Nickel nanowires were grown in highly ordered pore channels of an alumina membrane using pulsed electrodeposition. A complete metal filling of the hexagonal arranged pores with a pitch of 100 nm and a monodisperse pore diameter of approx 30 nm was obtained. The bulk-magnetic behavior of the ferromagnetic nanowire arrays was characterized by SQUID-magnetometer measurements. Magnetic-force-microscopy investigation measurements with a variable external magnetic field were applied on magnetized and demagnetized samples. In addition, magnetic wires have been locally switched by a strong MFM tip and an external magnetic field. The MFM results show a good agreement with the bulk magnetic hysteresis loop.