“Hamburger Hall of Fame, Wisconsin”byKrisis licensed underCC BY 2.0
Seymour, WI is proud of its heritage as the location of the first documented hamburger. So proud, in fact, that it’s home to the Hamburger Hall of Fame, an elaborate museum celebrating exactly what you would think--hamburger history. In 1989 the people of Seymour served up the world’s largest hamburger at their accompanying Burger Fest, and it has been tradition ever since. Held in August, Burger Fest includes a 5K run, affectionately titled “Bun Run”, a parade, a ketchup slide (it is exactly what you think) and, of course, a burger eating contest.
“Bratwurst sausage”byGeorge Alexander Ishida Newmanis licensed underCC BY 2.0
Do you have a constant craving for bratwurst? Then Wisconsin is your place to be. Not only is it home the bratwurst capital of the world, Sheboygan, it’s got Usingers Famous Sausage in Milwaukee. They’ve been making authentic German sausage for over a century and to top that off, like you really could, they also produce over 70 different varieties of old world sausage. Not to sound like a brat, but you can’t beat that.
“Fish Fry”byPurple Slogis licensed underCC BY 2.0
If you’re not at a fish fry on a Friday night somewhere in Wisconsin, there might be something wrong with you. It’s the speciality in practically every restaurant, VFW or church hall basement in Wisconsin from Kenosha to Superior. Fried fish, french fries, coleslaw, rye bread… I’m drooling just thinking about it.
Festivalgoers can see everything from local favorites to large acts like Bruno Mars and listen to everything from reggae to rock. Located on shores of Lake Michigan, this festival has 11 stages spread across a 75-acre site and delivers the best music festival experience you ever ask for.
You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the waterpark capital of the world, but it will definitely help you feel like one again. Wisconsin Dells has many indoor and outdoor waterparks, including the nations largest water park, Noah’s Ark. No matter the season, you’ll be slipping and sliding and screaming for more.
Offering over 1,200 caches within a 10-mile radius of West Bend, it truly is the Geocaching Capital of the Midwest. Home to the “$1000 Cache Ba$h”, an annual festival held over two days, West Bend draws geocachers from as near as Michigan and as far as the Netherlands.
Wisconsinites do dairy a lot, and they do it well. In fact, about 16% of our milk alone comes from Wisconsin. Statewide, as of February 2014, Wisconsin had 1,270,000 dairy cows. It’s no wonder we’re known as “America’s Dairyland.” If you want the best cheese and ice cream you can head anywhere in Wisconsin and will not be disappointed.
The city of Monroe is the Swiss cheese capital of the world. Maybe you would have thought Switzerland was, but Monroe has been making Swiss cheese since the 1840s when the first--you guessed it--Swiss immigrants moved there. Monroe is also home to Cheese Days, a celebration that has been held biennially since 1914. Dane County has a cheese-related festival and tradition during June Dairy Month, in which they celebrate the state’s dairy industry with “Cows on the Concourse”. Multiple festivals dedicated to cheese?! Yes, please. (Forgive me.)
Wisconsin is drawn to art; practically every city here has its own art museum. The Museum of Wisconsin Art is one of the top regional art museums in the country and the Milwaukee Art Museum alone has over 30,000 works of art. That’s enough to ignite anyone’s imagination.
Wisconsin isn’t just the dairy state. While almost all of the larger brewing companies that once called this state home have left, they’ve been replaced with inventive craft brewers that have put Wisconsin back on the brewery map. With over 40 craft breweries and of course, MillerCoors Brewing Company, a locally-made and delicious adult beverage is just a stone’s throw away.
Here’s why the Green Bay Packers are the greatest football team ever put on this earth:
With a record like that, it really should be no surprise that most of the state roots for the home team here.
Wisconsin has 1,100 miles of scenic coastline along Lake Michigan as well as 14,000 inland lakes and 7,446 streams and rivers. Door County alone has over 300 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan and five state parks and is boasted as the Cape Code of the Midwest. A bustling county full of art, culture and small town hospitality, one visit to within this county (or ocean-esque shoreline, really), and you’ll understand how true that nickname is.
Egg Harbor has been hailed as one of the Coolest Small Towns in America by “Budget Travel” in 2010 and was selected as the Best Small Town in a survey done by “Wisconsin Trails” magazine in 2011. Technically a village, quaint Egg Harbor offers award-winning wineries, a beautiful night sky view, outstanding beaches, a rich arts scene and scenic views everywhere you turn.
Milwaukee is a bustling metropolis that offers its residents the benefits of living in a large city while feeling like a small town. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee offers year-round festivals, internationally acclaimed museums and unique architecture.
And the blender, bone marrow transplants, the gasoline automobile, hair dryers, hydroelectric plants and kindergarten… just to name a few of the inventions Wisconsinites have come up with.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is one of only 11 in the nation and spans 1,000 miles of the state. More than 600 miles are open to the public that trace the stopping point of Wisconsin’s last glacier. Truly the best way to experience glacially shaped land features, this trail offers everything from marshes to former lumber camps.
People come from all over to visit the House on the Rock in Spring Green. Designed by Alex Jordan, Jr. and opened in 1959, this house is built atop a column of rocks and features uniquely designed rooms, streets and gardens. Boasting many eclectic collections, from an infinity room to the largest indoor carousel to an intricately furnished doll house collection, the House on the Rock invites visitors to question the building itself, come to their own conclusions and turn this dream world into their own.
Wisconsin’s American Indian heritage is a source of pride. Home to eleven sovereign tribal nations in over 500,000 acres, Wisconsin celebrates this heritage across the state with museums, historic villages and pow-wows. Stop in Oneida Nation Museum in De Pere for one of the largest exhibits in Oneida History or head to Wa Swa Goning Village and experience a 20-acre recreation of a 17th century Ojibwe Village. For an authentic pow-wow, Honor The Earth Pow-Wow is held the third weekend in July in Hayward.
Wisconsin’s home to some ridiculously awesome and obscure museums:
Have you ever wanted to see 237 different embellished concrete sculptures and objects in one place? We have you covered. Phillips is home to the Wisconsin Concrete Park, an outdoor museum located alongside a highway created by folk artist Fred Smith. This park is a unique culmination of national, regional and local history combined with legends of Wisconsin’s Northwoods’ culture.
Wisconsin has more than 150 performing art centers, each offering visitors a unique draw. Experience a play as if you were in Shakespearean times at the 1148 outdoor American Players Theater in Spring Green or head to Madison’s Overture Center for the Performing Arts for a truly intimate theater experience. Don’t break a leg trying to see them all--every one of them is amazing.
Timms Hill is the highest point in the state of Wisconsin with an elevation of 1,951.5 feet. Complete with a lookout tower for visitors to climb, Timms Hill offers outstanding views of the surrounding area.
Maybe you’re tired of me talking about museums, but I’m not tired of telling you all about the best ones Wisconsin has to offer. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is located in Manitowoc along the shores of Lake Michigan. The USS COBIA, the most authentic World War II submarine in the nation, is worth a visit to this museum alone. However, they also have a two-story, 67-ton working steam engine as well as compelling exhibits and displays that span more than 100 years of Great Lakes maritime history.
American Birkebeiner is one of the nation’s premier recreation trails and offers the largest cross-country ski races in North America. From Cable to Hayward, approximately 10,000 skiers participate in the annual Birkie. The trail is also host to the Fat Bike Birkie, a race which offers a chance to ride a fat bike or mountain bike along the groomed trail.
The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is one of the most picturesque areas in Wisconsin and is made up of 255 miles of both the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers. With over 100 primitive campsites mostly reachable only by boat or canoe, this is truly a place for paddle-sport enthusiasts.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is located in La Crosse and is a spiritual destination for pilgrims from all over the world. Tens of thousands of visitors annually visit the Catholic Shrine, but you don’t have to be religious to enjoy the serenity and beautiful views available here.
Head to Monico to experience the largest rolling mechanical globe planetarium in the world that is also the only planetarium to have a night sky replicated with luminous paint rather than a projecting system. This entire planetarium was handmade (and painted) by Frank Kovac, Jr. during a period of 10 years. Though he had no formal astronomy training, all 5,000 stars are depicted accurately.
