Things to Do in Wisconsin
Never do the same thing twice in Wisconsin. Between our family-friendly attractions, farm-to-table dining scene, craft breweries, popular sports teams and arts and entertainment venues, there’s always something new to try here, and what better way to experience new things than with family and friends?
Attractions for Everyone
Whatever city you visit during your stay, there are attractions for everyone in the family.
In and around Milwaukee, you'll find kid-friendly things to do, from science and nature centers to zoos. Spend a day at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, featuring guided hikes and birdwatching. Farther south, the Racine Zoo is a treat for everyone in the family. In Door County, explore lakeside beaches and spot historic lighthouses like the picturesque Cana Island Lighthouse. And in the Wisconsin Dells, spend an entire vacation bonding with your family over water slides and lazy rivers at area water parks or at a drive-in theater.
During your trip, find a little me-time away from the kids at our world-class casinos and spas.
Locally-Grown
Savor every bite and sip at popular food and drink spots across Wisconsin. Here, craft culture is booming and local ingredients take center stage in a way that elevates your typical family dinners.
Find trendy breweries in cities like Amherst and La Crosse; the river town is home to countless craft beer spots near and along the Mississippi River, including Pearl Street Brewery. For locally-grown red and white wine, visit the Driftless Region, where vineyards, like Spurgeon Vineyards and Winery in Highland, live. Up North, rich fruit wines, some made with cranberries, are poured at the Three Lakes Winery.
And if neither of those does the job, enjoy locally distilled spirits at distilleries from Cambridge to Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, where you can sip a delicious cocktail on the rooftop patio at Chippewa River Distillery & Brewster Bros. Brewing Co. Many of these spots are child and dog-friendly, so everyone in the family can join in.
Our restaurants are fun and diverse and feature everything from farm-to-table cuisine and BBQ to all kinds of ethnic cuisine, including Jamaican, Thai, Indian, Mexican and German, to name a few. It doesn’t get more farm-fresh than Wisconsin farms offering dine-in services, like Stoney Acres Farm in Athens, which serves fresh pizza on select nights and quality family bonding time in a beautiful outdoor setting.
In Wisconsin, our farms and agriculture scene is worth adding to your itinerary.
Tour a local farm and taste its locally-grown dairy products or see how cranberries are grown on the Cranberry Highway, where you'll find working farms from Wisconsin Rapids to Warrens. You most definitely want to stop by one of our farmers markets for a little bit of everything locally grown. From Appleton’s downtown indoor market to the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison, there’s a market in most Wisconsin cities waiting for you and your family to explore.
Find Your Outdoor Escape
Wisconsin’s natural landscapes, from quartzite cliffs to steep hills and sea caves, and our state and national parks and forests, set the stage for numerous outdoor adventures any time of year.
Go hiking or biking in the summertime on urban and nature trails from Baraboo to Milwaukee, surf off the coast of Sheboygan and in winter, enjoy activities like snowshoeing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.
Be a Spectator
Whether you’re a spectator of art or sports, you’ll find plenty of things to do in Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Art Museum, which curates thousands of pieces from antiquity to modern times, or catch a beautiful performance either at the Madison Ballet or the American Players Theater in Spring Green.
We’re also home to major sports teams and venues, so there are plenty of sporting events to go around. Between the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks, you can catch a pro game nearly year-round here with your family. If you’d like to go from spectator to player, join some good friends for a round at a pro-level golf course.
With so many things to do here, you’ll never run out of new experiences to enjoy with your family and friends.
