How to help Save the Historic Beach House at Doctors Park

Photo: Doctors Park Friends

A piece of Milwaukee’s North Shore history could soon gain new life at one of the area’s most beautiful Lake Michigan destinations.

Doctors Park Friends has launched an S.O.S.—“Save Our Structure”—campaign to transform the long-shuttered beach house at Tietjen Beach into an open-air pavilion. The proposed renovation would preserve the building’s historic character while creating a more welcoming and accessible place to enjoy the lakefront.

The group estimates that the project will cost $190,200, including a contingency, and reports that fundraising has already reached 45% of the goal.

More Than an Old Building

Located on a natural terrace at the bottom of the Doctors Park bluff, the beach house has been closed for more than 20 years. Its history, however, reaches back much further.

The bathhouse was constructed in 1939–40 during the New Deal era. It once served as an office for Milwaukee County lifeguards and offered changing rooms and showers for swimmers. Lifeguards even sold concessions through its front window.

The lifeguard program ended around the time the bathhouse was closed in 2000, following storm damage to nearby sewer infrastructure. Although the storm did not significantly damage the structure itself, the building has remained unused and fallen into serious disrepair.

The bathhouse’s historic joinery and craftsmanship remain visible today. The building is also included in the Living New Deal’s national inventory of New Deal projects.

The Plan for a New Lakefront Pavilion

Rather than demolishing the building, Doctors Park Friends hopes to adapt it for a new generation of park visitors.

The proposed project would construct an open-air beach shelter within the bathhouse’s original footprint. The rear wall facing the bluff would remain, while the other three sides would be opened to create a covered pavilion overlooking Lake Michigan.

A structural engineer has determined that the building is sound, and a local architect has developed plans intended to preserve its New Deal-era appearance and distinctive craftsmanship.

The finished pavilion would give visitors a place to:

• Enjoy lunch with a view of Lake Michigan

• Listen to the waves and local birdlife

• Find shelter during passing rain

• Rest after walking the park’s trails and bluff stairs

• Gather for educational and community programs

You can view the renovation plans and images of the proposed pavilion on the Doctors Park Friends website.

A More Accessible Way to Experience Lake Michigan

The renovation could be especially meaningful for visitors who cannot manage the stone stairways leading from the park to the beach.

The terrace can be reached by way of the park’s service road, giving visitors with mobility limitations another way to experience the shoreline. The proposed pavilion would offer a comfortable, sheltered lake overlook without requiring visitors to walk on the beach itself.

Plans also include space behind the remaining west wall for the accessible portable toilet used at the beach during the summer.

An Outdoor Classroom for Local Students

Doctors Park already gives families a chance to explore wooded trails, bluff habitats and the Lake Michigan shoreline. The new pavilion could extend those educational opportunities.

Local schools, youth organizations and community groups could use the space as an outdoor classroom for subjects such as ecology, biology, botany, chemistry and Great Lakes conservation.

Families can discover more of the shoreline in our guide to the best beaches on Milwaukee’s North Shore or find additional places to explore in our North Shore parks guide.

Why Is It Called Tietjen Beach?

Doctors Park Beach was officially named for George A. Tietjen by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in 2001.

Tietjen began working for Milwaukee County Parks as a lifeguard in 1937. In 1946, he became the Parks Department’s first lifeguard director, a position he held until retiring in 1977.

During his career, Tietjen helped build the Milwaukee County Lifeguard Corps into a nationally respected program. He championed new resuscitation equipment and introduced boat drills, lifesaving exhibitions, simulated rescues and water shows.

His son, Jim Tietjen, continued the family’s commitment to public service. Jim worked as a lifeguard before becoming Milwaukee County’s aquatics director in the 1980s. He was also a longtime football coach at Whitefish Bay High School.

Doctors Park Friends shares more about George and Jim Tietjen, the former lifeguard program and the bathhouse in its history of Tietjen Beach.

A Meaningful Centennial Project

Photo: Doctors Park Friends

The timing of the renovation carries additional significance.

In 2027, Doctors Park will mark the 100th anniversary of Dr. Joseph Schneider’s gift of his Fox Point farm for use as a public park. Schneider described the donation in his will as a gift to “my fellow citizens.”

Restoring the beach house would honor that original spirit of generosity by preserving a piece of the park’s history and returning it to public use.

Visitors with memories of the bathhouse, its lifeguards or family days at Tietjen Beach are also invited to share their Doctors Park stories.

How to Help Save the Beach House

Donations to the project can be made through The Park People of Milwaukee County, which serves as the fiscal agent for Doctors Park Friends. Contributions made through The Park People, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Supporters can review the donation options and contribute to Doctors Park Friends. Donations of $1,000 or more will be recognized on a donor plaque at the new pavilion.

For those who love Doctors Park, Tietjen Beach and Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan shoreline, this is an opportunity to preserve a historic structure while helping it serve an entirely new purpose.

The beach house has watched over generations of swimmers, lifeguards and families. With enough community support, it can continue welcoming visitors for generations to come.