10 Best Things to Do in Wisconsin

The Cave of the Mounds is a stunning natural limestone cave near the Blue Mounds area of Wisconsin. Known for its speleothems, a type of mineral deposit, a tour of the Cave of the Mounds offers many spectacular natural formations in vibrant reds, blues, browns, and grays. Among its highlights are the lily pad formations, flowstones, helictites, and oolites, a rare speleothem that undergoes a similar formation process as a pearl. Soda straws, a type of thin, hollow tube formation, can also be seen on the tour.

The Historic Third Ward is a popular creative hub in Milwaukee that’s home to many historic sites, upscale restaurants, art galleries, and studios. You can have dinner or drinks at one of the many world-class restaurants and bars, shop in indie boutiques, or see a show at local performing arts venues. The Historic Third Ward is home to the Milwaukee Public Market and hosts outdoor concerts at the Henry Maier Festival Park. Billed as the World’s Largest Music Festival, Summerfest is a must-attend event of concerts and performances on the shore of Lake Michigan.

The Taliesin Preservation is the home, studio, and estate of Frank Lloyd Wright. Located near Spring Green, the preservation includes Wright’s home and buildings from every decade of his illustrious career. When you visit the Taliesin Preservation, you can take tours of the estate, home, and surrounding landscape to get a glimpse into the genius architect’s life and work. Some of the highlights of the tour include the home’s furnishings and Wright’s personal objects, the garden room, and the studio. You’ll also see the vast landscaped grounds to appreciate the natural environment that inspired Wright.

The Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear is a fascinating history museum that explores the personal collection of Americana of Avrum Chudnow. Housed within a historic building, the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear features intriguing exhibits of over 275,000 objects from the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the exhibits include restored examples of common places like a grocer, movie theater, clinic, and speakeasy, all with period furnishings and decor. Another major attraction is a restored 1930 Chevy Universal Series AD, which features some of the most advanced features of its time.

Bookworm Gardens is an enchanting botanical garden with features and attractions based on beloved children’s books. In the collection of over 70 gardens, you can see attractions like the 3 Pigs Houses and Harold and the Purple Crayon. There are also creative spaces for children to explore their imagination and learn about wildlife and insects. Several events take place throughout the year, such as summer camps, weekend learning workshops, and all kinds of classes for children and adults.

The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee is an intriguing attraction for any history or motorcycle lover. The museum celebrates the century-old history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles with hundreds of motorcycles and artifacts from the company. Some of the highlights of the museum include the Motorcycle Gallery, which holds most of the motorcycle displays, the Engine Room, which has interactive exhibits of how motors work, and Serial Number One, the oldest known Harley-Davidson motorcycle in existence. You could also explore the Tank Gallery, which features some of the most memorable graphics on the gas tanks over the decades.

The EAA Aviation Museum is a must-see museum for fans of aircraft. Located in Oshkosh, the museum is home to a variety of warbirds, experimental aircraft, and aircraft memorabilia. You’ll find over 200 aircraft in the facility, ranging from prominent military aircraft to homebuilt and stunt aircraft. Among its collection are a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, a Taylor Aerocar flying car, and a Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro. You can book aircraft rides through EAA programs at the museum’s airport or the adjoined Wittman Field.

The Tristan Crist Magic Theatre is a wonderful theater with shows featuring world-class magic and large illusions. Located in Lake Geneva, the Vegas-style theater offers classic, live magic shows with traditional tricks like levitation, card tricks, disappearing acts, and masterful illusions, such as making a motorcycle appear out of thin air. You’ll also see some new tricks from master illusionist Tristan Crist. After an hour of magic, comedy, and theatrics, you’ll experience a final trick that you must see to believe.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is the hall of fame and museum dedicated to the history and success of the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers. Once found in the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, the exhibits were eventually moved to the Lambeau Field Atrium. Within the hall, you can see exhibits such as plaques for the inductees, Lombardi Trophies from the team's Super Bowl wins, and a re-creation of legendary coach Vince Lombardi’s office. Though the Hall of Fame is specific to the players, personnel, and history of the Packers, many of its inductees have also been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Bay Botanical Garden is a gorgeous botanical garden that spans many smaller garden spaces with unique themes. Among its gardens are Four Seasons Garden, a garden with winter flowers, lilacs, and magnolias, and the Gertrude B. Nielsen Children’s Garden, a kid-friendly garden with a treehouse, maze, and sundial. There’s also the Donald J. Schneider Family Grand Garden, an overlook garden with an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and events. In winter, the Green Bay Botanical Garden hosts the WPS Garden of Lights, which illuminates the garden with thousands of Christmas lights.