One part mansion, one part brewery, equal parts circus and splendor—the AL. Ringling Mansion in Baraboo, Wisconsin, offers a portal to a world devoted to delights. Tours welcome visitors into the stately, Victorian-era rooms, and guides (usually the owners) bring the Ringling Brothers to life with facts and stories. And yes, if you want to take a haunted tour, that’s an option, too.
To uncover what life was like in the 1920s and 1930s, visit Milwaukee's Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear, where you can marvel at 20th century Americana, from crank telephones to glass medicine bottles. The museum's holdings are highlighted in theme rooms. Don't miss the recreated general store, vintage barbershop, and hidden speakeasy.
Just steps beyond downtown Milwaukee, Marquette University is one of the city’s foremost educational institutions, established in 1881. A Catholic–Jesuit university, it’s also one of the more prominent—and largest—private colleges in the United States. With more than 11,000 students and an endowment of nearly $1 billion, its legacy reaches across the globe.
If there’s one spot to experience in Madison, it’s the Memorial Union Terrace. On the UW–Madison campus, this is where thousands gather for pitchers of beer, brats, and brilliant views over Lake Mendota. Grab a Sunburst chair and a few of your closest friends, and do as the Badgers do: while away an afternoon on the Midwest’s favorite terrace.
Milwaukee’s Lake Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the most famous landscape architects of the 19th and 20th centuries. Sitting high on a bluff above Lake Michigan, this 130-acre spot—which dates back to 1889—is full of amenities, from golf courses and walking trails to picnic areas. Plus, there are those endless Great Lake vistas that never go out of style.
Who said museums have to be dedicated to one genre? Green Bay’s Neville Public Museum showcases anything relevant to the region, “from fossils to footballs,” championing science, art, and history at large. With exhibits spanning epochs, eras, and interests, it’s a rewarding stop for visitors across the board—with something for anyone who’s curious and ready to learn.
Kids will be in their element at Discovery World, Milwaukee, where they can do everything from piloting a flight simulator to creating their own thunderstorms. Right on the shores of Lake Michigan, this museum is a cool spot for adults, too—who doesn’t want to create their own music?—but it’s really built for younger visitors to wander, explore, and discover.
Running from the Wisconsin–Michigan border in the north, the Wisconsin River courses for some 430 miles (692 kilometers), through the hilly Driftless Region and all the way to the Mississippi River. Ideal for rafting, paddling, fishing, and wildlife-watching, this waterway is a fine example of the scenic splendor of the Upper Midwest.
