The northwest shore of Lake Winnebago harbors an urban area known as the Fox Cities; eighteen communities along the Fox River and the lake that boomed in the early 20th century producing paper products. Today the Fox Cities are known as Wisconsin’s Shopping Place. A large regional mall and numerous locally-owned specialty retailers offer shoppers plenty of options. Appleton is the largest of the Fox Cities, and its cultural heart. Appleton is home to a spectacular performing arts center, museums focusing on favorite son Harry Houdini and the paper industry, one of the largest children’s museums in the Midwest, and the elegant Hearthstone Historic House. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Kaukauna’s Wisconsin International Raceway provide plenty of sports entertainment. Quaint downtowns and beautiful waterfronts along the Fox River and Lake Winnebago are the stars of Menasha and Neenah. The imposing homes of turn-of-the-century paper barons grace the cities’ broad boulevards. Points of interest include the Bergstrom-Mahler Art Museum, Barlow Planetarium and Weis Earth Science Museum. For more information about any of the Fox Cities, call 800/236-6673 or visit foxcities.org.