Janesville Adventure: From Botanical Beauty to Murder Mystery Dinner

Janesville, Wisconsin DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day 1: Rotary Botanical Gardens and a visit to the historical society

Rotary Botanical Gardens is an award-winning, 20-acre nonprofit botanic garden home to many dramatic and themed gardens. Each summer, the Gardens partner with the Hedberg Public Library to host a Story Walk program featuring a different children’s book. In December, the Gardens presents the spectacular Holiday Light Show. Plan to spend 2 hours and allow time to shop the Cottage Garden Gallery gift shop, which features work local and regional artists and makers.

Guided tours are available or wander the gardens on your own. Much of the garden is wheelchair and stroller accessible, with wide, level paths and many benches to sit and take in the surrounding beauty. A few wheelchairs are available at no cost. You may reserve an electric cart for up to five guests, operated by Rotary Botanical Gardens staff.  Catered dining for the group on the premises. Download an accessibility map here.

The Rock County Historical Society is a resource for historical research, thought-provoking programming, and one-of-a-kind historic sites. At its center is the Lincoln-Tallman Museum, an Italianate-style mansion constructed in 1857 and occupied by William Morrison Tallman, a lawyer and abolitionist. The tour focuses on how a prosperous Victorian family would have lived, weaving in stories about the Tallman family and Abraham Lincoln’s visit in October of 1859. In November and December, explore the Lincoln-Tallman House decked out in its holiday finery both inside and out. Next door, the Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center offers exhibit galleries that feature Pauline Pottery and Pickard China, as well as rotating exhibits celebrating the history and heritage of Rock County.

Visit the gift shop, which features work by regional artists and makers including pottery, children’s items, soap, sculptures, and much more. The Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center is wheelchair accessible, including an elevator. The Lincoln-Tallman House offers a chair lift to access the first floor. While the basement and upper floors are not accessible, a video tour is available. Both buildings offer accessible restrooms. Catered dining for the group on the premises.

K&W Greenery is an extensive greenhouse growing operation that has about 2 acres under cover and is open year round. The K&W gift shop offers collectibles, stylish home decor, wind chimes, candles, and seasonal items. K&W Greenery welcomes groups and offers specialized tours and customized classes including educational lectures, holiday poinsettia tours and make-and-take creations. It is wheelchair accessible, with ramps between the shop and greenhouse, and paved paths outside.

Located in the heart of Janesville’s downtown, drafthouse is a delightful gastropub that celebrates the richness of American culture through its appetizing and progressive bar fare. Set in a warm modernist design, the restaurant and bar supports Wisconsin’s brewing community with 24 beers on tap from the state’s best breweries. And, rooted in the idea that we are indeed a community, four large communal tables foster a sense of gathering where deliciously innovative food, conversation and drink can be shared among friends. Patio dining is available, with heaters to extend the season.

Comedy Cabin hosts live comedy shows with cabaret style seating and a full bar. Advance ticket purchase is recommended either by calling or through their website. They host a new comedian each week, with performances Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They can seat about 100 people with cabaret style seating (small tables with chairs). They offer a full bar, and while they are not handicapped accessible they may be able to make accommodations upon request.

Timber Hill Winery in Wisconsin

Day 2: Breakfast at Genisa Wine Bar and outdoor art

 Enjoy elegant decor, and a beautiful view of downtown Janesville at Genisa Wine Bar, which offers several unique and beautiful spaces, including a lovely patio with scenic river views.

Outdoor public art tours can be customized to your group’s interests. Explore some of Janesville’s 13 historic districts and hear stories about the architecture and history. See 27 large scale murals, plus numerous sculptures, statues, historical markers and monuments.

Get off the bus in Janesville’s park-like Town Square and wander Janesville’s compact downtown, with plenty of boutique and vintage shopping. Tour goers can choose from several restaurants for lunch on their own. We can work with select restaurants to create limited menus or can arrange for downtown gift cards that can be used at participating restaurants and shops.

Located in downtown Janesville’s historic Carriage Works building, Rock County Brewing Company is a nano brewery offering hand-crafted beers made in small batches. Enjoy a guided beer flight tasting followed by a themed trivia game.

The hexagonal-shaped Milton House was opened in 1844 as a stagecoach inn by Joseph Goodrich, and is one of the oldest standing poured grout buildings. It was a stop on the Underground Railroad, with a tunnel connecting the Milton House to a log cabin. Now a National Historic Landmark, the Milton House also has two Wisconsin Historical Markers on the property – one for the Milton House itself and one for Storrs Lake, where Brigadier General Henry Atkinson and 4,500 soldiers camped overnight in their pursuit of Black Hawk in 1832.

Sample variety of wine and a delicious dinner at Timber Hill Winery’s new location. The Murder Mystery is an interactive and immersive experience that combines elements of theater, storytelling, and detective work. As a participant, the group will be part of the unfolding drama, taking on the roles of a characters with unique backgrounds, motives, and secrets. Throughout the evening, you and your fellow sleuths will be presented with clues, witness dramatic scenes, and engage in conversations with other characters to piece together the puzzle.

Skellys in Janesville, WI (photo credit – Full Spectrum Photography)

Day 3: Pay a visit to a farm market and have lunch at Citrus Café

Visit a produce-only farm and learn about its history. Skelly’s Farm Market is best known for providing the area with fresh strawberries, sweet corn, and pumpkins but they also offer a Sunflower Experience (mid-July to mid-August) and Corn Maze & Fall Festival (September – October). Visit their gift shop and enjoy a sweet treat from their bakery.

The award-winning Citrus Café is a full service restaurant is open 365 days a year, serving an amazing selection of breakfast and lunch items. They use the freshest ingredients, with fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh ground coffee every day.

Larson Acres hosts tours on a dairy farm where six Larson families spanning five generations farm more than 5,000 acres and work nearly 3,000 cows. The group will enjoy samples of real Wisconsin cheese.

Located on a beautiful rural property, Fermenting Cellars Winery hosts wine tastings, live music, unique local performances, weddings, and so much more. They offer a covered pavilion, cozy private Shed, or an open air patio with a large fireplace.

For over 20 years, the Milwaukee Grill has served high quality classic American Cuisine in a hometown supper club atmosphere. From fresh seafood, tender marinated chicken and fall-off-the-bone barbecued ribs, to a burger with more toppings than you can fit in your mouth – freshness and quality always prevail. Milwaukee Grill serves great salads, sandwiches and wraps, Wisconsin draught beers and many bottled microbrews, a good wine list, and seasonal drinks and martinis. Milwaukee Grill repeatedly win Best Overall Restaurant and Best Fish Fry.

The Rock Aqua Jays are the most successful water ski show team in the world with over total tournament victories, including more than 20 U.S. National Championships. They perform free shows on Wednesday and Sunday evenings from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The stadium is wheelchair accessible and bathrooms are available in the park.

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Contact Lori Johnson

Director of Meeting & Group Sales

Phone – (800) 487-2757, Ext. 101

email – meetings@janesvillecvb.com

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