With President’s Day coming up on Monday, there is one place in Milwaukee that can claim to have hosted more US presidents than any place in Wisconsin.Blocked streets and flashing lights are all that most people see when a US president spends the night at Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel.Concierge Brianna Greer took WISN 12 News behind the scenes to show what the presidents have seen.”We are going to enter into the room where President John F. Kennedy sat,” Greer said.The suite, with its four-poster bed , is where presidents stayed in Milwaukee for the hotel’s first 70 years.”Any president from John Kennedy and before would have stayed in this room?” WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott asked.”Right, so we can say it started with McKinley,” Greer said.William McKinley was the first president to stay at the Pfister in 1899, and almost everyone since has at some point followed suit, whether before, during or after their time in office.The hotel hasn’t only been a place for presidents to spend the night. Some have also done some important work behind closed doors here, work that helped in some cases shape history.”McKinley was here for the first Republican dinner,” Greer said. During McKinley’s stay, some called the Pfister the Western White House. And Kennedy made it his campaign headquarters during the 1960 Wisconsin primary. The first rule of any presidential stay was not to talk about it while the president was there.”No, we never. Mum is the word for that,” Greer said.Greer said Biden’s most recent stay at the Pfister Hotel came during his years as vice president.
MILWAUKEE —
With President’s Day coming up on Monday, there is one place in Milwaukee that can claim to have hosted more US presidents than any place in Wisconsin.
Blocked streets and flashing lights are all that most people see when a US president spends the night at Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel.
Concierge Brianna Greer took WISN 12 News behind the scenes to show what the presidents have seen.
“We are going to enter the room where President John F. Kennedy sat,” Greer said.
The suite, with its four-poster bed, is where presidents stayed in Milwaukee for the hotel’s first 70 years.
“Any president from John Kennedy and before would have stayed in this room?” WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott asked.
“Right, so we can say it started with McKinley,” Greer said.
William McKinley was the first president to stay at the Pfister in 1899, and almost everyone since has at some point followed suit, whether before, during or after their time in office.
The hotel has not only been a place for presidents to spend the night. Some have also done some important work behind closed doors here, work that helped in some cases shape history.
“McKinley was here for the first Republican dinner,” Greer said.
During McKinley’s stay, some called the Pfister the Western White House.
And Kennedy made it his campaign headquarters during the 1960 Wisconsin primary.
The first rule of any presidential stay was not to talk about it while the president was there.
“No, we never. Mum is the word for that,” Greer said.
Greer said Biden’s most recent stay at the Pfister Hotel came during his years as vice president.
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