Must-see attractions in Wisconsin

  • Milwaukee, USA - September 11, 2013: The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Owned by the motorcycle manufacturer, the museum opened in 2008 to celebrate and showcase more than a century of Harley-Davidson motorcycle history.

    Harley-Davidson Museum

    Milwaukee

    Hundreds of motorcycles show the styles through the decades, including the flashy rides of Elvis and Evel Knievel. You can sit in the saddle of various…

  • Architectural details of Calatrava's  Art Museum at Milwaukee

    Milwaukee Art Museum

    Milwaukee

    You have to see this lakeside institution, which features a stunning winglike addition by Santiago Calatrava. It soars open and closed every day at 10am,…

  • House on the Rock

    Wisconsin

    One of Wisconsin's busiest attractions. Alex Jordan built the structure atop a rock column in 1959 (some say as an 'up yours' to neighbor Frank Lloyd…

  • Taliesin

    Wisconsin

    Taliesin was the home of Frank Lloyd Wright for most of his life and is the site of his architectural school. It's now a major pilgrimage destination for…

  • Rock Island State Park

    Wisconsin

    The entire island is parkland, with no cars or bikes allowed. There are hiking trails, a sand beach and squat, stone Pottawatomie Lighthouse, which is a 1…

  • Wingspread

    Wisconsin

    Wingspread is the house Frank Lloyd Wright designed for HF Johnson Jr, one of the SC Johnson company's leaders. It is the last and largest of Wright's…

  • Chazen Museum of Art

    Wisconsin

    The university's art museum is huge and fabulous, and way beyond the norm for a campus collection. The 3rd floor holds most of the genre-spanning trove:…

  • Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

    Wisconsin

    The two-floor Hall of Fame, located inside the atrium adjacent to Lambeau Field, is filled with Green Bay Packer memorabilia, shiny trophies and movies…

  • Olbrich Botanical Gardens

    Wisconsin

    Roam the 16 acres of lush outdoor gardens, including an unusual gilded Thai pavilion. The Bolz Conservatory houses rare tropical plants, free-flying birds…

  • A2GXH6 USA, Wisconsin, Milwaukee: Milwaukee Industry: Engine Plant Harley Davidson Motor Cycles
Harley-Davidson Plant

    Harley-Davidson Plant

    Milwaukee

    Hog-heads can get a fix at the plant where engines are built, in suburban Menomonee Falls. The factory offers several options for tours, including a…

  • MILWAUKEE - JUNE 3: The Miller Brewery complex on June 3, 2013. The Miller Brewing Company is a well known American beer brewing company.; Shutterstock ID 147557870; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Miller Brewing Company

    Milwaukee

    Founded in 1855, the historic Miller facility preserves Milwaukee's beer legacy. Join the legions lined up for the free, hour-long tours. Though the mass…

  • Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum

    Wisconsin

    Little House on the Prairie fans can make a pit stop at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. This is where she was born and the abode that starred in Little…

  • Potosi Brewing Company

    Wisconsin

    It's your one-stop shop for food, drink, memorabilia and historical information. The thick-stone building began brewing beer in 1852. Imbibe indoors amid…

  • Monona Terrace

    Wisconsin

    Frank Lloyd Wright designed this cool, white semicircular structure in 1938, though it wasn't completed until 1997. The one-hour tours explain why; tours…

  • American Black Holocaust Museum

    Milwaukee

    This museum aims to tell the story of what it calls the 'Black Holocaust' – which includes the slave trade from Africa, slavery in the American South, the…

  • Children's Museum of Eau Claire

    Wisconsin

    Three floors of interactive exhibits aimed squarely at younger children (and parents looking to build in some educational fun). The exhibits are arranged…

  • Henry Vilas Zoo

    Wisconsin

    Exhibits include a tropical rainforest, 'Arctic' passage (with seals and polar bears), primate house and special displays of animals native to the North…

  • Lakefront Brewery

    Milwaukee

    Well-loved Lakefront Brewery, across the river from Brady St, has afternoon tours, but the swellest time to visit is on Friday night when there's a fish…

  • Grandad Bluff

    Wisconsin

    Grandad Bluff offers grand views of the river. The overlook is part of Grandad Bluff Park, which also includes good hiking trails. It's east of town along…

  • National Railroad Museum

    Wisconsin

    Forget the Packers (for just a moment), this is a must for train lovers: an enormous museum featuring some of the biggest locomotives ever to haul freight…

  • Wisconsin Veterans Museum

    Wisconsin

    This modest museum on Capitol Sq tells the story of Wisconsin's involvement in the nation's wars, from the Civil War through WWI and WWII all the way up…

  • Big Bay State Park

    Wisconsin

    Big Bay is at Madeline Island's far edge, with a pretty beach and hiking trails. The well-maintained campsites are open year-round and book up fast…

  • Concrete Park

    Wisconsin

    Folk artist and retired lumberjack Fred Smith's Concrete Park in Phillips is extraordinary, with 200-plus whimsical, life-size sculptures.

  • Dr Evermor's Sculpture Park

    Wisconsin

    The doc welds old pipes, carburetors and other salvaged metal into a hallucinatory world of futuristic birds, dragons and other bizarre structures. The…

  • Neville Public Museum

    Wisconsin

    This downtown regional museum is a highly recommended rainy-day outing. Highlights include eight movie shorts on the Green Bay Packers, including on Vince…

  • AD German Warehouse

    Wisconsin

    Frank Lloyd Wright returned to Richland Center, the town where he was born, to design this four-story warehouse for Albert Dell German. The Mayan Revival…

  • Wisconsin Dells

    Wisconsin

    The Dells is a megacenter of kitschy diversions, including more than 20 water parks, water-skiing thrill shows and epic mini-golf courses. It's a jolting…

  • Madeline Island

    Wisconsin

    Inhabited Madeline Island makes a fine day trip and is reached by a 25-minute ferry from Bayfield. The isle's walkable village of La Pointe has a couple…

  • Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin

    Milwaukee

    The city's lakefront science and technology museum is primarily a kid-pleaser, with freshwater and saltwater aquariums (where you can touch sharks and…

  • Museum of Contemporary Art

    Wisconsin

    It's worth popping into the angular glass building to see what's showing. Frank Stella prints? Claes Oldenburg etchings? Cindy Sherman photos? Exhibits…

  • National Mustard Museum

    Wisconsin

    Born of one man's ridiculously intense passion, the building houses 6000 mustards and kooky condiment memorabilia. Tongue-in-cheek humor abounds,…

  • Bronze Fonz

    Milwaukee

    Rumor has it the Bronze Fonz, just south of Wells St downtown, is the most photographed sight in Milwaukee. The Fonz, aka Arthur Fonzarelli, was a…

  • State Capitol

    Wisconsin

    The X-shaped capitol is the largest outside Washington, DC, and marks the heart of downtown. Tours are available on the hour most days, or you can go up…

  • Arboretum

    Wisconsin

    The University of Wisconsin 1260-acre arboretum is dense with lilac and 17 miles of trails. The park's visitor center has a parking lot, brochures and a…

  • Lakefront Park

    Milwaukee

    The parkland edging Lake Michigan is prime for walking, cycling and inline skating. Also here is Bradford Beach, which is good for swimming and lounging.

  • World's Largest Six-Pack

    Wisconsin

    The 'cans' are actually storage tanks for City Brewery and hold enough beer to provide one person with a six-pack a day for 3351 years (or so the sign…

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