10 Unique Places in Wisconsin

I was born and raised in Wisconsin, it’s my happy place and I always feel like I’m back home when I cross the state line. I could name a thousand great places to visit, but I’ll limit it to the top 10. Wisconsin is a beautiful state in the Midwest. Bordered by two Great Lakes, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior, with over 15,000 inland lakes. The state is a fisherman’s dream! I have fished many of the lakes for northern pike, bluegills, crappy, perch, walleye, and bass. You will find miles and miles of rolling hills and farmland. There are big cities like Madison and Milwaukee, and smaller towns like Baraboo and Eau Claire. The Milwaukee zoo is well known but there are also 10 other Wisconsin zoos worth visiting. It’s a state for every season, in the summer you can fish, hike and camp. The fall has an awesome display of colors with many fall festivals from Apple Fest to Pumpkin Fest. In the winter, you can cross-country ski, ice fish, and snowmobile. The spring is when the lilacs are in bloom and the state comes back to life after the long winter. Springtime is one of the most welcomed seasons since the winters can be long in Wisconsin.

List of 10 Unique Places

1. Devil’s Lake State Park
2. Baraboo, Wisc., Circus World Museum
3. The National Mustard Museum(formerly Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum)
4. N.E.W. Zoo
5. Horicon Marsh
6. Door County
7. Ephraim
8. Washington Island
9. Minocqua, Wisc.
10. Boulder Junction, Wisc.

1. Devil’s Lake State Park

Devil’s Lake is located in Baraboo, Wisc. It got its name because of a misunderstanding or mistranslation, the Ho-Chunk Indian tribe’s name for the lake was “Tawacunchukdah”, which meant “Spirit” lake. When the Trappers and Settlers arrived, they translated the word into “Devil’s” lake. Later, when the park became popular with tourists, the local business and hotel owners took another look at the name and decided the name would attract more tourists! I remember going here often, yearly school field trips, and later, taking my children here. It’s a great family location to spend the day! When I was a kid, the rumor was that they had never found the bottom of this lake! Thanks to the internet, I can look it up, and it’s only 47 feet deep! Not quite bottomless!

There are tons of things to do at Devil’s Lake!

• 2 Beaches for Swimming
• Hiking and Rock Climbing
• Biking
• Boating, Canoeing, & Kayaking
• Bird watching
• Fishing & Hunting
• Scuba Diving
• Skiing, Snowshoeing, & Sledding

2. Baraboo – Circus World Museum

The Circus World Museum is in Baraboo, Wisc. I have been going to the Circus World Museum ever since I was in Elementary school. It was always an annual school field trip. It’s a really cool place, especially if you love the circus. I have to admit that I miss the real circus. I understand why it ended, but in my family and my husband’s family, it was an annual event! The museum has struggled financially through the years but has remained open. I was able to share this wonderful place with my husband a few years ago, and my Dad was also able to join us. The Ringling Brothers used this property as their winter quarters from 1884-1918. The museum tells the story of the Ringling family and how the Brothers started their circus. The museum property includes 7 original buildings and much more;

• 260+ authentic circus wagons
• Circus Exhibits
• Vast information and photos of the Ringling brothers
• Original circus posters
• The Big Top has live circus performances in the summer
• Live circus animals

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3. The National Mustard Museum

The National Mustard Museum(formerly Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum), it is in the town of Middleton, Wisc. The museum originally opened to the public in Mt. Horeb in 1992, they grew out of this location in 2009 and moved to their current location in downtown Middleton, Wisc. The name was changed to The National Mustard Museum. The Founder and Curator, Barry Levenson, started collecting Mustards in 1986 and vowed to have the world’s largest prepared mustard collection. Today his collection has grown to more than 5624 mustards and hundreds of items of mustard memorabilia. The museum has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Food Network. You can also shop at the Mustard Store and get a jar of specialty mustard from all over the World, something you won’t find anywhere else! It’s definitely worth a side trip if you are in Southern Wisconsin.

You can also shop at the Mustard Store and get a jar of specialty mustard from all over the World, something you won’t find anywhere else! It’s definitely worth a side trip if you are in Southern Wisconsin.

4. N.E.W. Zoo

I remember years ago when they had a contest to name the new zoo that was opening soon in Green Bay, Wisc. There were many cool names but when they settled on N.E.W. zoo, we thought that was a strange and simple name. I guess it fits though, it stands for North Eastern Wisconsin,(since it is located in the Northeastern part of Wisconsin). This zoo is in a great rural setting. The N.E.W. zoo has recently reopened, the hours are 9:00-6:00 daily. You can purchase your tickets online for a 3-hour time slot. Ticket costs are; $10 for adults, $7 for ages 3-15, and $7 for senior adults over 62.

They offer many cool adventures! Unfortunately, due to COVID, some parts of the zoo are not open, including Adventure Park.

5. Horicon Marsh

Horicon Marsh is a unique place in Wisconsin. It is sometimes called the “Everglades of the North”. Located about 65 miles Northeast of Madison and 63 miles Northwest of Milwaukee. It’s a place that I took my children every year, and it was one of my Dad’s favorite places.

Horicon Marsh is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States. It is both a national and a state wildlife refuge. It is an important rest stop for many varieties of migrating birds. Why did we go there year after year? It was to see the tens of thousands of Canada geese who migrate through the marsh in the Spring and Fall. It’s estimated that between 175,000-250,000 make a stop-ver at the marsh to refuel. It’s really something to see, and hear! The sky darkens with the thousands of geese flying in their “V” formation. And don’t forget the sound of thousands of “honking” geese!

6. Door County

Door County Wisconsin is the peninsula that jets up from Green Bay into Lake Michigan. It’s a very popular vacation destination and a very beautiful part of the state of Wisconsin! It’s known for its quaint little coastal towns, specialty shops, fish boils, scenic beauty, and cherry pie! It is often referred to as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

Some of the most popular towns in Door County, which are all located on the Green Bay side of the county;

• Sturgeon Bay
• Egg Harbor
• Fish Creek
• Ephraim
• Sister Bay
• Ellison Bay
• Gills Rock(which is at the northern tip of the Peninsula)

The last stretch of Hwy 42, which leads to Gills Rock, is a very winding road! From Gills Rock, you can take a ferry to Washington Island.

7. Ephraim

Ephraim is a small town in Door County Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful town right on the peninsula and on the water of Green Bay. These small towns have quaint B&Bs and hotels located right across from the Bay.

Door County includes 30 islands, Washington island is the largest island. It is located about 7 miles off Gills Rock in Lake Michigan and is about 95 miles from Green Bay, Wisc. You can get to the island in several ways; the Washington Island Ferry which carries both vehicles and passengers, and the Island Clipper which is for passengers only. The Island is about 24 square miles and has over 100 miles of paved roads. About 800 people live on the island year-round. Washington Island

9. Minocqua

Minocqua, Wisc., is a beautiful town in Northern Wisconsin, what the locals call “Up North”. The big question around Wisconsin is, “Are you going Up North this weekend?”. Here in North Carolina, everyone asks, “Are you going to the Beach?” Northern Wisconsin is definitely a “hidden gem”. Everyone knows about Madison and Milwaukee, both great cities, but Northern Wisconsin has many beautiful lakes and the best fishing around!

The Minocqua area is sometimes called “nature’s original water park” because of the thousands of lakes, rivers, and streams that saturate the area.

10. Boulder Junction

Boulder Junction, Wisc., is a place close to my heart! We spent every weekend camping at Camp Holiday. The camping and fishing in this area of Wisconsin are unmatched! You will literally find another lake around every corner.

Camp Holiday, 11475 Rudolph Lake Lane, Boulder Junction, Wisc. Campground amenities & activities;

• Showers
• Laundry
• Camp Store
• Large Campsites
• Full Hook-ups
• Rec Hall and Snack Bar
• Swimming
• Fishing
• Hiking

The town of Boulder Junction has some cute specialty shops and good places to eat!

In Conclusion..

Wisconsin is a wonderful state with many unique places to visit! You will find places there that definitely belong on your Bucket list! I would love to know if you have visited any of the places on my unique list, please leave me a comment or send me an email. I would also appreciate it if you will PIN the photos and share this post on social media.

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You may also enjoy reading: 11 Fun things to do in Two Rivers, Wisc.

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