizable from the one of yore - even just back to the 1990s.
- Lake Delton Airport
Facebook/WisconsinDellsVacation You’d be hard pressed to find this spot anymore, since the airport has since closed.
Facebook/WildernessResort What now sits across that road is the large, sprawling Wilderness Resort, which first opened in 1995.
- General Mitchell International Airport
Facebook/MKEHistory The state’s biggest airport didn’t even get its present name until 1986. It was renovated and expanded in 1985, and terminal D was added in 1990.
VisitMilwaukee Passenger traffic here has doubled since 1979, to just under seven million passengers a year.
- UW-Madison Union South
Flickr/UWMadisonArchives The old building was totally demolished in 2009.
UWMadison New Union South is a sprawling, beautiful building with tons of indoor and outdoor space. There are guest rooms, a bowling alley, a rock climbing wall, its own terrace and more.
Looking for more “then and now” photos? Check out this collection that dates back even further!
Facebook/Summerfest
This barely-there blockade is what used to mark the north gate.
At the moment, it’s pretty much destroyed, flat ground, since they’re building a brand new entrance. So here’s the artist’s rendering to show you how much more elaborate it’ll be compared to that last photo.
From an open field just 50 years ago to a much smaller and cramped footprint a few decades later with a lot more neon colors.
Today Summerfest is as streamlined as it can be, with state-of-the-art stages and sound.
Facebook/OldMilwaukee
In the late 1980s, the Bradley Center became the newest addition to Downtown Milwaukee. It was a big upgrade from the Mecca and this shiny new scoreboard was cutting edge.
Facebook/MilwaukeeBucks
These days we’ve got better screens on the TVs in our own living rooms and Milwaukee is once again getting a new arena.
Flickr/KenMattison
The basketball being played there is just a bit different, as well.
No more sky hooks - it’s all slam dunks these days.
UniverstityofWisconsin
One the one hand, it doesn’t look like there’s too much difference between this overhead view of campus from 1976.
UniversityofWisconsin
But it’s clear things have been improved, expanded and built; you just have to look a little closer to see it.
Flickr/BenandClare
County Stadium was the place to be for many, many years.
Bernie’s Chalet, the old black and orange scoreboard animated racing sausages and the two-fisted slopper were all that we knew.
Flicker/BarrelmanSammy
By the end, it wasn’t much, but it was home.
Flickr/NickPostorino
Now the little league field in Miller Park’s parking lot is the approximate location of the old home plate.
Flickr/BryceEdwards
Baseball in any weather would have been difficult to imagine when sitting back in County Stadium.
Facebook/MilwaukeeCountyHistoricalSociety
Not much in the way of tall buildings, this pic shows the Mecca Arena and Auditorium as two of the most recognizable spots.
Now the Auditorium is a theater, the arena is the US Cellular and the new Bucks facility take up most of the foreground. And buildings like the US Bank, Northwestern Mutual and more dominate the lakefront.
Flickr/RogerW
This older pic from atop Grandad Bluff makes it pretty easy to pick out the river and Minnesota beyond.
Flickr/MarkBaylor
But the more current picture has a lot more development and buildings in the way, making the Mighty Mississippi a bit more difficult to see.
Flickr/EdMcDonald
This pic might be a bit older than we’re talking here, but the point still stands.
Flickr/MGoBlog
From 1961-1990, Lambeau Field underwent six different renovations that basically doubled the seating capacity. There were two major renovations in the 2000’s, plus the Atrium and now the entertainment district. Lambeau Field of new is unrecognizable from the one of yore - even just back to the 1990s.
Facebook/WisconsinDellsVacation
You’d be hard pressed to find this spot anymore, since the airport has since closed.
Facebook/WildernessResort
What now sits across that road is the large, sprawling Wilderness Resort, which first opened in 1995.
Facebook/MKEHistory
The state’s biggest airport didn’t even get its present name until 1986. It was renovated and expanded in 1985, and terminal D was added in 1990.
VisitMilwaukee
Passenger traffic here has doubled since 1979, to just under seven million passengers a year.
Flickr/UWMadisonArchives
The old building was totally demolished in 2009.
UWMadison
New Union South is a sprawling, beautiful building with tons of indoor and outdoor space. There are guest rooms, a bowling alley, a rock climbing wall, its own terrace and more.
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