Customer Spotlight
Embracing Hospitality
Station 1846 ready for service
Meghan Miles had taken locals and visitors to the Milwaukee Art Museum, North Point Light House, Black Cat Alley and many other Milwaukee landmarks, but at the end of the tour, City Tours MKE didn’t have a place to call home. But then, after years of temporary rental space for tour vehicles, with the help of MEDC, in 2023, Meghan purchased a former mechanic shop in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. After some renovation and a significant spruce up, in July of 2024, Station 1846 opened its garage doors – to both visitors and City Tours’ electric vehicles.
City Tours MKE first started in 2013 as a haunted Milwaukee tour. It quickly grew to include Iconic Milwaukee, dive bar, brewery and corporate tours. Meghan says often, after the tour, participants would ask where to purchase a souvenir, get a drink or use a restroom. The desire to fill those requests instead of sending clients elsewhere, coupled with the need for more permanent storage for the company’s vehicles, put Meghan on the hunt for a building. Now, she says, “Having a homebase creates more of a known presence for us in the city. We’re not just a tour company. We are taking care of guests at that next level of hospitality.”
“Having a homebase creates more of a known presence for us in the city. We’re not just a tour company. We are taking care of guests at that next level of hospitality.”
Station 1846 is named for a station both to meet and socialize and to depart to explore and experience Milwaukee. 1846 pays homage the year that Milwaukee was founded. It is more than a home base; it’s a coffee shop, bar and event space. Tour participants, as well as locals, can grab a coffee drink, bar selection (including mocktails) and light fare either on the fly or as part of a corporate meeting, shower or other celebration or gathering. Garage doors open to a patio seating area, blurring the lines between outdoors and indoors to take advantage of nice weather. When closed, a front wall of mostly glass brings sprays of light into the modern, cozy space.
Visitors can look forward to seeing Station 1846 embrace the change in seasons with decorations and cocktails to match. “We’re doing harvest and Halloween and we’ll be fully decked out like the North Pole!” she says. They will even be spilling out onto the street for a Holiday Market. Regular live music and Drag BINGO nights make random weekdays a bit more fun. “Station 1846 is the place I wanted to exist, so I’m happy it does,” Meghan said.
Like the tours, the space opens up many possibilities for connecting with other folks and the city. Meghan loves the Walker’s Point location and says the neighbors have all been very supportive and welcoming. “Locals are looking at us in a different light. We’re not just for tourists. We are a really great city, and we want to highlight that [for visitors] and help locals also see that.”
Meghan Miles
Station 1846 is located at 215 W Bruce in Milwaukee. Learn more about upcoming events, party rentals and more.