Top Things to do in Wisconsin
Top Hotels in Wisconsin
- 1. Drury Plaza Hotel Milwaukee Downtown
- 2. Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Downtown
- 3. Harbor Shores on Lake Geneva
- 4. Grand Geneva Resort & Spa
- 5. Hampton Inn & Suites Madison / Downtown
- 6. Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club
- 7. Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay
- 8. Radisson Hotel La Crosse
- 9. Hyatt Regency Milwaukee
- 10. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, La Crosse, WI
10 Children's Museums in Wisconsin That You Shouldn't Miss
When you think “adventure travel” you probably think of far-flung places like Belize and Alaska—not Wisconsin. But if you’re an outdoor adventurer, you’ll find plenty of places to explore in Wisconsin. A vacation in Wisconsin can put you close to the Kettle Moraine State Forest, which has excellent biking trails. Or choose Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands—kayakers will love exploring Lake Superior’s many caves and shipwrecks.
Packers fans don’t wear those cheese-wedge hats for nothing! Foodies will love tasting as many of Wisconsin’s artisanal cheeses as possible. Either drive from cheesemaker to cheesemaker, or choose a Wisconsin vacation in a town with a good farmers’ market—then the cheesemakers bring their wares to you. And what goes better with artisanal cheese than craft beer? In Milwaukee, visit the Lakefront and Sprecher Breweries for tours and tastings.
Wisconsin Dells is a classic family vacation destination. A vacation in Wisconsin Dells will put you close to all the excitement—you’ll have to tear the kids away from the theme parks, wave pools and water parks in Wisconsin Dells!
Lake Geneva boasts clean beaches, golf, and a small-town feel that definitely appeals to city dwellers—it’s a popular getaway for residents of Chicago.
Restaurants in Wisconsin
1. Northwoods Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 56 reviews
We are hibernating for the winter of of 2021. We will reopen to visitors in late spring. See you in spring and thank you for your support!
Reviewed By jennifersG3423CA
We come here often and LOVE it everytime, the are always changing things up and it’s nice to see all the kids enjoying themselves without electronics lol..plus the toys and mostly educational
2. Black Earth Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
One of the only "small-town" children's museums in the nation, the Black Earth Children's Museum (BECM) is a unique and enriching place that inspires discovery, creativity and community! Designed and built with input from the local community , BECM is truly a community space. Exhibits are designed with a focus on reflecting the local culture and environment to promote learning and appreciation. The museum offers engaging and unique play experiences throughout 7,000 square feet of the historic Patron's Mercantile Co-Op Building. BECM's exhibits are designed primarily for children ages birth to 10 but offer excitement for all ages! In addition, we will be offering a wide variety of programs and events , such as skill development workshops for middle school and high school students, toddler music and fun events for the whole family.
Reviewed By 7rmg
Interactive hands-on fun active educational things to do. Easy on adults because kids are so engaged seeing, touching, hearing, climbing, exploring & if needed resting while not being excessively loud. Birthday party rooms, musical instruments to bang on, lots of light & color. A happy place for all. One of the best indoor kid destinations I've ever visited.
3. Madison Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 309 reviews
(Note: The museum is closed indefinitely, due to the pandemic. MCM will reopen sometime in 2021.) The Madison Children's Museum is an award-winning destination for fun family activities and hands-on learning! Visit our inventive city of Possible-opolis for ages 6 and up, and our four-season Rooftop Ramble, with animals and gardens. Kids under 5 have a place of their own in the Wildernest, a global village made with natural, local materials.There's always something new to do at Madison Children's Museum, where our mission is to connect children with their family, their community, and the world beyond through discovery learning and creative play.
Reviewed By EvergreenCOmom - Evergreen, United States
My 11, 8, and 5 year olds had a blast exploring this highly interactive and innovative children's museum. It's high candy for kids and adults alike from the moment you walk in and see the 5 and under Wildernest area on the lower level while looking straight up at the open staircase to see the older kid climbing play structure "thing" that you have to see to believe. Naturally, we went straight up to climb and slide. Great energy burner and the slide is steep/fast enough that kids don't get held up waiting to go. Next we made our way through the coops to cathedrals portion. I was fascinated! I had no idea about the history of Frank Lloyd Wright- I knew he was from Madison but I learned so much about his life and design ideas. There was everything from the types of blocks he played with as a child to a fun barn space for kids to try out building and chores to a functioning "studio" space where they can try to design a dog house with large interlocking puzzles pieces. So cool! I finally weaned my kids off this section because I was eager to check out the rooftop. For older kids the staircase is yet another helpful energy burner (up a few flights). The rooftop is beautiful and another creative place to explore, with interesting garden spaces and indoor lab space to check out beetles, turtles, and other small animals. There's also a chicken coop outside, plus a couple of small climbing structures and beautiful look out spots (especially fun for us out oft owners). The one last thing my daughter wanted to do was the giant hamster wheel back down by the climbing structure. It's a fun little novel thing to do but be prepared to wait a few minutes in line since it's open sporadically as staff are able to come and open it. I assume it's open more readily on weekends. And now a few logistics: I bought my tickets online ahead of time to see if it saved any time. For one adult & three kids it was just over $31, so not bad. It saved a few seconds when we walked in, but since there wasn't a separate line I was confused about how this would help on really crowded days. We were there on a June Tuesday afternoon. Parking was crazy easy since a street space opened up right outside the front door. I also saw multiple parking structures, so even on weekends I figure parking is not impossible. I saw that they allow you to bring food in to the cafe, which is super helpful. You can bring in food for the little ones just within the Wildernest, also helpful. Bathrooms and elevators were really easy to find once inside. I also appreciated that they had environmentally friendly features like high flow/low flow toilet flushers and hand dryers. Most of all, I appreciated the time and effort that clearly went into making this an amazing space for a wide variety of ages.
4. Central Wisconsin Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
5. Betty Brinn Children's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 252 reviews
The Betty Brinn Children's Museum inspires all children to wonder and explore their world through play and innovative, hands-on learning experiences. Reserve timed-entry passes for play times in advance for entrance to the Museum's interactive exhibit galleries, makerspace and creative workshops. Explore Home Town, Science City, Let's Play Railway! and Pocket Park (for children age 4 and younger) and discover new activities that spark learning. For at-home learning, the Museum presents virtual Play in the Cloud creative and cultural workshops led in real-time by Instructors from across the globe.
Reviewed By NuthouseNancy - New Berlin, United States
I accompanied my son and two grandsons to the museum. I had no idea it was so hands-on and casual. For being rather crowded, the visitors were easygoing and friendly. The children I saw were from young toddlers up to about age 10 or so. However, kids with special needs who are even older would love the hands on fun. There are so many play stations, all interesting to young learners: pretend store, tool shed, ship, many book nooks, slides, light up walls, doctor office, pretend garden, on and on! Kids can jump, climb, meet other kids, build, and have a blast. Visitors and even the kids themselves seem to care about putting toys and items back when they are done. Very friendly place, and all kinds of youngsters were getting along and enjoying learning, in the form of play.
6. Building for Kids
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 143 reviews
The Building for Kids Children's Museum's mission is to empower children, engage parents and energize communities. We accomplish our mission by providing specially designed exhibits, programs and events. Our goal is to inspire, teach and reinforce curiosity.
7. Children's Museum of La Crosse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 115 reviews
Learning and fun...Rolled into one! Three floors of hands-on exhibits, climbing wall (wall hours vary--call ahead), gift shop PLUS birthday parties, summer day camps, preschool programs and more. For ages 1-10 with adult.
Reviewed By kadinger - Necedah, United States
So much to do and see great for kids under 7 years of age, after that age it is a little boring. Love the Kwik trip upstairs.
8. Children's Museum of Eau Claire
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 135 reviews
The Children's Museum of Eau Claire is an interactive environment for kids and their grown-ups that inspires imagination, discovery, creativity and the love of learning. A favorite destination for families in the Chippewa Valley, the Children's Museum offers non-traditional learning opportunities to help kids see, touch, learn and grow their way through important developmental milestones.
Reviewed By bella3480
I took my 3 year old here and we had a blast!!! Great way to spend a cold day inside and/or get out some energy. There is so many cool activities to peak any child's interest. I will definitely be going back :)
9. The Children's Museum of Green Bay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 93 reviews
The Children's Museum of Green Bay is a non-profit, visitor-supported organization. We celebrate families by providing interactive exhibits and innovative programming that fosters life-long learning.
Reviewed By joshbN2308YS
We took the little ones there and they had lots of fun. It was an excellent idea as the weather is getting super cold around here. Would come again.
10. Above and Beyond Childrens Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 88 reviews
Above & Beyond Children’s Museum (ABCM) is a non-profit organization serving children and their caregivers from Sheboygan County and tourists. ABCM has been operating from its three-story historic location at 902 N. 8th Street since 1999 enriching thousands of children’s lives.
Reviewed By burningtoast
If you want to enjoy visceral play, this is your destination! It's fantasy, it's practical, and it's beautifully executed. This is a great way to get out of videos, television, and iPads; get your kids back into their bodies with wonder and enchantment! The building integrates an actual boat from one end of the 3rd floor through the opposite wall. Everything in between is the same boat! There's a honey farm, a full-blown circus car, and oodles more to explore. I stopped into this museum because the facade was so interesting. I enjoyed this as an adult; every teacher can find inspiration in the effective use of color, space, theme, and design. As a small institution, it truly delivers on its mission!
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