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Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini hailed from Appleton.

 

FEATURES AND PROFILES

Wisconsin's Gangster Tour

Wisconsin's Gangster Tour Go “on the lam” and experience the rich lore and legend of Wisconsin's history as a playground and hideout for Prohibition- and Depression-era gangsters. See locations used in the upcoming, "Public Enemies" movie.
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Diving for Great Lakes Shipwrecks

Diving for Great Lakes Shipwrecks This isn't your average "trail". Through Web sites, interpretive signage, public presentations and shipwreck moorings, the Wisconsin Maritime Trail encourages divers, snorkelers, boaters and other adventure- and history-minded residents and tourists to explore some amazing treasures.
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Cycling Amish Coulee Country

It’s a land where windmills spin to deliver freshly pumped water, horses pull plows to work the rich soil, ice houses cool hand-pumped milk, and black buggies roll by. Few electric wires mar the scenery here in Vernon County, home to some of the most beautiful farms in the state. They are the fruits of the labor of Wisconsin’s Old Order Amish and cycling through the “coulee region” is like going back in time.
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Finding Kunu

Each year in December, the Ho-Chunk Nation holds a two-day roundup and weigh-in on its Muscoda bison ranch. In its elements of chase and capture, its visceral sights and sounds and smells, and its physical and spiritual connections with the animal that has been so important to the Ho-Chunk for so long, the bison roundup honors the past and offers hope for the future.
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Bong Heritage Museum

Bong Heritage Museum Located in Superior, the Richard I. Bong World War II Heritage Center pays homage to this American hero and all the men and women who contributed to the war effort.
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Ten Chimneys

Ten Chimneys, the restored estate of actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in Genesee Depot, is now a world-class museum and center for the arts, theater and arts education.
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The Call of the Drum

A drumbeat runs through the Chippewa Wild Rice Powwow, connecting visitors to both past and present.
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The Wright Place - A Trip to Taliesin

The Wright Place - A Trip to Taliesin This signature work of wood and stone from one of America’s greatest architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, is dramatic yet subdued, awe-inspiring yet perplexing. It’s a study in perfect harmony and contrast.
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Pabst Mansion

Pabst Mansion The historic mansion is exquisitely decorated for the holiday season with traditional Victorian floral arrangements, glass ornaments, bright red holly berries and Victorian garland. The winter splendor fills the home, originally built for the founder of the Pabst Brewery.
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Norskedalen

Norskedalen (which means "The Norwegian Valley") is a 400-acre nature and heritage center located near Coon Valley. Visitors to Norskedalen can enjoy the natural environment and cultural heritage of the region and tour the farms and homes of early Norwegian settlers.
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TRAVELOGUES

Old World Wisconsin - Everything You Need To Know Before You Go

Old World Wisconsin - Everything You Need To Know Before You Go Teaching history to young kids is challenging. Let's face it, the concept of time and history is hard enough to grasp when you are 8 and by your standards anyone over 20 is old. Witness this recent conversation between my daughter Madeline and I.
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Finding it All in Washburn

It is the last town before reaching the quaint, bluff-side, shop-filled, water-sport laden Bayfield. Recently, a renaissance of sorts has been taking place and it is time to take notice. You may still be on your way to Bayfield, but it would be well worth your while to spend a day in Washburn.
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VIDEO GUIDES

The Legend of Little Bohemia Lodge Video Guide

The Legend of Little Bohemia Lodge Video Guide Video guide telling the story of Little Bohemia Lodge and scene of the FBI's notorious shootout with John Dillinger.
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Northwoods Gangster Tour Video Guide

Northwoods Gangster Tour Video Guide Come along for a video tour of six Wisconsin northwoods gangster hideouts.
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SOME OF OUR BEST

25 Highway Friendly Historical Markers

A list of some of the many interesting, note-worthy, or otherwise popular historical "stops along the way".
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Top 25 Wisconsin Historic Sites

Here are 25 sturdy links between “then” and “now,” places that are worthy springboards for wonderful history lessons. Many well-preserved and significant historic structures are open for public tours; this is a sampling of the finest.
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TOURS AND ITINERARIES

“Inviting People Back to Our Land”

“Inviting People Back to Our Land” Wisconsin has the most Native American tribes east of the Mississippi. Find out more about cultural tourism opportunities for each of the 11 tribes here.
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Highway 51, Wisconsin's Own Route 66

Highway 51, Wisconsin's Own Route 66 This fall, take a detour on Highway 51, Wisconsin's alternative to Route 66. The road rambles along from Hurley to Beloit offering eclectic small towns, Main Street shopping areas, rural scenery, and one-of-a-kind attractions (including the world's largest penny and loon). Unique festivals? Supper clubs? The largest collection of angels in the world? Highway 51 has it all and then some.
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Exploring Wisconsin's Native-American Heritage

Exploring Wisconsin's Native-American Heritage The art, traditions and culture of Wisconsin's 11 tribes help make the state a remarkable place to include the exploration of tribal history and heritage in your travel itinerary.
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Wisconsin's Most Unusual Museums

To most people, the word "museum" conjures up visions of dinosaur skeletons and prehistoric artifacts. Visitors to Wisconsin have no shortage of opportunities to view world-class archeological treasures. However, the Badger State also boasts a roster of facilities dedicated to more, er, unusual areas of interest.
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Take the Ghost Walk in Bayfield

The town is well known as the gateway to Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands, and as a vacation destination in its own right. But not many people know its colorful history. Virginia Hirsch, a storyteller and amateur historian, is out to change all that. Hirsch’s popular “ghost walks” start at twilight on the steps of the Bayfield Carnegie Library, and last about 80 minutes. Each group follows her along Bayfield’s shadowy streets, holding candle-lit lanterns and listening to her spooky tales.
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A Fresh Look at History

Wisconsin's sites of historical significance -- including the eight "official" ones -- and surrounding areas provide great opportunities for daytrips or three-day getaways that offer motorists both fantastic scenery and a fascinating glimpse back in time. But with so many spots to experience Wisconsin as it once was, where do you begin?
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Wisconsin Amish Communities

Wisconsin Amish Communities Journey to West Central Wisconsin, known as Amish country, and glimpse a life without automobiles, telephones and computers. While traveling through one of Wisconsin's largest Amish settlements, it is not uncommon to see horse-drawn buggies moving down the road and colorful quilts drying in the summer breeze.
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DESTINATIONS

Stage Magic

Stage Magic Ten Chimneys, the estate lovingly created by theatre legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, is open to the public as a world-class house museum and national resource for theatre, arts, and arts education. Find out more about this unique Wisconsin experience here.
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Exploring Gays Mills

Exploring Gays Mills At first glance, Gays Mills in southwestern Wisconsin seems almost too good to be true. This serene pocket of paradise is rich with dense apple groves, glassy-smooth creeks, open meadows, hardwood forests, and small-town charm.
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Capitol City

Capitol City The free tour of Madison’s majestic state Capitol takes only an hour, but you’ll remember it for years to come. The Wisconsin statehouse ranks among the most impressive public buildings in the country, and for good reason.
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Harbor Towns: Kewaunee and Algoma

Set against the beautiful backdrop of majestic Lake Michigan, the quaint port towns of Kewaunee and Algoma invite visitors to enjoy life at a more leisurely pace.
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Hudson, Osceola, and St. Croix Falls

I like to visit Hudson during the height of summer, when I can dip my weary hiker's feet into the cooling current of the river. I return in autumn, when its avenues of maples blind my eyes. But there's something extra-special about my winter visits, too.
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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Muskets and Memories

This annual Civil War reenactment in Boscobel is the closest you can come to a trip back in time
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