Wisconsin’s legendary hospitality can be experienced in its lakeside communities, historic sites and innovative museums
Duration: 7 Days
Available: Year-round
Ideal For: All ages
Day 1 & 2: Things to do in Wisconsin’s Kenosha & Lake Geneva
Step into the shoes of the one million men from the Upper Midwest who served in the Civil War and provided food and raw materials for the military. The Civil War Museum in Kenosha explores how the war impacted the nation through the personal stories and narratives of those who served. Then travel west to the Baker House in Lake Geneva, a lavish 1885 Queen Anne mansion with 13 working fireplaces and a restaurant and lounge that takes guests back to the Gilded Age. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this home overlooks the lake with music that harkens back to the 1920s and waitstaff in period costumes.
Conclude your stay in the Walworth County area with a delightful evening at Rosewood with great food, song and dance that planners can customize to their groups interests.
Day 3: Discover Milwaukee’s Best Museums
Grohmann Museum
Make your way to Milwaukee for a visit to the Milwaukee Public Museum, Wisconsin’s natural history museum. The museum has more than four million objects and specimens covering anthropology, history, botany, zoology and geology. Stroll through the Streets of Old Milwaukee and be transported back to a fall evening at the turn of the 20th century. The popular exhibit has been reimagined to incorporate storytelling and a heightened sensory experience.
The Grohmann Museum at the Milwaukee School of Engineering is home to the world’s most comprehensive art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work. With more than 1,400 paintings and sculptures, groups will identify with many pieces in the collection. The museum hosts changing exhibitions, so be sure to check out the current exhibits.
Visit the Charles Allis Art Museum or Villa Terrace, these stately mansions offer two very different styles of homes built by two renowned industrialist on Milwaukee’s east side in the early 1900’s. Enjoy the world-class art collection at the Charles Allis and Villa Terrace not only offers a stunning view of Lake Michigan but a variety of decorative arts exhibits.
Day 4: Things to do in Wisconsin’s Sheboygan & Manitowoc
Farm Discovery Center
Head north up Wisconsin’s east coast to Sheboygan to wander, explore and discover. Unearth the hidden gems of the community and well-recognized icons like the art center, the maritime museum and the unique shopping and dining.
Wade House Historic Site offers a glimpse back to a horse-powered world. Discover Wisconsin’s largest collection of carriages and wagons. Explore a 1850s nationally recognized landmark stagecoach inn with costumed guides.
Manitowoc invites you to experience the new Farm Discovery Center, where you go beyond the barn to learn about how Wisconsin agricultural producers make food, fiber and fuel safely, humanely and sustainably. More than ever people want to know where their food is coming from, and the Farm tells the story with interactive exhibits, a tour of a dairy farm and farm-to-table fare at the Wisconsin Café.
Day 5: Explore Green Bay
Let Me Be Frank Productions
It’s on to Green Bay, Wisconsin’s oldest settlement and where legendary football is a national treasure. Blend what’s old with what’s new for a story of one of the friendliest cities in the country. Featuring itineraries that range from City Tours to Brewery & Winery Tours to Packer Hall of Fame and Lambeau Stadium Tours, your group will be treated to hands-on signature experiences.
Combine a skit from Saturday Night Live with a pop concert and you’ll find yourself at Let Me Be Frank Productions in a suburb of Green Bay. All-original musicals will have you in awe of the talent, laughing in the aisles and singing together afterwards on the coach. The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people that offers visitors experiences that tell the story of the Oneida way of life both now and in the past. Enjoy a historical look into significant artifacts, artwork and people in this northeast Wisconsin homeland. Take in concerts at the outdoor amphitheater, view a buffalo herd, take the Walk of Legends and shop at the Oneida Market.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help just north of Green Bay in Champion is the only Marian shrine in the U.S. on the site of an approved apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pilgrims from around the world travel here to witness the place, where over 150 years ago, the Holy Mother appeared to the young Adele Brise and instructed her to teach the children in faith. Groups experience the power of prayer, solitude and healing.
Day 6 & 7: Wisconsin’s Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Horicon & Beloit
Town of Stevenson
Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s Event City, invites you to rekindle relationships, explore the arts and taste life to the fullest. From an aeronautics museum to a military veterans’ educational center to cruises and wineries – by gosh your group will love Oshkosh!
Fond du Lac and the Lake Winnebago Region welcomes you to “Legendary Wisconsin Hospitality.” Located at the foot of Lake Winnebago, the second-largest freshwater inland lake in the U.S., Fond du Lac is a great hub-and-spoke destination to over 70 attractions. You can choose from a wide variety of itineraries including: Fun on the Farm, Pilgrimage and Fellowship, Beer, Bourbon, Wine and More!, Girlfriends Getaway along with nine others.
The Coloma Historical Society tells the story of the early settlers of the area. Stop in at the 1876 Spalding Store, which was moved to Village Park and renovated.
The convergence of trails, nature and scenery make Green Lake Country a wonderful place to visit and make memories. From arts and antiques and to birding and eco-travel, from cruising the lake to enjoying a spa, this destination takes you to a different state-of-mind and stimulates your senses while relaxing your body.
For more eco-tourism travel, it’s on to Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center. The interactive Explorium tells the story of the marsh throughout history from the days of the glaciers to now. The Marsh has been formally recognized as a wetland of international importance and is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the country.
As you head out of the state, a visit to Beloit with stops at the Beckman Mill a restored and functioning 1868 grist mill, complete with a pond, saw mill display, visitor center and of course a gift shop. A visit to Beloit College’s 40-acre wooded campus is highly recommended. Check out all twenty-eight buildings on campus, some built as early as the 1840s, and the ancient effigy mounds. Take a relaxing walk through the winding pathways and spot the Beloiter bunnies, squirrels, and chipmunks! The oldest private college in Wisconsin is also home to two museums – The Logan Museum of Anthropology and The Wright Museum of Art.
Choose from 50 tours or customize one just for your group with Badger Bus Tours—planning motorcoach trips for almost 100 years.
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